Foodie Friday: A Really Great Hole-in-the-wall Restaurant

Hole in the wall, is very much a United States phrase, describing a small restaurant or bar, located in an out of the way location. Helena's I would proudly describe as a hole in the wall. It is in one America's ubiquitous little strip shopping centers, between a bank branch, and a dry cleaners, just down from a shop that sells flooring and kitchen countertops.  I drove past it without finding it the first time I went looking for it. 

A couple of weeks ago I had a doctors appointment in the morning, she likes to do blood work without my having eaten, the appointment ran long and it was nearly noon by the time I left the doctors office and I had not eaten.  This restaurant was the first sign I saw, and I wheeled. 

I ordered chicken enchiladas with a verde sauce, black beans and mexican rice. Complimentary chips and salsa arrived.  The chips were warm and salsa was smooth in texture and had a nice chipotle pepper smoky flavor.  Though not on the menu, the server made me a wonderfully strong Iced Coffee.  The enchiladas were delightful. They were fresh, not overly sauced, not buried in melted cheese. The sauce was fresh, and creamy, showing julienned fresh veggies in it. It was obvious that there was care put into making this. Many places make this kind of a sauce every few days and keep serving it until it runs out, this was fresh. The beans were cooked, but not mushy (again a sign of freshness), and served in a small bowl so they didn't run all over the plate.  The rice was flavorful and not greasy. With a generous tip, lunch was about $24. 

I will go back.