Blue Nile Ethopian

I notice yet another place has opened in the old Manoosh's space next to Pesto's on 5th. Blue Nile Ethiopian. Any downtowners tried it for lunch yet?

[Robin Garr]

I notice yet another place has opened in the old Manoosh's space next to Pesto's on 5th. Blue Nile Ethiopian. Any downtowners tried it for lunch yet?

Woohoo!

News to me, but I can't wait! If I were a guessing man, I'd guess that it might be somebody formerly associated with Kiliminjaro.

I wonder if it is the same as the Blue Nile Ethiopian place in Columbus?

[Robin Garr]

I wonder if it is the same as the Blue Nile Ethiopian place in Columbus?

Possible but unlikely. Google "Blue Nile" and you'll find that it is an <i>extremely</i> common name for Ethiopian restaurants.

Yeah, we went to a "Blue Nile" Ethiopian restaurant in Montreal. Then we went to dinner again. Tiniest portions I've ever seen. I had to ask DH to stop eating what he thought was an appetizer. It was my entree.

I didn't dine there today because I had just eaten a wonderful meal over at Safier's. I strolled up to Blue Nile just to check out their buffet and it looks good. I was talking to one of the ladies working there and when I asked her if they had anything to do with Cafe Kilimanjaro, she told me they didn't. I asked her if I could stand there a while and smell the air. She found that to be quite humorous, but I was quite serious. The lovely aromas wafting through the room were starting to make me hungry again.

I am going back very soon to get something to eat. The three main courses today were 2 chicken dishes along with a lamb stew. There was some ground meat in a sauce, as well as some other Ethiopian standbys. I didn't catch all the names. For dessert there were two cakes. When I winked and told the nice lady they didn't look too Ethiopian to me, she just smiled and said they weren't. I giggled as I told her it was ok and that I am sure they were delicious.

After I eat there next week, I'll give a more detailed report about the cuisine. If it tastes only half as good as it smells, it's gonna be a winner.

Oh, one last note, you can order from a menu as opposed to the buffet.

I went to the Blue Nile Ethiopian Restuarant yeserday for lunch. It was fantastic. My husband and I ordered the vegetarian combo and the michet abesh (spicy ground lamb). It was served on injera bread in the traditional style, with extra injera for dipping and eating. The lamb was spicy and nutty. The vegetarian combo was a variety of traditionally prepared potatoes, split peas, cabbage, and lentils. We took great pleasure in grabbing some lentils and lamb with the same peice of injera. Silverware was provided, which we had to use to eat the remaning injera that had soaked up the juices of the lamb and vegetables.

The food at Blue Nile was as good as any that we had eaten at Ethiopian restuarants in the Washington, DC metro area (tons of Ethiopian restuarants there). The drinks (non-alcoholic) were also cheap and plentiful. Blue Nile does serve alcohol, but we didn't order any. They have a lunch buffet on Fridays, which we will definitely try, as well as traditional Ethiopian breakfast dishes, which sound spicy and hearty. The food was really great, the service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was ideal for sharing a meal with friends. We walked (live in Old Louisville) but parking was ample. I highly recommend.

We took a flyer and menu from the owner so that we can order food to pick up. I have provided pertinent info below:

Blue Nile
558 S. Fifth St
502-625-7400
Hours: Open Everyday 9:30 Am to Midnight
Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Silverware was provided

A detail not necessary for most cuisines.

I need me some dorowot soon.

My husband, daughter and I went to Blue Nile on Sunday afternoon for lunch. The lady that took care of us (presumably the owner or one of the owners) was very friendly, answering any of our questions. We ordered four things so we could get a taste of lots of different things: lamb tibs, dorowat, a spicy ground beef dish and a lentil dish from the vegetarian menu. As we had never eaten there before, the lady said she would put some "extra sides" on the platter for us to try. We did eat traditional style, everything served on a large platter and injera bread used as a utensil. Everything we tried was wonderful! She added a small side of split yellow peas and greens as well as a small salad. I would definitely recommend the split peas and the lamb tibs. My daughter and I decided we could just get a big platter of those two and be very happy. My husband's favorite was the dorowat and the lentils.

A fun side note...they are looking to make a website for the restaurant and needed pictures. She asked if they could take pictures of us and the food for the site. So we may be "famous"...haha.

Overall, a fun experience! And for those who may want to go with people who are "not so adventurous", they also offer a salad, chicken sandwich and a burger.

Prices are reasonable. Four dishes and drinks were about $40. She said the buffet is $8.99. This was just a price they chose (having not checked out the market thoroughly - they're from WA) and are looking for input from diners if it is too much given the area/cuisine. We plan to go to the buffet on Friday.

Definitely check it out!

Went to the lunch buffet today. The cost was $8.99 and it was delicious. Can't say enough good things about this place.

When I was leaving, the owner handed my friend and I a flier invite to Friday happy hours starting at 6 PM. These happy hours are actually parties thrown by the restaurant and they serve Ethiopian wine during the happy hour! Yum! Can't wait to check out the cheap and tasty wine his Friday.

I went there last week with a girlfriend and we both loved it. She had tried Ethiopian fare before but I hadn't. The owner/cook is a delightful woman who went out of her way to greet/serve us. She explained that she was happy to prepare the food in any way to cater to those dieting (less oil, etc) or vegertarians. The food was very good, think comfort food. While the injera is not something I think I would probably eat on its own the flavor complimented the food quite well. We both decided to attempt to eat in the traditional manner and were relatively successful, but there were forks for those who prefer it. I truely hope that Louisville embraces the Blue Nile as I believe both the food and owner are fantastic and deserve the patronage.