GREAT VIEWS, GOOD GRUB: And civilized patrons. |
The myth of the frontier — the idea that what makes us uniquely American is our calling to conquer "less enlightened" peoples and put virgin land to productive use — is the perhaps the dominant idea in American political culture. When the western frontier closed, the myth was redeployed to justify the domestic suppression of immigrants and trade unionists, and a foreign policy of expansion all over the world. Recently the frontier myth has let down the political entrepreneurs who sought to employ it. Our president’s recent call for manned exploration of Mars failed to stir any emotion. Efforts to “civilize” Iraq and open its resources to American corporations are failing. The frontier myth in America seems to have fallen into crisis.But closer to home there is a new frontier to deal with. Maine must confront the hulking empty shells of our industrial past — the huge riverside mills that dominate so many of our towns. Who will settle this territory, conquer its demons, and make it productive? A mostly compelling answer comes in the form of the Frontier Café in the Fort Andross mill building in Brunswick. Owner Michael Gilroy has created a truly striking space for a casual restaurant, a gallery, and a small cinema for documentaries, foreign and art films.
What is most compelling about the experience at the Frontier Café is the space itself. A big place, it is nonetheless dwarfed by the size of the mill, which you navigate to get to the entrance. Huge windows run from nearly the floor to the high ceiling and allow you to look out over the Androscoggin River. Long tables and benches made from wood salvaged from local mills line the main wall. They look terrific standing on the restored original hardwood floor.
The place has a casual but professional feel that goes with its rustic elegance. You order sandwiches, soups, salads, and appetizer platters at the bar, and you bus your own table. Just about everything comes with some of their terrific bread, whose crunchy crust and chewy, airy interior elevates everything it touches. We loved it dipped into the gingery, slightly crunchy carrot peanut soup, and soaked with the subtler but very good soup of tomato and herbs.
The bread was probably also the best thing about the French “marketplate” we tried. The pâté was just fine, though a little bland and sweet for my taste, with hardly a hint of the taste of liver. The Brie seemed like it had recently been a little too cold to really express itself. Some small olives, nice ham, good mustard, and cornichon pickles rounded out the platter.
The grilled sandwiches looked terrific arriving on a wooden plank. The best was the roast beef. It was good beef, and it tasted fine with a buttery herbed mayo. The texture of the tomatoes suffered a little from the grilling, but it was a nice sandwich. An eggplant sandwich with artichokes and a salty feta was pleasantly unusual in that it was dominated by bitter and sour flavors. The sweet potato sandwich with goat cheese and big pieces of onion could have used a little arugula or something else to add a peppery zing. There are several beers in bottles, and all the wines were $6 a glass. Dessert was mostly cookies and brownies. The chocolate chunk cookie was terrific with a cup of rich coffee.
