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| - In the east Phoenix/Arcadia area of town, there are three microbreweries that make up what many valley brewing fans dub the Beermuda Triangle. Those three include Helio Basin Brewing, Wren House Brewing, and Helton Brewing. I've personally been to all three for beers in the past, but only recently have been taking in the full food and drinks experience at each. Wren House doesn't serve food, but they are arguably the most fearless about their brews (their collaboration with Little Miss BBQ on a Pecan Porter beer was especially amazing). Helio Basin also has great brews and employs a world class chef in Tamara Stanger, elevating brewery food to a whole new level. Today was my first full experience at the western most brewery in the triangle. I arrived during Happy Hour on a Wednesday, looking to find out what sets Helton apart.
Helton is easily found on the northwest corner of 22nd Street & Indian School. Brian Helton is the founder and head brewmaster of this incredibly spacious brewery and pub. The location's footprint takes up at least 10,000 square feet with a roomy inside bar and seating area for at least 60 or so inside. Plus a giant covered space outside (similar in feel to The Yard) for at least 100 more. The building was an old warehouse that Brian and his crew have done a great job turning into a great space to entertain gatherings both big and small. As I said before, I've had some of Helton's brews in the past and can speak highly of some of their everyday offerings including their Northeast IPA, Pilsner, and their Scottish Ale. The last time I was here I also had one of their savory waffle offerings and really enjoyed it. So today I just got a single beer (a 10 oz Pilsner) and focused on the food menu.
It should be mentioned that the food menu displayed on Helton's website is not always up to date. Which is a shame because there were a couple of items on their website that were not available during today's visit (the Chorizo Mac & Cheese and Autumn Waffle in case you're wondering). Nevertheless I looked to make the best of the visit with a three course meal. First up, their Popcorn. Why? Well according to their menu they mix theirs with truffle salt and duck fat. I was intrigued. It certainly came in a portion that would be big enough to share with a small group. But the flavor was that of, well, just typical popcorn. I certainly picked up on the salt, but barely a hint of any oil or buttery fat that I would've anticipated. It wasn't bad, just a disappointment given the description. For my main dish, I was looking for an item that was unique to Helton. The Scoobie sandwich at least on paper seemed to be such an item. A beef sandwich smothered in house made pilsner cheese sauce and covered in pepper rings. It's somewhere along the lines of a Chicago beef sandwich or a Philly cheesesteak. In any event, it was a tasty sandwich and that beer infused cheese sauce was dynamite. I also really liked the toasted bread they used on the sandwich. Last up, I was looking for a dessert item. And there is but one dessert item on the menu. Their Sweet & Salty Waffle. This one is infused with salt and two types of sugar (and I think perhaps caramel as well) and served with a syrup on the side for dipping. The texture of the waffle and sweetness of the syrup were just right, but honestly the flavor of the waffle itself was pretty flat. I feel like a little infusion of fruit or some other component would elevate this a bit and would even pair better with beer in this fashion. But not today it seems.
Total cost for my beer, the food, tax and tip came to $30. After having been here a few times it seems like Helton is still trying to decide exactly what it is. They clearly know what they're doing on the beer front, but the food side of the business seems to be somewhat of an afterthought. Maybe that doesn't matter to their everyday clientele. But for a venue built to draw such huge throngs, I would think they'd look to elevate that part of the business in order to grow. Its okay if they'd rather just be a brewery like Wren House or if they wanna go all out on food and beer like Helio Basin. But Helton seems conflicted and caught somewhere in between. I'll still come back here for some good brews from time to time, but for now I can't say the food menu is anything more than a passing interest.
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