Helmand

Helmand
806 N. Charles St.
Mt. Vernon, Baltimore
410-752-0311
Afghani
www.helmand.com
Cost: $$
Reservations: Recommended
Date of meal: June 2007
National Price-Quality Frontier: Inside It
Baltimore Price-Quality Frontier: On It

Helmand has a great back story. The owner is the brother (or is it cousin? or nephew?) of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan. You can't go to Helmand without someone bringing up this fact. The food is good, though few of us are qualified to judge Afghani food. However, I am qualified to judge Helmand restaurants, as I've been to quite a few. There are Helmands run by Karzai's relatives in Boston (Cambridge, actually), San Francisco, and Chicago.

My favorite is the one in Boston. I went there many times and found the flavors more intense than those at my (only one) visit (so far) to the Baltimore Helmand. When I went to Helmand Baltimore (on a weekday) the wait was extensive despite our reservation. Staff was doing their best but they were a bit overwhelmed. Still, there was a bustle and intimacy to this Helmand that is lacking in the Cambridge one (where tables are more spaced out and the vibe is a little more austere).

I had a vegetarian platter, which was quite nice but nothing special. I was hoping for spicier. Still, this is a solid option for a medium-nice date or dinner with friends. I don't know of another equally nice non-standard ethnic (i.e., not Asian or European) restaurant in Baltimore.