Stars: 4.25 out of 5
Pros: Layout, Drinks, Taste, Bathrooms
Cons: Food Temperature
I'm becoming a bigger fan of brunch as the weekends go by. I used to do brunch occasionally in Blacksburg, but that usually consisted of Chinese buffet. Don't judge me. Or, it was a meal made in the comfort of someones home. Never really went out for it so I didn't get a chance to appreciate it. But here in Richmond, different story. Brunch is a culture here, a way of life. People push through all week just to get to the weekends for brunch. Such is the case for MC and I. We enjoy our brunch and today we sought a new place. Helen's Restaurant (Helen's Restaurant) won the battle royale for the day. We got there early, like 9:45, which meant we got a table right away. Within half an hour, the wait was long. Get there early folks.
Helen's is a nice little restaurant. It's got plenty of seating, especially in front of their large windows at the front. The bar is located at the front of the restaurant. It's not big and flashy. It's there to serve it's purpose without bringing attention to itself. And right down next to it is their open kitchen. It's nice to watch the cooks bustling through orders. It helps add to the appeal of the meal. Also liked the table tops. I know that may sound weird, but it's true. The were all covered with copper sheeting. They had that dull gleam to them that just gives them a comfortable timeworn look. I like that look personally, but I'm sure that some find it out dated.
The brunch menu is a decent size. It's just a front and back, but they cram a lot of things on there. It's all basic stuff that you would expect to get at a brunch. Surprisingly, that's when I have the hardest time choosing what I want to eat. Give me something new and unique, I'll try that. But give me your regular stuff and I'm torn. As it was here. Thankfully, we got drinks first. On that, not torn. Give me a mimosa please. Served in a pint glass? Well, if you insist... Now, back to the menu. I finally decided on the Salmon Florentine. MC was on the same page because she went with Eggs Blackstone. So, when our waitress brought back our pint o' mimosa's we placed our order. I added a house made biscuit on as a spur of the moment decision. As the conversation turned to community gardens and our wish for fresh heirloom tomatoes, we tried our mimosas. They were pretty damn good. Not overly orange juicy and a perfect temperature. I would go back, just to start out my day with one.
Our meals arrived after about 20 or 25 minutes, which I felt to be a fairly long wait. Granted, as I said before, the place filled up. But it's breakfast food... it doesn't take that long to make. But, what do I know? Our food looked amazing when we got it. The eggs looked perfect. There was a nice amount of Hollandaise sauce. I was ready to tear into it. First bite I had all the components; egg, sauce, salmon and english muffin. It was excellent, very tasty. The only issue I had, and MC had the same issue, was that our food was lukewarm. It obviously been sitting for a bit waiting to be picked up. Unfortunately that detracted from it a bit, but it was still very very good. The potatoes were well seasoned, but I could have used a few more. I split the biscuit with MC. It was very good. Not fluffy, but not overly dense either. It was a great vessel to soak up all the leftovers on the plate. Had this meal been hot, it would have been great. As it was, it was a decent meal.
My final thought on Helen's happened after 2 mimosa's and about 8 glasses of water. I had to use the restroom. Not something I generally mention in my reviews, but this one stood out for me. The men's room is located on the outside wall of the restaurant at the very back. It's thin and freezing cold. There is hardly room to stand to use the bathroom. I LOVED IT! I like my bathroom being cold. I HATE walking into a bathroom at a restaurant or bar and the heat is going full blast. It makes me uncomfortable. Keep it cold. It discourages people from camping out and holding the rest of us up. And, this bathroom was fairly clean, if not old looking. Except for the graffiti...
Helen's is an often overlooked and forgotten place, at least in my world. But, that seems to have been a mistake that I hope to correct in the future. If the brunch is any indication of what dinner is like, I'm willing to give it a run.
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