My gal-pal Jodie and I had decided on having a trashy enough lunch at a chili dog place near the bus station downtown. I should have known that this was going to be a problem when, as we went in, the sullen woman behind the counter was giving a seemingly homeless man the business, as he was asking her far too many questions about hot dogs.

As I tried to jump in here and there with a few questions of my own, she grew even more aggressive, to the point that Jodie and I slowly backed out and headed onto the pavement outside. As I began to wonder where to try next, she asked about the Latin American restaurant that’s right around the corner; that sounded good to me, I replied, out of options.

Turns out the Latin American eatery was long gone, instead replaced with a side-by-side outing: Chef Paul’s Place and, most intriguingly, Naija Wife Kitchen, 502 N. Hudson Ave.

While Chef Paul’s was more Southern cooking and definitely worth a future visit, it was Naija’s that caught my eye, as her ever-changing menu consisted of nothing but Nigerian food.

I was absolutely sold…

Ayamase Stew

TLO Restaurant Review: Naija Wife Kitchen