There are less than a handful of reasons to hang around Jerome Avenue at the low 180s any time of day—that is, unless you've got a hankering for spicy stews. Home to an exploding population of Ghanaians that is the largest in the States, the Bronx has, in recent years, started to gain traction as a destination for honest, cheap West African food. Though the community is centered on the Melrose-Webster Avenue track, Ebe Ye Yie, just steps from the 183rd 4-train stop, is not far off the beaten track of plantains and palm oil. And it's very much worth the diversion. More

When I told my server at Buka that I was a vegetarian, she patiently pointed out the few items on the menu that were appropriate. There are not many options, she said, because Buka specializes in authentic Nigerian food; like many other West African cuisines, it relies heavily on dried fish. But those dishes that are vegetarian are quite filling, due to the other Nigerian staple: yams. We're not talking the orange Thanksgiving sweet potato that supermarkets mislabel as yams, but the large white starchy tubers that serves as the base for many Nigerian dishes. More

Robyn and I wandered down 26th Street today looking for this "new African buffet" mentioned in a Talk thread. It's called B&B Restaurant (though there are no signs of beds or breakfast) and to clarify, it's closer to Seventh... More

Thanks to the Orange Democratic Movement, Kenyan immigrants have taken residence in Jersey City, and Robert Sietsema approves of the mandazi (a sweet fritter commonly sold on Nairobi streets) that they've brought with them. Available for $1 at Mallory Coffee... More