Hidi knew how to put customers in their place

Gay Wassall-Kelly

Remember Hidi’s Cafe?

Hidi’s Cafe was part of the Balboa Peninsula from 1968 to 1993.

Hilda and Dick Helwig opened the infamous coffee shop in 1968 on Main

Street sandwiched between the Balboa Post Office and Vogel/Fuchs’

Realty. In 1980, Hidi’s relocated to Palm Street.

Hidi and Dick moved to Balboa in 1966 from Alhambra. Hidi quickly

got tired of driving off the peninsula to work. Born in North

Carolina, she and her five brothers and four sisters loved to go to

their local coffee shop, a town meeting place. Well, why not open one

on Balboa? What can we name it? Hi from Hilda and Di from Dick

equaled Hidi’s!

Dick had a real job as a cup salesman for Handi Cups. Hidi was

going to be on her own. One big problem -- Hidi didn’t know how to

cook. Coffee shops serve breakfast and everyone expected eggs. After

hours during the first week, Hidi and Dick flipped eggs all night

until she got the knack. Most flopped on the counter, some slapped

the walls -- they had to go home and change their clothes.

Word traveled fast that this “Southern pistol” was serving up the

best breakfast and dicey conversation in Balboa. Hidi’s was jampacked

full of locals, with lines of people waiting outside from fishermen,

beach rats, tourists, commuters, hangovers -- no white gloves and

pearls here. She saw Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), Reggie Jackson

(most obnoxious guy, but Hidi could calm him down), John Wayne, Jack

Scudder, President Nixon, plus locals Art Gronsky, Phil Tozer, Bob

Black and others walked through her doors.

Dona Dempsey of Balboa worked there for three years (1977-80).

“A guy came in and had no money to pay for his breakfast. As he

apologized, Hidi cursed him out in her colorful style. He said he

would be right back to pay. More of Hidi’s vivid language as the guy

exited. A short time later in walks Father Parks, Episcopalian

Minister. Hidi graciously asked if she could seat him. ‘Oh no, I am

here to pay you the money for my breakfast this morning,’” Dempsey

said. “For the first time in my life, I saw Hidi at a loss for words

-- with her mouth wide open. It didn’t last long before the

lambasting began again. Hidi told us, ‘That evening, Father Parks

sent me a dozen yellow roses. We have been friends ever since.’”

Even wintertime in Balboa, her restaurant was full of diners

anticipating Hidi’s bill of fare. She wasn’t shy in experimenting new

food concoctions; oh those lobster and cheese omelets, ones filled

with asparagus, avocado, or spinach you couldn’t top. Her

“award-winning” fresh salsa bubbling on the tables clearing your

sinuses was not for the faint of heart. The firemen loved it so much

that when she turned 65, they brought former police chief Arb

Campbell to Hidi’s and sang happy birthday.

Now celebrating 77 years, Hidi has retired to the desert,

Cathedral City. She loves it there, but does miss the crazy days at

Hidi’s. Most everyone we talked to told us a story “that we couldn’t

print.” That’s what they loved about Hidi. They miss her

mouth-watering food, rowdy sense of humor and Balboa style.

“Hey, you guys need another coffee shop in Balboa,” Hidi quipped.

* GAY WASSALL-KELLY, 61, is the editor of a Balboa newspaper and

is active in the community.