Miss Eleanor
Eleanor Mailloux (pronounced may-you) is the owner of the Hütte, (pronounced hoo-tay) a restaurant located in the Swiss colony of Helvetia, tucked in the scenic hills of northwest Randolph County. In the years since it opened, the Hütte (it means "little hut") has served meals to customers hailing from all 50 states and from many foreign countries, including Spain, Japan, China, Norway, and, of course, Switzerland. Mailloux has the signed guest books to prove it. So why do they come, and why do they keep coming back? For one thing, the Hütte offers a splendid array of German Swiss foods at very affordable prices. But it's more than great food at a great price.
Each visit to the Hütte is a happening. You never know what to expect when you arrive; you might find a parking lot full of motorcycles, Ferraris, or even a helicopter or two. Or there might be a troupe of musicians traveling through who are more than willing to play for a meal. The Hütte's homey ambiance sometimes confuses first-time guests who arrive in cold weather. "I get a kick out of watching them come through the winter door," Mailloux says. "They often look around with confusion and say, ‘Sorry, we thought this was a restaurant.'" At the Hütte, you feel like you're dining in a private parlor, complete with an aromatic wood-burning stove, armchair, and tableful of books. "It's not what you expect when you enter a restaurant," says Eric Jones of Morehead, Kentucky, "but it immediately puts you at ease."Each of the five Hütte dining rooms are chock full of American and Swiss antiques, most acquired locally. "I call it a living, working museum," Mailloux says. Then she laughs and adds, "Organized mayhem is the theme."There are bookshelves laden with vintage hardback books, and adorning the walls are paintings, photographs, household and farm implements, musical instruments, and flags. (Listen on the hour for the cuckoo clock's call!) There are also tables of magazines and pamphlets, and brochures for local tourist attractions. And prominently displayed is the guest book for all to sign.
One dining room features the switchboard from Helvetia's original telephone system. (That is where we dined.) The property where the Hütte is located was once owned by the Peoples Telephone Company of West Virginia. A fire burned the telephone company building down, but the switchboard was rescued intact. Mailloux says that in those days, if there was a fire, the operator would ring residents a certain number of times, which meant "Get out of your homes and come help!"
Featured on the Hütte menu are a signature sausage dinner, baked ham, Morgan Henalie (chicken), bratwurst, and Zurich sauerbraten (served with noodles). The menu also includes Swiss muesli, featuring whole-grain oats, nuts, fresh fruit, yogurt, and honey. This selection is a delightful meal by itself. Many of Mailloux's recipes are original and closely guarded. All dinners are served with rosti (Swiss-style potatoes), a vegetable, hot applesauce, kraut, and homemade bread. Appetizers include a tempting cheese and fruit plate.
A lunch menu of soup and sandwiches is also offered. Reservations are recommended for the popular "Bernerplatte" meal, served on Sundays."We use only hand-picked meats and vegetables," Mailloux says. "Most of the vegetables are locally grown. The chickens and eggs are also supplied by locals. Sometimes we trade out goods and services. Fortunately talented artisans live in the community. If I need a plumber, electrician, mechanic, or whatever, I know who to call. Needless to say, they are well fed with the Hütte's best. We take care of each other. We have to, in order to survive in this backwoods setting." Mailloux and her staff make every effort to ensure that guests leave satisfied and happy. "I know what people go through just getting here," she says. "So it's up to us to reciprocate and then some."
The Hütte is open 363 days a year (not Thanksgiving or Christmas), from noon to "whenever the patrons are happily on their way home," according to Mailloux. "Nobody gets the bum's rush here," she adds. "Sometimes diners lose track of time and pitch in and help wash the dishes before they leave."Whether or not they work for their supper, patrons of the Hütte can leave their credit cards at home. This restaurant does not accept them. Cash or checks will do nicely, thank you. When asked if the no-credit-cards policy ever causes problems, Mailloux laughs heartily and says, "No, not at all. If a customer was relying on using a credit card, I just give them a copy of the bill and ask them to send me the money when they get home. It works every time. I've never been stiffed. And it makes them feel good that we trust them."
