check out the lunch and dinner menu.

we’ve also made some changes to our breakfast menu, wine & beer menu and developed a late summer cocktail menu.

-Gray Medlin

But don’t let the surname fool you—there’s not much ‘bland’ about this chef’s culinary chops, or the cafe’s new menu. Schooled at Culinary Institute of America, Virginia-native Bland ‘ll feed simple, fresh fare to the Helios hungries—but java-joint faithfuls, don’t fret, the staples will remain: Counter Culture coffees, bittycakes, and most of the breakfast and lunchstuffs.

Oh, after you’re done gettin’ juked on java and pleasing your palate, enliven your liver with a spirit or two from the revamped cocktail menu. Bottoms up.” – triangle tattle

In late January I left frozen North Carolina to visit a coffee plantation in balmy San Ramón Nicaragua.  The contrast in weather was welcome, but shocking nonetheless. Café Helios’ coffee roaster, Counter Culture Coffee, offers a week long “Origins Field Lab” where one learns first hand how that bright red cherry becomes the dark brown treat so many of us adore.

Our group of nine consisted of cafe managers and owners.  We stayed at Finca Esperanza Verde, a lush coffee plantation and nature preserve.   The coffee farm was abandoned until 1997 when it was purchased and renovated by Sister Communities of San Ramón, Nicaragua.   After producing coffee for several years the Sister Communities had funds to build an ecolodge.  The lodge consists of several cabins that utilize solar panels for electricity and solar heated water.  Most of the food and drink prepared on the farm is grown in gardens on site.   It’s called ecotourism for a reason, all of the income stays in San Ramón providing a sustainable source of income for the indigenous people and money to improve the area through special projects.

From the Finca Esperanza Verde website:

My five days on the farm were as much a joy as they were eye-opening.  I picked coffee cherries for four hours straight and ended up with a bag that weighed a meager 15 pounds.  An incredible amount of work is involved in every step from picking, the wet mill, the dry mill, drying, sorting, re-sorting and so on.  The amount of expertise, labor, and dedication involved is mind boggling.  I learned a great deal about the coffee industry and the culture surrounding it, but I’m surprised at how much I learned about passion and dedication.  The people of Nicaragua’s coffee industry perform an amazing feat, a feat that would be nearly impossible without the dedication and passion that I witnessed in nearly everyone I met.

The images displayed depict the process, the culture, and the people that work together to produce a product that many of us may take for granted.  Personally, I’m proud to manage a Cafe that considers field education and research a vital part of its business model. - Ian F.G. Dunn

To see more of Ian’s photos visit his Flickr site.

The helios bloody mary made with house “gazpacho” mix is just one of several new spirits we have developed for our new menu.

See it here.