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The website of La Belle Helene includes a very French proverb: La nourriture est une celebration de la vie – “Food is a celebration of life.” This brand new restaurant certainly follows through on that promise. Under the guidance of Paris-trained Chef Michael Roulou, La Belle Helene is the latest gem on the burgeoning fine dining scene in Charlotte.
I visited on a Tuesday evening, about four weeks after opening day. The restaurant was densely packed when I arrived, and was still crowded when I left at 9:30 pm. (My suspicion is that many of the patrons dropped by La Belle Helene after work and simply stayed.) The crowd was animated and well dressed in keeping with the brasserie décor, which includes banquette seating, a huge and gleaming espresso machine, and white tile floor. Ernest Hemingway or Gertrude Stein would be right at home.
Once seated, the menu beckoned. I started with a house specialty, Egg Mayonnaise, perfectly prepared and delightfully decadent. Anyone who knows me well understands that, when browsing any menu, my eye is drawn to the pork chop offering. No exception here. I fully enjoyed the grilled pork chop, garnished with grain mustard sauce and served with pommes puree. Grilled to perfection and wonderfully presented.
La Belle Helene also offers a nice choice of steaks (four different cuts), uniquely prepared seafood dishes, and daily specials that will tempt me to visit on another trip to Charlotte.
The wine selection was good, if not great, but a bit overpriced. They could do better here, and I am sure they will.
Service was attentively French, but with a Southern accent. The waiter knew the menu well and was able to match the right wine to complement my pork chop. Always a plus.
La Belle Helene is off to a very strong start and should prove to be a “go to” restaurant for those who want an elegant meal that transports the ambiance of Paris to Charlotte.
La Belle Helene
300 S. Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704.969.2550