The Hütte serves wine and beer, including a special brew supplied by Mountain State Brewing Company in Thomas. One of the state's newest microbreweries, the company is owned by Mailloux's grandson Willie Lehmann and her stepgrandson, Brian Arnett."My whole family is involved in the Hütte," Mailloux explains. "Without them I would be lost. Not only do they help in the daily work, but they are actively involved in the future development."Mailloux's daughter Cathy Mailloux, who passed away last fall, helped a great deal with Hütte operations. Daughter Heidi Arnett, who runs the town post office, helps out when she can. The Hütte staff also includes Debbie Sayer, Kay Wooten Howes, Lori Smith, and Donna Williams. All have been employed by the Hütte for a number of years. Sayer has 27 years of service and Howes has 23.Mailloux's grandchildren range in age from 20 to 29. They include Lindsay, Henry, Bill, Emory, Jordan, Willie, Anna, Loren, and two Claras. Henry's daughter, Morgan, age 11, is eagerly learning the business.
"My future is set and I am pleased," says Mailloux. "I am living my dream."Mailloux estimates that the Hütte serves between seven and eight thousand diners a year. A considerable amount of business comes from the many festivals and other events held every year in Helvetia and in nearby Pickens. Word of mouth from satisfied customers is the Hütte's best advertisement.Also adding significantly to the annual total are motorcycle clubs and automobile rallies that come to and through Helvetia. "The back roads of West Virginia have been discovered," Mailloux explains. "It used to be that ‘location, location, location' meant having a business on the growing end of a town or city. Now it includes off-the-beaten-path places like ours.
The Hütte has grown by leaps and bounds over this period of discovery."One of Mailloux's favorite groups is a motorcycle club from the Northeast. About 40 riders come every year on their Harleys, Hondas, BMWs, and other bikes. Mailloux says with a smile, "They are always bone tired and hungry, and sometimes soaking wet when they arrive. I scold them for not giving us enough notice. Then we throw their clothes in the washers and dryers, and feed and pamper them before putting them into whatever beds are available at the time."One of the riders is an editor from Backroads magazine. Every year the publication puts out a special issue, The Best of Backroads. Several years ago, the first place winner of the "Great All-American Diner Run" was the Hütte. Here's what Backroads had to say about the Hütte and the twisting, country roads leading to it:"You'll find this place hidden deep in the West Virginia mountains and getting to it is a bit of a ride, but the town and the restaurant are well worth it. When you have this combination of good food, great staff, and exquisite roads, it all adds up to numero uno ...."At least six other large motorcycle clubs are regular patrons of the Hütte. Fairly recently, the restaurant has picked up the Rolls Royce and Mercedes Club rallies."They are great, fun-loving people," Mailloux says, "not at all snooty like one might expect. They think they've died and gone to heaven."
Like many of her clients, Mailloux is no stranger to adventure. She was raised in Helvetia since the age of five but as a young adult left to support the Second World War effort, then travel the world with the American Red Cross. In the mid-1960s, while serving in the Red Cross on Guam, Mailloux got homesick for Helvetia. She talked a woman friend into joining her in a restaurant venture. The two opened the Hütte in 1967. The friend later moved to Michigan and sold her interest in the business to Mailloux.Some of Mailloux's fondest memories of her childhood in Helvetia are of the Swiss elders, whom she remembers as kind, gracious, and generous. It seems she has taken their example to heart as owner of the Hütte, which has become not only a popular restaurant but the center of village life. Of Helvetia Mailloux says, "When you take the Swiss heritage of hospitality and combine it with West Virginia's heritage of proud, caring, and hardworking mountain people, you have an unbeatable combination for a community."
(Thanks to Jim Wilson of Wonderful WV Magazine for the above information.)
