Afghan cuisine in the arts district

After a solid week of eating nothing but blueberry bagels with cream cheese in Terrace, my meal at Afghan restaurant The Helmand was a much-needed retreat. From the moment I stepped into this quaint Mount Vernon restaurant I was transported into its relaxed and romantic atmosphere.

The Helmand is owned by the brother of the interim leader of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, and whose father was a speaker in Afghanistan's parliament during the 1970s under the last monarch. The restaurant is named after Afghanistan's longest and most important rivers, which also happens to be the name of the owner's son.

The Helmand's d??cor perfectly fuses ethnic elements, such as Afghani clothing and tapestries, with white linens and an efficient staff to create a romantic environment that is a perfect for any special occasion. The restaurant is divided into two rooms. The outer room has a small wooden bar area, as well as a table for a big group and several other intimate tables. The main dining room is much larger and slightly more colorful and festive. Each table in the restaurant has a candle and a small bouquet of flowers, and the noise level of the restaurant is perfect for conversation.

I began my meal with the Banjan Borawni, an eggplant dish served in a yogurt sauce, and the vegetarian Mantwo, which is a pastry shell with yellow split peas and onions. The appetizers arrived quickly and were quite small.

Both of these dishes were rich and flavorful. The eggplant was light and soft and the addition of the garlic yogurt added some extra flavor to the dish. The influence of the peas was quite strong in the vegetarian Matwo, but the noodle-like pastry offset it nicely.

The entrees were definitely the strong suit of The Helmand. I ordered one of the weekend specials, the Korma Mahi, which is a sea bass with tomatoes, mint and potatoes. The bass was cooked to perfection and melted in my mouth with each bite. The challow, or rice, that came on the side balanced the flavor. I then tried the Lamb Lowand, boneless lamb with tomatoes, mushrooms, yogurt and sour cr?me.

The challow and saut??ed spinach were served on the side. The lamb was incredibly soft and the combination of the lamb and challow were effortless. I also tried the Koufta Challow, which are lamb and beef meatballs, made with sun-dried grapes and green peas in a subtle tomato sauce. This was also a very strong dish and I began to understand why lamb is considered one of The Helmand's specialties.

I finished my evening with Feereny, a traditional Afghan pudding that resembled tapioca and was topped with blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. It was quite sweet and tasty, but didn't nearly measure up to the delicious entrees that I had experienced earlier.

The service was highly efficient, but not particularly personal. When I asked for suggestions our waitress was quick to point to the popular lamb dishes on the menu. My group did receive our food very promptly and for the most part the service was seamless.

What really sets The Helmand apart from Baltimore's other fine restaurants are its prices. The appetizers are all in the $4-range and most of the entrees are around $10, with the exception of the weekend specials which can go up to about $15. The desserts are also around $4.

All in all The Helmand is a tremendous bargain. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is intimate and refined. The Helmand is a perfect choice for a special occasion, or even just a little escape from campus.