When a restaurant is a community in Arlington

Hailu Dama and his wife, Amsale Saife, remember opening their Ethiopian business 22 years ago on Columbia Pike.

Photo by Shirley Ruhe.

Late Friday afternoon, the lunch buffet crowd mostly disappeared at Dama restaurant. But at the nearby Dama pastry shop, family groups sit down with the men who talk about politics and the faces of the kids slide on honey baklava or chocolate cake.

Hailu Dama, the owner of Dama Pastry and Restaurant, says that he arrived from Ethiopia in 1981, because "with the government that was in power," no rights, no position. " If you were with the government, you could be lucky, if not, you could be killed. "His wife Amsale Saife followed in 1983.

Saife said about 22 years ago that they opened an Ethiopian litter on Columbia Pike.In the beginning, Dama said," People were not so safe, but the location next to the highway on Columbia Pike helped us a lot. "Saife says the families started to move and sit down, so they added a restaurant. At first it was mostly Ethiopians. "They all talked about the restaurant." But as the rumor spread, Dama added, "In this ZIP code 22204, along from Columbia Pike, we had almost every customer from around the world. "He says," Now you call him, we have all kinds of customers … white Americans, Hispanic Americans, Americans of Asian descent . "

Saife says the customer's favorite is the kitfo, which is a Tartar steak, she says their butcher, Debebe, grinds it again and compete with crushed peppers from Ethiopia. "We had a butcher 15 years ago because we want to do everything fresh." Another popular item is the vegetarian combo with awaze shins (beef). It is served with injera, the unflavored traditional flatbread that is used instead of utensils to pick up food. "The bread has no flavor, so it absorbs the flavor of the food."

Saife says that they also added vegan food, including cakes. She said that Ethiopians celebrate the American and Ethiopian Easter and Christmas holidays. "Our Christmas is January 8th." Dama says that every four years the two Easter holidays fall the same day. Saife explains to Ethiopians the 40 days of Lent and 50 days before Christmas. During this time, they become vegetarians. "Then, when they break the fast, they want to eat cake, they are lined up there." She shows the door of entry.

The holidays also led to a thriving restaurant business that is located across the street. Dama says, "People ask for food catering for graduations and weddings and holidays instead of cooking themselves. We are used to our people."

Dama says the restaurant is a community. let's go through the good times and the bad times together. "And he says," that's what I do, the original food in Ethiopia. "He says people like the mood." We're going to discuss Politics and life, we have it here, it's how we grew up. "He adds:" Customers love this place because it reminds them of home. "

Many customers are regulars. "Like this guy over there, he comes every day, two men sitting huddled in deep conversation discussing a newspaper." And this group in the corner.They come every day and drink coffee Dama shakes hands with a customer who is heading to the pastry counter for a piece of italian rum cake in. "Some of these people come today from many states. "Dama explains Prime Minister Ethiopia is in town and 40,000 Ethiopians are expected from all over the country.

Saife says the difference in running a business here and in Ethiopia is that it's not the same. In Arlington you can click online and order from sellers, go to the market, and it was difficult to get ingredients, especially for pastries. "Vanilla, something simple like that, and flour to cake. "Almaz Dama, a sister who came to America in 1974, is the baker for pastry and business."

Saife reveals an image of Father Dama, "my husband's dad," on the same s. he never came to America, he was the inspiration for all this.

This is the second in a series of articles on refugee or drug companies. immigrants to Arlington.