Dirty, Sloppy, and Rough

I know you like somethings Dirty, Sloppy, or Rough, but is it usually your food? I would think not. But at the Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine (181 North Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg), that is exactly what you get. The crazy part of it is, it's delicious.

They start you off with a cozy feel at the entrance of the door. The waitress is nice, and sets you at a empty table, where no plate and no silverware will ever be seen. You drink. You order, and eventually you are given your food, without plates and without silverware. Then, the waitress walks away, and you look at it and wonder "How am I supposed to eat this?"

Lucky for me, my first time at Blue Nile was with Micky Arafaine, who's family actually owns the restaurant, which I later came to find out. So I had somewhat of a translator as to what exactly was happening.

She ordered us Injera, which is a spongey bread that has a similar consistency to a wet piece of rolled up sandpaper. It's rather bizarre. Then she ordered us Tibs, which is basically a Chipotle style meat set up (she ordered lamb) and Keye Wat, which is a jelly-like meat set up that has the consistency of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving. Also on the plate was an assortment of salsas and veggies.

The waitress handed us a giant serving dish with a piece of Injera on it, and all of these foods spread out upon it. Mickey then took the extra Injera, ripped off a piece, dipped it in the food with her fingers, pinched some, and put it in her mouth. I naturally followed suit. I licked my fingers, and wiped them and everything, and repeated the process. And nobody cared surprisingly. The secret was in the finger set up on the Injera, which, after practice, only touches your own piece (A secret that is easily learned in fact).

After dinner, I decided to explore, and found a downstairs club area, full with a bar, dj area, dance floor, and side tables set up. The lights were flashin', the party was hoppin', it was a good time. They have bands come and play, they have clubs book their facility for their formals and parties, and they have great food. It's sloppy, dirty, and rough, in all the right ways.

(Dont worry, they have food for the strong and weak stomach)


Menu Items:

Traditional Item Highlights:
Tibs (Chicken, Beef, or Lamb) $14/$15/$18
Keye Wat (Chicken, Beef, or Lamb) $14/$15/$18
Mixed Platters (Veggie and other) $30-$35

Regular Item Highlights: (In case you are a picky eater)
Cheesesteaks $7
Grinders $7
Tacos $7
Veggie Assortments $7



Their Happy Hour is also pretty happy, and lasts for three hours, and they have half priced pitchers and dollar margaritas on Sundays, so if you're 21, you can enjoy that as well.

Who would have known that such a traditional way of eating could be:

    A) So tasty
    B) So close by
    C) So fun and interesting to experience
    D) So traditional

I didn't, but after I went to the Blue Nile, I did, and you can too!

http://bluenileva.com/
Images found at: http://bluenileva.com/gallery/