AUTUMN 2022 NEWSLETTER
A Love Letter from Helles

Hello friends,

We hope that wherever you are in the world, you’re healthy and safe and finding space in your life to savor a bit of autumn weather, our annual reminder of how lovely and painful and vital impermanence can be. The green leaves turn red and gold and fall to the ground, to become nourishment for the earth—and transform into something new and beautiful.

It’s been just shy of a year since we sent out a newsletter. Our silence isn’t because we haven’t had much to say, but because, to be honest, running the restaurant and farm and online shop this season has been all (and sometimes more) than we can handle. So, we have some catching up to do.

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

We keep thinking about that old question people ask: “Do you want the good news first or the bad news first?” We’ve decided, in true restaurateur fashion, to do a nice sandwich. We’ll start with a few fun announcements, share some struggles, and end with good news. (One spoiler, in case you don’t make it to the end: we’ve brought back indoor dining and reservations!)

“OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT” SEMI-FINALISTS

As we reflect on this season, it seems pretty clear that the universe was trying to tell us, in not-so-subtle ways, that Season 23 was going to be … different. It certainly began dramatically, with a wind storm so severe it blew a tree onto our building.

Then something else happened that was surreal and momentous: We were selected as Semi-Finalists in the “Outstanding Restaurant” category of the James Beard Awards. This wasn’t the first time we were recognized by the Beard Foundation; we were Semi-Finalists in the Southwest region category in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and Finalists in the Mountain region category in 2020. But this was different, because we were honored on a national level—one of only twenty restaurants in the entire United States. It was a big moment for us (especially considering that when we first dreamed up Hell’s Backbone Grill, everyone said our dream was impossible). When we were announced as Semi-Finalists, we heard from so many of you who sent love and virtual hugs and high-fives. We adored every message we received. And though we didn’t advance to be finalists in that category, the recognition alone was astonishing and gratifying. Someone told us that in the food world, the “Outstanding Restaurant” category is equivalent to “Best Picture” at the Oscars. So, thank you for bringing us this honor. Without your abiding support, we wouldn’t be here, and no matter what the future holds, we will be eternally grateful. It’s because of you—and many beloved Hellions—that we’ve been able to make our impossible dream a reality for 23 seasons.

Now comes the part of the sandwich that’s a bit tough, and maybe hard to swallow.

STRUGGLES

We had hoped to write you this letter earlier, but the truth is we didn’t know quite how to talk about what we’re going through—or if it was even appropriate to do so. It’s vulnerable and uncomfortable. But in the end, we recognize that you’re not just guests; you’re our friends and family. So we want to tell you that we find ourselves, this season, making some hard decisions.

If you’re familiar with our story, you know it’s never been easy to do what we do here in Boulder, Utah, with the extreme weather, extreme remoteness, and extreme politics. We’re women who’ve always been known for facing down adversity and complexity and ultimately figuring things out. Before we opened HBG, when we were tasked with cooking huge meals for TV production crews in the wilderness, with no electricity or running water, we figured it out. When we launched the restaurant in the most remote town in the lower 48 states and struggled to source staff and ingredients, we figured it out. And at the start of the pandemic when we had to close down, we called upon our resourcefulness and grit, and figured it out. We reinvented ourselves, and we’re truly humbled to have survived, even as more than 75,000 restaurants in the US alone did not. Again, we have you and our phenomenal pandemic Hellions to thank for that.

All of this is to say that we were very surprised to have been brought to our knees by 2022. We didn’t anticipate this season being the hardest of our entire 23 years. We’re struggling to figure this one out.

We’re not quite ready to make any big announcements about the future of the restaurant just yet, because we need more information—including November election results—and while we do want to assure you that we remain dedicated to our work, our team, and our efforts to make the world a better place one biscuit at a time, the difficult truth is that our future is really uncertain.

This summer was, to our surprise, our slowest since our early days. Visitation to the region was down dramatically. We can point to ten different reasons, including gas prices and the fact that Utah is a trigger state for reproductive rights (and a lot of people are boycotting trigger states). Even though it was beautiful here, news about Utah’s summer weather may have also scared folks away.

The truth is that supply chain issues, spiraling costs, and the labor shortage that’s endemic to the entire restaurant industry have us in a bind. While we’ve always been chronically short-staffed, this year we weren’t even able to fill our staff house. And Covid continued to complicate things. We tried twice to open the dining room this year, for example, and both times there were outbreaks among our fully vaccinated, fully boosted staff, which resulted in team members being unable to work. At one point we had nine of our crew out. People keep sweetly asking us when we’ll get breakfast going again, but at this point, we’re barely able to do dinner. To our great sorrow, we also don’t have enough staff to offer a Thanksgiving meal.

All of which is to say that we find our business model very much upside down. To quote Warren Zevon, our problems have problems.

We are sincerely hoping to carry on—and our Hellions who have been with us for years want us to carry on. So, we’re currently exploring our options and trying hard to stay curious. But Helles may need to once again reinvent herself. Our old model—for reasons that have nothing to do with us or our choices, but that the world has changed—simply isn’t working anymore.

It feels difficult to share this, but at the same time: Who else would we share it with first? You’re the people who always had faith in our mission, the people who dined with us or worked with us somewhere along the way. You’re the people who got married here, or engaged, or celebrated a big occasion with us. You’re the people who bought our cookbooks—who ordered sets for yourselves and all of your friends. You’re the people who purchased gift certificates when we shut down the dining room in 2020 and who filled your cabinets with spice rub and jams. You’re the people who drove hours upon hours to have dinner the minute we opened back up. You’re the people who have kept Helles alive for 23 years. Some of you are also the people who have offered in the past to help us do crowdfunding—and we may finally end up saying yes to this. It’s not a position we ever wanted to be in, but if we find ourselves there—and we may—you’ll be the first people to know.

