Ethiopian – Memphis Flyer

I was so inspired by my lunch at Blue Nile, I bought a bag of split peas to do … something … And that’s about as far as I got with that.

Point is: Blue Nile, the new Ethiopian restaurant from Stickem’s Ermyias Shiberou, is really, really good.

Bianca and I had a menu strategy: split everything.

We ordered a tofu kabob ($3, from the Stickem truck). We both agree that this is the best tofu in town.

Next up was the Lentil Sandwich ($8), with lentils, onions, and cilantro. Shiberou told us this is his take on a vegetarian chicken salad. I think about this sandwich a lot … about the terrific bread, and seasoned whole lentils, how it miraculously held together.

Finally, we got the vegetarian platter ($10) — a chef’s choice of vegetarian dishes. This one with cabbage, potatoes and carrots, Misir wat (red lentils), yellow split pea wat, greens, and a small green salad with a lemony vinaigrette. All this topped on fantastic injera bread with more served to use for scooping up the food. This colorful plate presents a range of flavors, from the fragrant, earthy wats and the sour cabbage to the bitter greens. A great dish all around.

Ermyias Shiberou, owner of Stickem food truck, is planning on opening a Ethiopian restaurant on Madison near the Bar B-Q Shop in the former site of a Pizza Hut. The restaurant will be called the Blue Nile. Shiberou hopes to have it open by spring.

Shiberou says that he originally hoped to open an Ethiopian restaurant before he began Stickem. The reason that he’s pursuing it now is that the property became available.

“I felt like I’ve to do this now,” he says. “It just makes sense to me — the timing, the location.”

Shiberou says he doesn’t have menu set yet, but plans to serve traditional vegetarian dishes and Kitfo, which he describes as a beef tartare seasoned in clarified butter and Ethiopian spices and served with a homemade cottage cheese.

He also plans to roast coffee in-house, and hold Ethiopian coffee ceremonies once a week.

• Spotted at the corner of Madison and Belvedere …

• For folks who are Lenting … Whole Foods is having a Fish on Fridays special through April 2nd.