Every month in this space we'll highlight comments from the Reader Restaurant Raters and pick trends from our stream of incoming reports.

Disgusting!

Last month we asked Raters an indelicate question: What's the most disgusting thing you've ever seen in a restaurant? We received a variety of hair-raising replies, including several each in the nail-clipping and cockroach categories. The most vividly disgusting tales are quoted below. In a couple of cases we've obscured the name of the offending restaurant; we could have asked for sworn statments from our Raters, but we figured they'd been through enough already.

Best cockroach story: "When I was a young girl, we frequented a Japanese restaurant...on Clark near Division. My mom was served a dish called a 'donburi', which consisted of a bowl of rice with chicken, or fish, or beef, mixed with vegetables, with a fried egg on top. She began eating the topping, and just as she was turning over the rice, she noticed a cockroach on top of the rice, just under the topping. She motioned the waiter over, and not wanting to make an embarrassing scene, she just pointed to the bowl, lifted the egg, and shook her head, frowning. The waiter bowed deeply, nodded agreement, and hurried away. A few minutes later, the waiter appeared with the replacement, bowed, and apologized. My mother was about to stir it up when my dad said 'wait,' lifted the topping, and there was the cockroach, still in rigor mortis, on the rice. They had just removed the egg and replaced it with a new one, thinking that was the objection."

Live music: "My sister and I were enjoying a lovely dinner at a nice little Italian spot when I began to see a horrifying activity...the bartender was clipping her fingernails while behind the bar, right over the cut up garnishes and all the clean (?) glasses. When I mentioned to the server that I had seen this bit of personal grooming going on, some excuse was made about her having broken a nail...she wasn't doing it very much... We never went back. An amazing coincidence occurred just weeks later when my sister and I were once again enjoying an Italian meal [at a different restaurant]. We were sitting at the bar and had just ordered a pizza when I heard that oh, so familiar 'ping...ping' of the bartender's fingernails ricocheting off the beer taps!"

Secret ingredient: "I used to go to a coffee house and dessert place which, to avoid legal stuff, shall remain nameless, but I'd really like to mention them by name. Anyway, their desserts were really good -- still are, I suppose. So I would go there during lunch or on my way home and pick up something for dessert. They have a kitchen that is fairly open...it is fairly easy to see what they're doing without trying too hard. One afternoon I was waiting to be served, and I noticed the chef icing a cake. Only problem was that he would "clear" the tip of the pastry tube by licking it. I was watching this process in horrid fascination when he glanced up and noticed me. Then he calmly turned back to his work. I left without buying anything, and I haven't been back since."

Boo-boo: "The most disgusting thing I have ever witnessed in a restaurant -- I would have to say is the time I ordered the lasagna special at _____'s on Halsted Street and found someone's (probably a cook) band-aid smack dab in my food!!! They were quite apologetic about it, and offered to pick up my tab, but at that point my appetite was pretty much zilch! But being the forgiving person I am, I understand accidents do happen and such is life!!!!!! I just continued to finish my alcoholic beverage but will admit that my visits to that establishment became few and far between."

That's enough of that. Thanks to all who contributed.

ETHIOPIAN NOTES: As many of you know, we don't publish a restaurant's ratings until we have received at least five reports on it. To speed the process along, we send the Restaurant Raters a list every month naming the places that are only one report away. Last month two Ethiopian restaurants showed up on our list, and as a result we received a slew of new reports on them. We figured this would be as good a time as any to feature this cuisine in the Grapevine.

If you're not familiar with it, traditional Ethiopian cuisine consists of various meat and vegetable stews, often spicy, which are generally eaten without utensils: you scoop up a handful in a piece of pancake-like bread called injera. Usually a whole table's order is served on a single huge platter. It's good for friendly groups and great for budget-conscious and vegetarian diners.

The most frequently visited Ethiopian restaurant in our database is Addis Abeba at 3521 N. Clark, which is also highest rated for food at 7.5. We've received several new reports on it lately, and overall Raters' comments are positive. For example: "There are three or four Ethiopian restaurants on this block, and this measures up quite nicely to my previous favorite...Mama Desta's. The ambience is fun and friendly, and there's an occasional band playing in the middle of the week (with no cover), which is nice. There's a great vegetarian selection, and first timers can experiment with a few different dishes by ordering the sampler. Even someone who is unfamiliar with Ethiopian food will enjoy the experience." We received one report of "absolutely horrible" service at Addis Abeba -- and this was from someone who waits tables for a living -- but other Raters have found the service friendly and prompt.

Though Addis Abeba has more reports and slightly higher food ratings, Ethiopian Diamond, 6120 N. Broadway, is highest rated overall. One recent visitor says, "Ethiopian Diamond is a real treat. We've yet to be disappointed by the food there. It has become quite popular though and service isn't as swift as before. Nevertheless, this is the best place for Ethiopian food in Chicago. Stay away from the Ethiopian restaurants in Wrigleyville if you can. Entrees are served on a spongy bread called injera and eaten family style. There's plenty of food but Ethiopian Diamond will add a small portion of unordered dishes at no extra charge to fill up your platter. We ordered 3 dishes - spicy red lentils (yemesir watt), mild string beans, potatoes, and carrots (yatakilt watt), and gomen watt (collard greens), but they threw in a small portion of a chick pea dish and carrots and potatoes (dinich alitcha?). They serve African wines and beer as well as a delicacy called tej, honey wine."

We currently have five Ethiopian restaurants in the database, of which four are rated. The newest is Selam Café, just a few blocks south of Ethiopian Diamond at 5844 N. Broadway. Does it measure up? Let us know or tell us about any others you've discovered.