African Palace Bar & Grill

You don't get to eat a giant snail every day. Or, for that matter, yam porridge or fried plantains or palm juice. Unless, that is, you visit African Palace, one of the few local African restaurants that offers an alternative to Ethiopian cuisine. A thick sauce made from red bell peppers, onion, tomatoes, olive oil and lots of atarodo peppers is liberally employed in many of the dishes, from soups to gizzards to wings (and that giant snail). For an entrée, try the meat-and-rice-based jollof (prepared, like most of the main courses, with your choice of beef, chicken or fish), or the Daily Special (which is the same every day): a brightly flavored stew that unites dried cod, chicken and tripe with greens and that rich pepper sauce. Bonus: On weekends, African Palace becomes a nightclub, featuring reggae and world-beat music.