Whether you ask for ...Wet or Wat or Wot...you are in for a treat!
Blue Nile is a quaint, lowkey, authentic Ethiopian fare bungalow. Nestled in a perfect nook of blended ethnic foods, Blue Nile doesn't quite stand out on the strip in Hyde Square unless you are a restaurant competing for patrons or this is a neighborhood you walk through often or reside within; but once you walk through the doors, Blue Nile stands out as the warm, cozy, blog-worthy restaurant you realize you've had the good fortune of noticing and venturing through the doors.
There are 9-10 tables within this super small space, yet they are placed smartly where patrons' conversations are not intrusive, but simply chatter amongst the small crowd. This place could easily provoke uncomfortable moments of tapping elbows or rolling eyes at a the loud-talkers one table over, but the music and the smiles upon the faces of your servers and fellow diners quells those tendencies.
I recommend not arriving with hunger pangs that may lead to crankiness...these meals from the starters to the entrees are made to order and if you sneak a peek into the kitchen as the swinging door is slightly ajar, you can read "passionate, hard-at-work chef" on the faces of these cooks.
Since I didn't notice a traditional honey wine on the drink menu, I did have a couple of glasses of Cabernet. The wine list was significantly inexpensive with glasses going for $3.50 and bottles for $19.99!!!
I love the communal eating style of Ethiopian cuisine. We stared with a spinach sambusa, served piping hot; fried perfectly golden brown. The filling was rich and spiced well...the perfect starter.
Blue Nile's injera was wonderfully tangy and moist. We enjoyed ours with Doro Wet...tender, moist chicken leg and pulled pieces stewed in traditional, spicy bebere chili sauce and herb butter (not overdone), accomanied by a hard boiled egg, yellow peas, and chilled potato.
The derek tibs were cooked nicely.
Can't wait to try the vegetable sampler next. It looked amazing!
