Parents Weekend is approaching, meaning you need to clean your room, get rid of all those Coors Light cans, and make some dinner reservations. The weekend is a great chance to try some local restaurants and have your parents foot the bill. Here are a few suggestions in Brunswick and farther afield for you to check out next weekend. Make sure you make reservations as these places tend to be very crowded.
Street and Co., 33 Wharf Street, Portland. 1-207-775-0887.
For: Parents willing to drive.
Street and Co. is without a doubt my favorite restaurant in Maine and well worth the drive down to Portland. If your parents want a (literal) taste of America's smallest food capital, Sam Hayward's seafood restaurant is the place to be. Street and Co. is tucked away on a cobblestone street in Portland's Old Port. The three cavernous dining rooms are almost always crowded and loud, but don't worry - the food is so good, you won't notice.
Street and Co.'s menu centers around seafood and the dishes are served in sizzling hot pans, straight from the open kitchen. For a starter, the mussels provençal are an absolute must, especially if you are a fan of garlic and butter. This is perhaps the best preparation of mussels I have ever had. For a main course, try the sole française, which is always exquisitely prepared and a little lighter than many other dishes on the menu. The scallops in pernod and cream are unbelievably good, though the dish is so rich you won't have any room for dessert.
Speaking of which, the pecan pie is not to be missed—make sure you order that early because Street and Co. often sells out of dessert, especially toward the end of the night. Street and Co. is an absolute gem in the Portland dining scene, and I highly recommend it. Note: it is essential to make a reservation and they do not accept parties larger than six.
Food: 5 out of 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Scarlet Begonias, 16 Station Avenue, Brunswick. 1-207-721-0403.
For: A quick and filling meal; garlic lovers.
Scarlet Begonias may have lost some of its quirky charm in relocating to its new building on Station Avenue, but its seating capacity and efficiency have greatly improved. And lucky for us, the food remains as garlicky and delicious as ever. The new location makes Scarlet B's a great option for a Parent's Weekend dinner, especially if you want a simple and easy meal.
The dining room lost a lot of personality in the recent move; the eccentric décor, with weird paper lanterns and foil palms trees, has vanished and been replaced by a more generic interior. That said, Scarlet Bs is still perfectly pleasant and certainly worth a visit. Their food is nothing fancy, and some consider it too garlicky, but this has never been a problem in my experience.
For a starter, split the "Must for Gus" with your table—that's garlic bread with melted cheese and herbs. Follow it up with the Rose Begonia, Scarlett Bs most popular dish and a personal favorite. The Rose Begonia consists of a tomato cream sauce served over penne pasta with chicken and pancetta. It is a hearty dish and the sauce is truly delicious; you will be wiping your plate with the garlic bread leftovers. The Scarlet Harlot, a puttanesca sauce over linguini, is also very good, especially for olive-lovers.
If you have yet to eat at Scarlet Bs, be warned: you will smell like garlic for a few days. Still, Scarlett Begonias is a tasty and convenient restaurant for a meal out with the 'rents (and also great for a weekend dinner with friends).
Food: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 2/5
Clementine, 44 Maine Street, Brunswick. 1-207-721-9800.
For: A nice meal close to campus; small plates.
If you see Parents Weekend as a chance to eat well on Mom and Dad's dime, definitely take them to Clementine, one of Maine Street's more upscale establishments. Clementine offers a sophisticated, though slightly limited menu. If you are looking for a big, hearty, stuff-your-face kind of meal, this is not the place. The dishes at Clementine are wonderfully subtle and almost always delicious.
The menu changes frequently, though some perennial favorites of mine include the lobster ravioli, which is melt-in-your-mouth good. The pasta is paper-thin and is swimming in a light and buttery white wine sauce. For a main course, filet mignon is very well prepared. Clementine serves it with a compound butter on top (I have had Roquefort butter—incredible) and delicious olive oil mashed potatoes as a side. Another delicious starter is the confit leg of chicken, served with truffle oil.
For vegetarians, Clementine does a wonderful job with pasta and always has a seasonal pasta dish—I particularly love their butternut squash ravioli. Clementine's desserts are also phenomenal. Do not miss the chocolate cake, a rich and gooey dessert served with homemade gelato.
Food: 4/5
Atmosphere: 3/5
Cook's Lobster House, Garrison Cove Road, Bailey Island. 1-207-833-2818.
For: First-time Maine visitors; lobster-lovers.
Though the best time for a true Maine meal is summer, when you can enjoy it outdoors, Cook's Lobster House on Bailey Island offers the real deal year-round. Cook's is about 25 minutes north of campus on a small island, mostly inhabited by lobstermen and their families (and once home to yours truly). The drive to Cook's is breathtaking and would be a great way to show your parents a bit of Maine's beautiful coastline.
In general, the food at Cook's is nothing to write home about. For a lobster dinner, however, it has long been a favorite of Mainers and tourists alike. The large dining room feels a little kitschy, with the fishing memorabilia strewn over booths and hanging from the walls; on the whole, though, Cook's is charmingly casual and lacking any sort of pretension.
If you take your family to Cook's, you must have steamed lobster with drawn butter. It is the quintessential Maine meal and Cook's lobsters are very good. Don't wear nice clothes because, if you've never eaten lobster before, things will get messy.
If you are really hungry, get a Shore Dinner—a combo meal that includes a lobster (either boiled or baked and stuffed) and a serving of Maine clams (steamed or fried). Cook's is a great introduction to Maine cuisine and the drive to Bailey Island is worth it in and of itself.
Food: 3/5
Atmosphere: 2/5