Gideon Gebreyesus had good news and bad news for the regulars at his popular Eritrean eatery.
It was the weekend before last. Tables at Caffe Adulis were filled with customers who had marked family milestones at the College Street restaurant over the past 17 years.
Gebreyesus brought each party the check, with a personal message.
“The good news,” he told people, “is we’re picking up the check.
“The bad news is you’re not going to have this kind of food for another year.”
Gebreyesus (pictured) said Sunday night that the restaurant fell victim to a faltering economy. He said he plans to reopen Caffe Adulis in a smaller, less expensive space in New Haven a year from now.
“We need a break,” he said. “We love it. It’s our baby. It’s where our friends and our family grew up.”
He stressed that he had “no beef” with his landlord, Yale. He also said he’s been able to line up jobs at other restaurants for the Caffe Adulis staff, including some positions at Geronimo, a new Southwest-themed Crown Street eatery of which he is part owner.
Eritrean and Ethiopian food were a novelty when Gebreyesus, who came to this country from Asamara, Eritrea, in 1984, opened the doors to Caffe Adulis. And College Street, while already part of a gentrifying downtown, wasn’t yet the heart of a renowned restaurant district.
Caffe Adulis rapidly made a name — a nationally recognizedname — as a gem. It didn’t take long for New Haveners to master scooping up the lentil, lamb, and other spicy delicacies with spongy sourdough bread known as injera. A second African restaurant, Lalibella, opened a block away on Temple Street. College and Chapel and Temple Streets became filled with immigrant-run ethnic restaurants that became a magnet for diners from around the region, and the driver of a downtown revival.
Have any favorite Adulis memories? Post them below.
The first time I ate at Adulis, Gideon came up to me and shook my hand Like I was the Mayor of New Haven! ...and every time thereafter too.
New Haven needs more good solid citizens like Gideon Gebreyesus.