I was not down when my friend mentioned she wanted to go to Blue Nile for her birthday. But it was her birthday, so a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do. I had never eaten Ethiopian food and wasn’t very eager to try.

Personally, the pictures I (obviously) stalked on yelped looked anything but appetizing, but I sucked it up. I had mentioned to a few different people I was going and they all swore it was amazing, so I began to have a bit of hope.

IMG_1221

Photo by Julie Mirliss

We arrived and I instantly liked the vibes; music was playing in the background and the large restaurant was designed with beautiful artwork. We were seated immediately, then our waitress promptly handed us towels. She carefully explained the menu, including the all you can eat option (alright, I can mess with this place…). My friends are all vegetarians, so we ordered The Vegetarian Feast (the other option being The Meat Feast, which is the same thing, plus chicken and beef); I got chicken on the side.

IMG_1223

Photo by Julie Mirliss

Within the vegetarian feast, every dish is vegan (so really…it’s a vegan feast). It comes with six different stews and Injera bread, an airy pita bread, that acts as your flatware. Did I mention you eat with your hands? You scoop up the stews with the bread. Messy, yet marvelous.

IMG_1226

Photo by Julie Mirliss

We got refills of the cabbage, potatoes and yellow split pea. Everything was delicious. Although I took advantage of the all you can eat, I didn’t leave feeling too full. It wasn’t even necessary to order the meats, and I recommend sticking to the the vegetarian feast – it’s cheaper and more than enough food.

I highly recommend this place if you’re feeling adventurous or just tired of your typical, AA cuisine. Even if you’re like me and think the pictures don’t look appetizing, trust me on this one. I was a skeptic as well.

Blue Nile, you surprised me. I will be back.

average

Location:  221 E Washington St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Hours of Operation: Tues-Thu 11:30 am – 3 pm, 5 pm – 10 pm, Fri-Sun 11:30 am – 3 pm , 5 pm – 11 pm