If you’re looking for authentic Ethiopian fare in the heart of Rainier Valley, skip Columbia City and head on down the road to Altaye Ethiopian Restaurant: The food is good, the prices are a bargain ($3 beers, $7 to $13 entrees), the atmosphere is simple but welcoming, and the owners are the nicest people in the world. My daughter and I usually share the combo platter—tasty meat and veggie stews mopped up with tangy homemade injera bread—but others swear by the kitfo: spicy, raw, minced beef. (Altaye Ethiopian Restaurant, 8135 Rainier Ave S, 353-5157, 10 am–9 pm)