We are deeply thankful that you’re our people.

HELP GET OUT THE VOTE IN NOVEMBER. SAVE EVERYTHING.

This is a heavy time for us, and for many. Our hearts are with people all over the country and world—women in particular—who are fighting for basic rights and freedoms. We are also praying for mercy and grace for all beings and Mother Earth, in this time of climate-fueled weather catastrophes. There is so much work to be done to address the sick systems that are bringing about destruction. There is so much grief to tend and hope to cultivate and action to engage in.

We start by voting to save what we love.

Here’s why November is important to our decisions. With so much relentless turmoil in the news, it may not be on everyone’s radar that the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments are again under siege. Utah’s governor and legislature are currently suing the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland in an attempt to nullify Grand Staircase and Bears Ears by getting the Antiquities Act before the Supreme Court. So, while we’re all voting in November for countless important reasons, when you vote, please add to your list of issues the long-term security and safety of the monuments. In a state as red as Utah, it feels excruciating to pin our hopes on the election, but we also know we can’t afford to lose hope.

And now, since we promised you a sandwich, we’ll end with some more appealing bites.

DAVINA SMITH FOR US HOUSE DISTRICT 69

We were thrilled when Davina Smith, our friend who did the sacred prayer run across Utah last fall, stepped up to run against Phil Lyman—who did jail time for desecrating Indigenous cultural sites in Bears Ears. Davina’s win would be a game changer in the five rural counties that she’d represent. Davina is Indigenous Diné (Navajo) and on the board of Grand Staircase Partners, and she was one of the founders of Women for Bears Ears. She’s originally from Monument Valley, and she lives in Blanding. Her campaign needs financial support and amplification, because Trump pardoned Lyman, which means Lyman has been in the national news lately. Davina’s win would mean so much, and it could truly come down to forty votes, due to how underrepresented and sparsely populated these counties are. Here’s a link to support her campaign. Please consider doing so!

AN APPLE A DAY…

In other good news, our farm, under Kate McCarty’s expert direction (and despite incredible weather odds) has produced 10,000 pounds (five literal tons) of produce this season! Though we had a terrible drought in the winter and spring, we were blessed with a robust monsoon season that refreshed the forests and deserts and contributed greatly to the productivity of the farm. We’re now looking at a bumper crop of heirloom apples, so we’ll be bringing apple products (think applesauce, apple jam, apple pie filling) back to our online store.

SPEAKING OF OUR ONLINE STORE:

We have lots of new developments!

We are hoping to add a festive meal box soon for seasonal celebrations so you can recreate your favorite Hell’s holiday recipes at home. Among other delights, the box will likely include favorites from our Thanksgiving feasts (think turkey brine with Redmond Real Salt and our own dried fruit, and our ever-popular cranberry and cherry sauce). We’re also rolling out a 2022 version of our breakfast brunch box, and after a few Dirty Farmer Martinis on the patio a few nights ago, we started toying with the idea of launching a bartender box for the holidays. Stay tuned! And of course, keep your eyes peeled, because everyone’s favorite time of year is approaching: the time when Blake makes her famous butter mints. They’ll be available in December!

Hats and sweatshirts are returning to the online store, too, and we have plenty of our popular cookbooks available for easy holiday gifting (they also make unforgettable host/hostess presents, white elephant gifts, and wedding, anniversary, and birthday gifts). We did a lovely redesign of our first cookbook, With a Measure of Grace, a little while back, and it includes some recipe updates.

We’re also thrilled to welcome a new book to our collection: The Power of Mind: A Tibetan Monk’s Guide to Finding Freedom in Every Challenge, by Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche. Khentrul Rinpoche is Blake’s longtime teacher and spiritual advisor; he wrote the beautiful seasonal couplets in our second cookbook, This Immeasurable Place. We are so proud to carry his brand-new book, which teaches how to transform adversity into well-being. (We’re trying, Rinpoche, we’re trying!)

SNAIL OF APPROVAL AWARD FROM SLOW FOOD USA!

We were so happy to be given a Snail of Approval award from Slow Food USA. It is truly wonderful to be recognized for our work by this excellent food nonprofit that we’ve long revered. Slow Food USA has six criteria upon which they base their awards: food sourcing, environmental impact, cultural connection, community involvement, staff support, and business values. Here’s a link to the story they did about us. We are incredibly honored to receive this award.

INDOOR DINING

Last but certainly not least, we have reopened our dining room! For guests who wish to eat outdoors, we’re keeping the patio open, weather dependent. (We have a beautiful roof over the patio now!) And we continue to offer takeout for those who want to eat in their room at the Boulder Mountain Lodge or at their campsite. In the dining room, we’re keeping ample space between tables, so seating is limited and available by reservations only, through the website. Our final dinner for the season will be November 19th. We hope you’ll come see us before then. We’ll have indoor dining, and November is an especially sweet, quiet time to visit. We’ve also elevated our wine game this year by sponsoring four staff members for sommelier training, so you’ll always have access to a sommelier with the knowledge and capacity to help you select the perfect glass or bottle.

If you don’t already follow us on social media platforms, please do! That’s where we tend to post news first, and the best place to say hello.

Thanks again for all the love. Hearing from you is always enlivening. Though we’re somewhat overwhelmed these days and might not be able to respond promptly, please know that here in Boulder Town, as we’re setting tables and clearing tables and planning meal boxes and restocking cookbooks and pulling in the winter squash and apples from the farm and cooking them into something delicious, your words of support fill our heads and hearts—and keep us going.

We appreciate you so very much. We’ll leave you with a favorite poem by our beloved friend Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

Love, 
Blake and Jen & the Hellions