Addis Red Sea Restaurant: The Best Romantic Dinner in Boston

It's a breezy, star-filled night in Boston, and you're looking for a place that'll sweep your mate off his or her feet. You're tempted to try to snatch a seat at the most pretentious, impossible-to-get-into restaurant. Or maybe you want to treat that special someone to dinner at "Top of the Hub," because that's where all the tour guides say to go.

Let's hang on just a second here. While those establishments may have excellent drinks, superb front of house staff-- and hey, there's no denying that spectacular view of one of the greatest cities in the world-- I have a far better idea for you.

Take a walk down charming Tremont Street to Addis Red Sea for a magical evening of culinary enlightenment. This Ethiopian treasure will be sure to satisfy the deepest curiosity... not to mention hunger.

Dining at Addis is a very sensual experience. Just as in traditional Ethiopian style, here you eat with your hands. So feel free to feed each other if the mood inspires you-- just please be mindful of the other guests, won't you?

That aside, the food is sensational. In a dimly lit wonderland, you and your partner sit around your "Mesob," which is first covered in a layer of delicately delicious bread, then topped with all the items you've ordered.

I recommend the "Vegetable Combination for Two," which allows you to choose eight of their outstanding vegetarian dishes (which also happen to be vegan) from the menu as well as the house salad (which I like to mix right in with the main courses-- you'll see when you get there).

I particularly like the "Yesmir Wot," which consists of lentils simmered in a spicy hot berbere sauce, and the "Tikle Gomen," which is cabbage cooked with vegetable oil, garlic, ginger and green peppers.

And don't worry-- the baskets of bread at your side are miraculously bottomless.

This style of dining is very fun and flirty as well, because you are able to mix and match to prepare the perfect bite each time. Perhaps this time you'll try a little Kinche (cracked wheat) with some Atakilt (green beans, potatoes, carrots and onions sautéed in a blend of exotic herbs). Then next time, you'll have to try something different, which will give you a great excuse to reach across to your mate's side of the table and perhaps graze their wrist along the way.

If this is the first time the two of you have tried this type of cuisine, you can really have fun and joke with each other. While broadening your cultural scope, you also give yourselves the opportunity to enjoy the comedy of everyday life together.

My companion and I actually spent a small portion of the evening watching a hopelessly corporate businessman and his less-than-genius date try desperately to figure out just exactly where they were and what they were doing.

Don't worry, they were laughing along with us, and we actually all ended up dining together in the end. That's the thing about food-- no matter where you go or how you try to dress it up, in the end, it always comes back to being communal and fun. Especially at a place like this.

Addis has an impressive wine list as well. Their fruity Bodega Lurton Pinot Gris enhances the subtle nuances of the slow-simmered vegetables, while playing very well off the spice of the other dishes. The hints of apricot and peach in the wine create a magnificent flavor sensation while also cleansing the palate for each new and exciting bite.

If you are leaning more towards a non-alcoholic drink, try the mango juice. Both succulent and rejuvenating, it can even double as dessert.

Believe me, by the time the meal is over, you won't want to leave. The cozy, intimate setting is wonderful for getting to know someone... or for falling in love all over again.

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Addis Red Sea is located at 544 Tremont Street in Boston, Mass. Their phone number is 617-426-8727. They are open Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 11 p.m.