The Nile

Went for more Middle Eastern fare at The Nile in Hyde Park.  We had heard about this restaurant a while ago on Check Please and it was "kind of" on our way home this particular night.  It supposedly was a favorite of President Obama's when he lived in Hyde Park.

What we ordered: 

Baba ghannoj

Hummus

small appetizer of hummus (they spell in hummos on their menu) - pretty good hummus, we heard comments all around us at other tables that people loved the hummus.  But it isn't hard to mess up hummus?

Side salad - came with entree

large appetizer of baba ghannooj - eggplant puree, tahini and lemon juice.  This is slowly becoming Nick's new favorite food.  In fact he just looked at a cookbook to see if it is something he could make himself. Natalie liked the baba ghannooj at Al Bawadi (from a few weeks ago) a little bit better because of the Mesquite fire roasted eggplants there. 

Lamb Shawerma wrap sandwich - thin pita bread rolled and stuffed with lamb shawerma, onions, tomato, pickle and tahini sauce.  Nice, warm and filling without leaving you overstuffed.  Good lunch option.  Great value meal.

Combination Plate

Combination plate - Shish kabab beef (filet mignon), Chicken shawerma (slow rotisserie marinated chicken), Shish Tauouk (marinated charbroiled chicken), kifta kabab (blend of ground lamb and beef), served with sauteed vegetables and Middle Eastern rice. Each of the meats were tasty and displayed the authenticity of the restaurant. The next time we go to a Middle Eastern we'll probably just stick to one meat to get more of it, but if you are new to the cuisine, it's a good way to get a few of more of the dishes.

Final Thoughts on The Nile:

Lamb Shawerma Sandwich Wrap

Food - good Middle Eastern food, I think we may have enjoyed Al Bawadi slightly better (from a few weeks ago) due to their mesquite grilling techniques.  The Nile is also a lot further from our house so it would be hard to repeat.
Service - very prompt, we were in and out in about 40 minutes.  We lots of carry out orders as well.
Atmosphere - in Hyde Park by University of Chicago so lots of college students (they asked it we would need to split the bill because they are used to catering to college students), casual sit down, minimal decore, found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant