May 2010
By Joe Ricchio   | Map by Jennifer Judd-McGee

Every month in Eat Maine the staff at Maine magazine will share our knowledge, as well as information garnered from our readers and Eat Maine fans, about the many must-go places to eat in the state. In each edition we’ll highlight a different region in Maine—this month we’re turning to Brunswick, a concentrated downtown packed with options. When you go, take an entire day.

 

Brunswick is one of Maine’s prominent and exciting food towns. Here are a few reasons why.

Henry and Marty Restaurant
61 Maine St. | 207.721.9141 |
henryandmarty.com

 

(1) Richard’s
115 Maine St. | 207.729.9673 | richardsgermanamericancuisine.com

German wines, despite being some of my favorite, often get a bad reputation as being cloyingly sweet and one dimensional. Here’s a restaurant that realizes this is untrue—with Georg Breuer Rudesheim Estate, a beautiful dry Riesling from the Rheingau, to prove it. These wines possess a brilliant acidity that perfectly accompanies the authentic German fare that has made Richard’s a Brunswick staple for years.

(2) Clementine
44 Maine St. | 207.721.9800 | clementinemaine.com

A cozy, comfortable dining room is the setting for one of the best meals you’ll have in Brunswick. The food here is thoughtfully prepared and elegantly presented, yet the restaurant lacks any kind of pretension. The experience is rounded out by a wine list focused on boutique selections. This might just be my favorite drinking town.

(3) Lion’s Pride
112 Pleasant St. | 207.373.1840

Do yourself a favor and set aside an entire afternoon to drink through the extensive list of brews—easily one of Maine’s best. I would recommend letting the well-educated staff guide you with your selections, while letting your stomach guide you to the burger and Belgian-style fries. You don’t have to settle for generic beer, and this place drives that point home nicely.

(4) Back St. Bistro
11 Town Hall | 207.725.4060 | backstreetbistro.net

A casual and funky dining room set the stage for a diverse menu that has developed a strong following, especially for the grilled meats. An extensive and well-thought-out drink list (Brunswick is way ahead ahead of the curve here) makes the bar an appealing option for dining, or just drinking on your own.

(5) Provisions
148 Maine St. | 207.729.9288

They have Brunswick’s best wine and beer selection, which makes it difficult for anyone else to come here with me. I constantly feel like I’ve missed something or need to get four bottles instead of one. I know I promised you we’d be in-and-out, but I just can’t make up my mind. Hey, maybe you should check out their delicious to-go food and baked goods?

(6) Frosty’s Donuts
54 Maine St. | 207.729.4258

I don’t think that anyone would argue that the donuts here are anything but ridiculously good, or that the amount I ate was probably a little much. Many people consider this place to be a religious experience. Go early in the morning because they sell out fast.

(7) Fat Boy Drive-In
111 Bath Rd. | 207.729.9431

If you’re wondering why I love this place so much, the name says it all. The burgers are awesome, and they have drive-in service so you don’t have to burn the extra 10 calories walking to the counter. They’ve got the whole fifties throwback thing going on, back to a time when it made perfect sense to consider a frappe a “beverage.”

(8) Bombay Mahal
99 Maine St. | 207.729.5260
bombaymahal.net

There’s actually a lot of good Indian food to be had in Brunswick. Some of the best is found here. I enjoy the naan and think raita is good on everything. I’m only saying this because I feel guilty about making a mess on my last visit, and there was a fair amount of naan and raita involved. We should change the subject. The lamb curry is delicious.
 

(9) Frontier
14 Maine St./Fort Andross |
207.725.5222 | explorefrontier.com

There’s a lot more going on here than in most restaurants. I like that while I’m enjoying house-made soup and several beers, I can visit their small cinema and see a movie. Then when I get fired from my job for coming back from a three-hour lunch break, I can return and view the art gallery—or just have another beer and enjoy the river views.

(10) The Gelato Fiasco
74 Main St. | 207.607.4002

I’ve never been disappointed with the gelato here, but what really impresses me is how friendly the service is. If I had to deal with that many high-maintenance customers filling up on free samples, my friendly meter would be at a negative 4, which brings me to another point. They give a discount for each degree it is below zero outside. Saving 12¢ makes eating gelato with frost-bitten fingers that much more enjoyable.