When you see Blue Nile from the outside, you'll think it looks like a dry cleaners with its red-and-blue neon sign that flickers on and off occasionally.

But whatever you do, don't let that deter you from going inside. Sitting on the leftmost end of a mostly bare strip mall in Edgewater, this Ethiopian restaurant is a needle in the haystack, a diamond in the rough, a sheep in wolf's clothing—wait, scratch that last one. While there's no denying that the outside looks less than appealing (to the untrained eye), the inside is actually incredibly modern—almost to the point of posh—with spotless, pure white tablecloths, peach-colored walls and an enormous, hi-def television positioned center stage for all to see. Best of all, though, the food is spicy and fantastic, with options for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

The menu is sectioned off by letter, as in the letters A, B, C, D and E. A includes all the stew wot meat dishes, like the doro wot (a homemade Ethiopian stew prepared with chicken, onion and mild berbere sauce), key wot (red cubed beef cooked with onion and berbere sauce) and yebeg aloha (fresh lamb ribs slow-cooked with onion), $10-$12. B includes all the barbecue stir-fry (meat) dishes, $10-S11. C includes all the vegetarian stew wot dishes, like the veggie combo and the yasa tibs (Nile perch prepared Ethiopian-style and served with awaze sauce), both $10. D has all the Blue Nile house specialties, both meat and veggie dishes. And E is the Chef's Choice—a combination of Kitfo (fresh minced lean beef) and lega tibs (stir-fried tender lamb) from B and yekuanta firfir (chunks of beef jerk) from D.

Needless to say, the quality of food and service at Blue Nile was a welcome surprise that shan't be forgotten. If you're ever down Edgewater way, make it a point to stop by and be impressed.

Centerstage Reviewer: Benjamin Andrew Moore