Sometimes things just have a way of working themselves out. I will explain what I mean toward the end of this post.
I have always been curious about Ethiopian food, but trying it has just never worked out. I almost tried Abyssinia near Poplar and Hollywood a couple of times, but I was in that area during peak lunch rush and could never figure out the parking. Then Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen opened in Midtown, and my Sunday brunch friends Robyn and Kelly raved about it to me. “You have to try it. It is so good,” they said. When I got this unplanned 9-week vacation, I decided I would have to get out there one of these days. Of course that took the effort of getting dressed and driving the car, so I procrastinated for almost the entire nine weeks.
Monday night I told a lot of people, “Okay, I’m making it out to Blue Nile tomorrow.” I knew I would regret it if my time off ran out and I didn’t make it down there even once. And yet, when Tuesday morning rolled around, I was having one of those not-feeling-it days. I didn’t have the energy for a field trip. Sometimes you just need what’s familiar, and for me that is Bardog.
This morning I thought, “Tomorrow is Thursday food truck rodeo in Court Square and the NCAA tournament. Friday is the tournament again and Arkansas plays. It’s now or never today.” I got out of bed at 7:30, did my blog, did some BBQ team stuff, and was rarin’ to go to Blue Nile. So now it’s time for…
The Perjorie T. Roll Lunch Series
My troll and I hopped in the car about 10:50. I prefer to dine out for lunch either at 11 or at 1, missing the 11:30-12:30 peak hours where there are long lines and long waits for tables. Realizing that Blue Nile shares a parking lot with the super-popular Bar-B-Q Shop – they’re both on the north side of Madison between Auburndale and Idlewild – I thought, I better make it 11, because the parking lot was likely to be packed at 1.
I was the first customer there. Blue Nile Ethiopian Kitchen is a small place but there is ample table seating and seating at the bar. I took a bar stool and was handed an ice water and a menu. I noticed they have PBR in 12 ounce bottles, although I did not partake. On tap they have a selection of local and regional beers, including Wiseacre, Southern Prohibition, and others.
I had scoped out their menu online in advance, as I almost always do when I try a restaurant for the first time. I had been advised to order their combo plate, the Pick Four, where you can order whatever combination of wats (stews) and veggies and salads you desire. I started to order the Pick Four but was told they no longer had the Doro Wat, the savory chicken stew with boiled egg. That left me with only vegetarian wats from which to choose. Although I am not opposed to all-vegetarian meals, I did not want one for my first experience in the restaurant. So I abandoned the Pick Four idea.
Instead I ordered the Lamb Tibs, diced lamb sauteed in a blend of spices, onions, tomatoes and jalapenos. “Do you want that spicy or mild?” the server asked. Okay, I have learned to be careful here. I have ordered dishes spicy at Golden India and Bangkok Alley and have torched my tongue and my throat.
“How spicy is spicy?” I asked.
“Not very,” he said. “It’s got a kick to it, but it’s not too spicy.”
“Let’s do spicy then,” I said. I ordered collard greens and potatoes and carrots as my side.
Here’s a photo of my lunch. You’ll notice that the lamb, greens, and potatoes and carrots lay across a piece of injera, an Ethiopian bread that is porous on one side, good for soaking up the sauces and spices. They gave me a basket containing more injera.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to do. I had been told you eat with your hands at Ethiopian restaurants, using the injera to scoop up the meat and vegetables. However, the injera in the basket was far too soft to use as a scoop. After a couple of tries I gave up and started using the fork they provided.
As I ate, the owner (I believe that’s who it was) was sitting next to me at the bar and the news was on. We discussed the state of world affairs and worries that World War III could erupt, that world leaders are crazy these days and they all seem to be out for themselves and not for the people of their countries. It was a good conversation.
The flavor of the lamb tibs was very good, and the server was right, a little spicy but not overpowering. Different people, different cultures, have different ideas of what is spicy, he explained. The side dishes were very tasty too, and I was pleased with my decision to try Ethiopian cuisine. However, as I got part-ways into the meal, I realized ice water was not going to cut it as a beverage and asked for a Coke. It wasn’t the spiciness but I just needed something sugary to offset the savory flavor of my lunch.
As I got further into my lunch, I discovered the goodness of the injera sitting underneath my lunch. It had soaked up all the juices from my meats and vegetables and was absolutely the best part of my meal. I am so going to be looking forward to that next time I go back. And I am going to be looking for creative ways to use the injera in the basket next time I go back. Maybe next time I really will eat only with my hands.
In addition to lamb, they have beef, chicken, and tofu tibs on the menu, in the $11-13 range. They had a lunch special of salmon tibs today. They have vegetarian wats in the $11 range, and kabob platters for $9-12 and veggies and sides $4 each. This is not a place for vegetarians to worry they won’t be able to find anything to eat – in fact, both my friends Robyn and Kelly who recommended the place are vegetarians.
So you know how I said it’s funny how things work out sometimes? As I was paying my tab, the owner commented, “It may be slow in here today. We were closed the past three days for spring break.” If I hadn’t said, “Ah, screw it” and gone to Bardog yesterday, I would have wasted my time to drive all the way to Midtown to a closed restaurant.
If you’ve never tried Ethiopian, I recommend you give it a try at Blue Nile. By the way if there are people in your dining party who are just totally resistant to the thought of ethnic food, they do have cheeseburgers and lamb burgers. A great lunch experience and I regret having not got out there sooner.
Second post of the day, so if it’s your first visit keep reading…