Azeb Gide, chef/owner of the new Fairfax restaurant Sheba, wears her Ethiopian heritage with grace and pride. She translates those qualities into her sleek restaurant and its array of foods, many of which are dishes she learned from her family. “Every tribe has its own recipe,” she said. “My husband and I argue over how to spice and prepare butter [niter kibe].”

Growing up in Addis Ababa during the Ethiopian Revolution of the early 1970s, Gide remembers the communist persecution of Catholics and other Christians. Yet her childhood yields fond memories as well, especially of eating with family members. “I was one of those picky eaters and I hated eating on individual plates, enjoying rather the meal shared on the communal plate with my siblings,” she said. “More than the food, I enjoyed the stories and jokes my older siblings shared during these couple-of-hour-long dinners. I don’t remember ever eating alone growing up.”