Ethiopian cuisine brings exotic flavor to the Valley
The Blue Nile spices up local restaurant scene
By Cristen Latzoni, contributing writer
Posted on November 20, 2006

When the tantalizing scent of aromatic herbs and spices fills the air, you know you’ve reached the Blue Nile.

True to its Ethiopian inspiration, the Blue Nile is colorfully, distinctly and superbly decorated. Contributing to this enthralling ambiance is the restaurant’s quality of the service and cuisine. Although the time it takes to receive your meal wouldn’t exactly qualify the Blue Nile as a fast-food restaurant, the attention you receive and the unprecedented succulent flavor of the food is so superior that the experience would be worth waiting even light-years.

Approaching the Blue Nile, the strong, enticing scent radiating from the restaurant will compel any passerby to crave  every item on the menu.  If the aroma isn’t enchanting enough, the stimulating and authentically Ethiopian atmosphere inside the eatery will entertain patrons. With charmingly upbeat Ethiopian music, bold colors, countless tables and the mini-Ethiopian museum at the back of the restaurant, the Blue Nile will transport customers out of Harrisonburg into an exotic mini-vacation.

Aside from delighting in the ambiance, customers will surely savor every bite of  their meal. The distinctive names of meals can be intimidating, but the cuisine is exotic enough to provide a delicious punch of flavor without overwhelming anyone’s taste buds. The Keye Siga Wat (lean beef cubes stewed with tomatoes, onions, spiced Ethiopian butter and a delectable mix of herbs and spices) had amazing flavors that were not only pleasing, but provided large portion sizes and reasonable prices.

The Blue Nile’s menu is conveniently sorted by type of entrée (vegetarian, beef, lamb, poultry and seafood) with vegetarian meals ranging from $7.25 to $8.50 and meat dishes ranging from $10.25 to $13.50.

With a scintillating ambiance, savory cuisine and sensible prices, the Blue Nile was an all-around fantastic experience. So take the short trip and have an unparalleled dining experience at the Blue Nile.

The Blue Nile is located at 1251 Virginia Ave. For directions and coupons, go to bluenileethiopiancuisine.com.