Longer days and returning juniors are not the only reasons to be excited about coming back to Bowdoin this spring. Last semester we said goodbye to the widely ill-regarded MacMillan & Co. restaurant and its basement bar, Xplorers, where a collar-popping Polar Bear would feel about as comfortable as a professor at Pinestock.
After some thoughtful redecorating, 94 Maine Street has become home to MJ's Grille and Tavern, taking the same restaurant/late bar idea and giving it an attitude makeover. The restaurant is dimly lit and dominated by black and white. The minimalist motif is accented by hanging blue lights that add a modern touch.
This attempt at class continues into the meal, which begins with a warm baguette served standing in a spiral contraption and a side of butter with the kind of swirl mould that you feel guilty destroying with your knife.
The choice of appetizers includes the typical Maine seafood selections, as well as some ethnic options, such as sushi and chicken satay. My dinner date and I started our meals with salads. Both the Caesar and spinach varieties were full of flavor and generously dressed, leaving our mouths watering for our main courses.
Though, in my mind, the "roasted airline chicken" conjured up images of folding trays and sporks, my date opted for the poultry dish, pan roasted with peaches and onions and served with garlic whipped mashed potatoes and asparagus. Upon his first bite of breast, my date remarked on its cat-like flavor. Suspicious of his experience with the feline as food, I asked him to explain.
"It tastes like Magic smells," he told me and offered a bite. Having met his pet several times, I could only agree.
I chose the beef tournedos with a tomato-spinach demi-glaze. I ordered it cooked medium, which turned out to be the average of a charred outside and pink middle. Still, the flavor was good and at least stayed true to its animal of origin. The side of Israeli couscous, however, couldn't even be saved by half a shaker's worth of salt.
Though the main courses were anti-climactic, the overall experience of MJ's was positive. The semi-chic atmosphere somewhat smacks of effort, but the wait staff is friendly and attentive. It is undeniable that MJ's has taken a giant leap forward from MacMillan's, both in cuisine and atmosphere. It will be interesting to see if the bar downstairs, which has implemented a dress code (no hats), will follow suit.