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sought out, considering its unique fla-
vors ... Much production goes into
making its dishes but the outcome is
always well worth it.
Blue Nile seating in Ferndale is 120
... including eight booths along the
walls and the rest mesobs (hand-woven
wicker pieces that have traditionally
served as tables) ... On all mesobs and
tables in booths, a large and spongy
crepe-like flatbread (called inerja) is
placed ... and the food arranged in
mounds atop it.
Except at booths, guests sit on little
chairs with small glass-top tables on
the side for resting the excellent
Ethiopian wine and wonderful
Ethiopian tea ... Natural ingredients
and steeping of the tea for about five
minutes produces an absolutely ele-
gant taste.
Folks eat Ethiopian food with their
hands, but at Blue Nile, utensils are
given if requested ... The fun, though,
is eating with one's hands.
A basket of more inerja is brought
for dipping into and picking up food
... The bread upon which food is
placed becomes soaked with goodness
and can then also be torn off, rolled
and picked up to eat.
At the booths, food is brought on an
uncovered tray to tables that look like
straw hats ... but are only there for
decorative purposes ... nothing else.
Before dining, waitresses clad in white
hair sock and white shemas (dresses)
bring hot washcloths for customers to
cleanse their hands ... This is also
repeated when dinner is completed.
Ethiopian dining at Blue Nile is not
piece meal ... It is all-you-can-eat
without getting up from your seat ...
and eat whatever you want.
Neatly placed on the large tradition-
al injera are mounds of tender chicken
(the distinctive taste of Doro Wat sim-
mered with onions is the national dish
of Ethiopia), tender lamb with onions
and garlic, beef strips in onions, plus
these non-meat dishes ... chopped
spiced greens cooked with onions and
garlic, sauteed cabbage, mixed vegeta-
bles, ground roasted yellow peas, split
red lentils, pureed lentils with spices
and herbs.
The strikingly beautiful, yet simple
and subtle, interior of Blue Nile reeks
with old world antiquity ... Much of
Blue Nile's decor from Trapper's Alley
is there ... china cabinet, 1825 hand-
sculptured cherrywood pillar crowns,
mahogany fireplace, oak wine cabinet,
hand-engraved traditional stools,
hand-engraved outer door hand made
in Ethiopia, etc.
It is open six days ... Tuesday-Thursday,

E3 E3

Our Beautiful Banquet Rooms
acco
mmodating up to 250
persons are available for
all occasions.

Your
Rick
"Big Daddy"
Rogow

Michigan's Finest

LAMB CHOPS

& other Greek Specials

Enjoy our Award Winning

LAMB CHOPS

6199 ORCHARD LAKE RD. (North of Maple) WEST BLOOMFIELD,

MI

248) 737-8600

1:3E301:3C10

ZI&

6/14

2002

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