Waiting for my entrée at Renaissance Bistro, something dawned on me: Brunswick is not the same town that I came to three years ago as a first year. Brunswick is changing socially, politically, and economically?and with restaurants popping up left and right, it is experiencing something of a culinary revolution. Renaissance Bistro promises to be at the forefront of this movement.
Housed in a beautiful old building on Mill Street, the restaurant belongs to another time. The walls are a warm red, and the ceiling is molded tin with a lovely floral pattern. Books are everywhere: on the window sills, on top of the bar?even the check came stuck in a book. Drinks are served in 19th century-style glassware. Though the bistro feels as if it belongs to another time, the blond wood furniture and a mannequin on the doorstep rescue it from seeming like a museum.
The winter lunch menu reflects the mix of ancient and modern?there are standard wraps and paninis, but the seasonings are unusual and the recipe for my dessert dated back to the Middle Ages. There are various salads, a St. Andre cheese plate with apricot chutney, walnuts, fresh fruit, and crostinis, and wild mushroom ravioli with sage cream and asparagus.
The field green salad, which sounded standard, tasted quite unusual when topped with apples, pears, and slivered almonds, with endives filled with bleu cheese mousse and pureed almonds on the side. However, I do not recommend the sherry vinaigrette as a dressing. It tasted like pure alcohol and overshadowed the subtle flavors of the nuts, fruits, and lettuce.
The smoked salmon panini with bacon, tomato, and lemon mayonnaise was delicious and not too filling, though the orzo salad served on the side was rather bland and standard, if not exactly bad.
The bistro boasts a variety of "creative seasonal specials." My companion was pleased with his butternut squash pasta served with baked squash on top. He was even more pleased with the pineapple kiwi fruit smoothie.
Alhough all of the dishes were good, the lemon pousette dessert was truly phenomenal?a rich, creamy lemon mousse that was also mouth puckeringly tart, served with a dollop of whipped cream and strange, bright green syrup on the side.
The wine and beer list is short, but features mostly European imports. The non-alcoholic beverage menu boasts an eclectic selection of blueberry pop, smoothies, and cream soda. There is a full tea menu that features loose-leaf white teas and bags of Celestial Seasonings' packaged blends.
The dinner menu is a bit longer and heavy on pasta dishes. In terms of flavor, it retains the characteristics of the lunch menu. Owner Tanya Chasse waits tables herself and knows the menu well?not just the ingredients, but also the history behind the recipes. She is friendly, if a bit over-attentive, and the overall dining experience is pleasant.
The restaurant's only major drawback is its hours: the bistro is closed Monday and Tuesday and doesn't serve dinner on Sunday nights.
The menu, like those at other new restaurants, will benefit from a bit of fine-tuning. Still, diners will leave Renaissance Bistro feeling excited about this new part of Brunswick's culinary history.
Renaissance Bistro is located at 25 Mill Street. For reservations or more information, call (207) 721-0412.