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Volume CXXXII, Number 13 |
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Goodies from the old Foodie
KERRY ELSON
COLUMNIST
So your parents are visiting Bowdoin and they don't like Indian food. The Foodie's automatic parental recommendation, Shere Punjab, is disqualified, so where should the family go for fine cuisine? And you say you don't want to gamble on Bombay Mahal, Pedro O'Hara's or the Great Impasta, which were briefly described in the last segment of this series, when friends are in town? What's a sure bet around these parts?
Well, well, well! You've certainly arrived at the right column. This second installment of the Foodie's guide to Maine Street cuisine completes her summary of sit-down establishments, while next week she'll tell you aaaaall about the delis, diners and coffeeshops that dot the Brunswick landscape. After that, prepare for Pleasant Street.
The Foodie will now gather her hat, scarf and gloves for a slow stroll down Memory Lane. She fondly remembers the pleasant surprise of Scarlet Begonias. "Greeted by hardwood floors and a friendly staff," she wrote in September 2001, "[the Foodie] relaxed amidst the scent of garlic, the quiet clamor of white porcelain, and a hushed familial mirth." Christmas lights and an evergreen grace Scarlet's large bay windows, framing an enticing scene of smiling diners hunched over cramped tables.
Cognizant of the restaurant's popularity, Scarlet B's mercurial hostess has more than once kept this Foodie in anxious limbo. Will she get a table or not?, the Foodie has often been left to wonder. She has often abandoned her hope for a flavorful, thin-crust pizza and headed a few blocks down to the equally intimate Shere Punjab, which always seems to have a table ready.
Sometimes, however, the Foodie really wants Italian. When Scarlet's is full, she often heads to Benzoni's. This two-level joint more comfortably accomodates large parties and the bar greets customers who have to wait for a table. What Benzoni's lacks in creativity and atomosphere, it makes up for in speed of service and quantity of menu offerings. Meals are standard; you won't find whimsical titles for pasta plates and there'll be one kind of cheese on your pizza, but conservative diners will find this place comfortable.
She fondly remembers the calzone of her first Benzoni's sojourn. "Everything looked freshly prepared and hot from the oven," she wrote. "The ricotta cheese in the…calzone provided a simple background for spinach and red peppers. The thick crust might have overpowered this interior, but it made the meal hearty.""Although Benzoni's pleases the palate well enough, the Foodie wouldn't return on her own accord.
While the Foodie has returned to Benzoni's and Scarlet B's since her initial evaluation, she has chosen to enter neither Richard's, nor Bangkok Garden, nor MacMillan and Co. nor Henry Marty a second time. The Foodie yearns not for mediocre cuisine, but each establishment does have its own unique charm.
Richard's is an Epcot Center German joint supplanted in Brunswick. Bland, yet nicely presented, pairings of sausages and kraut abound. She wrote in early November, "Exposed brick, dark wood paneling, dim lights and 'traditional' German music create a cozy, if not parodic, atmosphere. While the food is priced a bit high for Brunswick, service is fast and friendly…." If the restaurant was as empty as it was when the Foodie visited, it should be a sure bet if other places are busy.
Exoticism oozes out of Bangkok Garden. While the Foodie would recommend Thai House on Pleasant Street over this Fort Andross nook, a car-less party will find Garden's well-priced, amply-spiced food satisfactory. Flashback to November 2002! "Most dishes at Bangkok Garden are a variation on a simple formula" the Foodie wrote, "meat and vegetables + sauce + rice or noodles. This Foodie's Pineapple Chicken did not arrive in a pineapple shell as promised; nevertheless, its sweet and spicy flavors were well balanced and the vegetables were fresh."
While Henry Marty is more upscale than MacMillan & Co., each offers classic American food with a twist. Marty twists and shouts towards Italian influences, with such appetizer offerings as grilled artichoke hearts, while MacMillan &Co. prides itself on fresh Mainer seafood and steak platters. Henry Marty is more likely to impress parents with its slightly out-of-place haughtiness, but MacMillan & Co. may be more familiar and comforting.
If threatened with a lobster tail to choose between the two establishments, the Foodie would select Henry Marty for its more sophisticated flavor juxtapositions.
Flashback further to the Foodie's Maine Street "fancy pants" restaurant commentary by visiting orient.bowdoin.edu. Stay tuned for Part Three!
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