Helen’s Cafe and Catering, Leonardtown, St. Mary’s County, Maryland

Many of you remember Helen’s Cafe from the mammoth flea market in Charlotte Hall. I went there with Eric Zabiegalski and we each had a fun and heroic four-meat breakfast plate. Alas, Helen’s and the flea market are now Gone with the Bulldozers. You can’t keep Helen down, though, and a new Helen’s Cafe and Catering has arisen from the ashes just outside Leonardtown at 25409 Point Lookout Road, just south and east of St. Andrews Church Road.

Nancy and I had been there shortly after they opened, and immediately after their grill lost most of its burners. I was impressed by how frankly they told us about the problem and the wait. I came back later for breakfast and, being alone, took a stroll to the counter. Liz, my server, came over and gave me the menu and made me feel at home. She gave me coffee, some good coffee as a matter of fact, and took my order — corned beef hash with “eggs over very easy”

and a side of scrapple.

First of all the eggs. I always order eggs “over very easy” and am satisfied if they’re close. This time they nailed it, so much so that Liz asked if they’d been cooked long enough for me. Yes, they had indeed! And before I forget, you noticed the toast, didn’t you? That sheen of butter? Beautiful, isn’t it? How often does toast arrive hot and generously buttered? This is back-to-back home runs.

You couldn’t see much of the hash in that cast iron skillet, what with the toast on top. Here’s another look.  

The corned beef was abundant and good, and the onions mixed in were just right. Usually I look for a lot of crust on breakfast potatoes and on corned beef hash There was some here (look at the upper left) but not the crust I seek. Still, the potatoes had a very good flavor. They reminded me of the potatoes at Abell’s. Those had no crust but tasted wonderful. I suspect that there’s some bacon essence on the grill, but otherwise it’s a mystery. All in all I enjoyed the dish a lot.

The scrapple was RAPA brand, which is what you almost invariably get in this part of the world and which is dependably good. And take a look at that crust. It hit the spot.

While I was enjoying this feast, the server wished the guy next to me a happy birthday. That started up a conversation with Joe Norris, who is trying to catch up with me in years. He’s a lifelong resident of St.. Mary’s County. Indeed, his mother’s family came to St. Mary’s in 1636. HIs father’s family, relative parvenu, didn’t arrive until shortly after 1700. They’ve always lived in St. Mary’s. Joe had a career as a journalist before he retired, and these days he’s painting pictures of celebrities on the walls of the Showtime Deli in Leonardtown, plus he tends his crab pots (got a 13-inch crab once!), and he sings and plays for the folks in local retirement centers. Joe was about to leave when Liz brought this over. 

Joe deserved it. He’s a good man, with an air of quiet strength and integrity about him. He’s a man who contributes to his community, a valuable person. For that matter, so is Liz, who is friendly and treats people as she would be treated. So are the folks at Helen’s, who having lost their place in Charlotte Hall and facing a mountain of problems, climbed it, and have come back strong.

On top of that, you’ve got some good food to attract you to Helen’s. The new place is fresh and attractive, and the service is even better than before. I imagine that the change will disappoint the grunge-focused. While Helen’s may’ve lost its scruffiness, the people maintain the amiability and lack of pretense that makes you feel better about the world. Go there and have a good spirit-lifting meal.

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