The Poet's Groove

The Poet's Groove

By Cole Sarar

Lots of open mics are awkward, empty affairs, tucked into corners of coffee houses and bars, their schedules unreliable. The Poet's Groove is something else entirely. It's been a weekly Seward neighborhood institution for six years, and calls the Blue Nile home. Hip-hop/spoken-word artist (and winner of the Twin Tongues award) Desdamona hosts along with drumming phenomenon Kevin Washington. One of the event's biggest draws is the live house band; they can make trite poetry sound downright brilliant. A pickup band populated with musicians of every race and age, its strength comes in adapting to the style of the performer at the mic. The Poet's Groove won "Best Open Mic" at the inaugural Urban Griots Spoken Word Awards this year, and with good reason. Show up at 10 p.m. if you want on the list, 11 p.m. if you're just there to see the show. Things tend to start late, then really get hopping. From salsa to Motown, from hip hop to comedy, from jazz freestyling to spoken word, everything has its place on the Nile's stage. Parking is ample and there's Surly on tap. This night is more shindig than stilted, more awesome than awkward.

Price: free

Modern humans evolved in Ethiopia, but what did our distant ancestors eat? Possibly something like injera, a fermented flatbread made from one of the earliest cultivated grains, called teff. At the Blue Nile, a large restaurant that often has live music and dancing in the attached bar, a big injera arrives at your table bearing ladles of stew; raafuu, for instance, a kale-carrot blend, or maraka lukuu, chicken on the bone in a thick, rich tomato-laced butter sauce. Order a sampler platter, and you'll get most of the best items on the menu at minimal expense. Tear off sections of the injera and use them to scoop up the stews. As you tear and scoop your way through your meal, consider this: What would Lucy have made of Doritos?

• Cuisine(s): Ethiopian, Fusion

  Hours: Sun-Thu 4pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-11pm

  Price: $$

• Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, cash

  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout

  Serving: Dinner

• Alcohol: Full bar

  Reservations: Accepted

  Parking: Lot Available, Street