By TINA IYER
Features Editor
 

Was I betraying some code of Batesieness by going to the town where Bowdoin, our rival college, is located? Was it proper for me to leave the urban confines of Lewiston for the cutesy comfort of Brunswick?

My guilt lessened when I realized that most Bates students participate in this treachery.

There comes a day when the Auburn Mall isn't good enough, when Pat's Pizza isn't what you need. And so, you venture to Brunswick.

Perhaps there are those who have never chosen to acknowledge the existence of Bowdoin College and its home in Brunswick but, as an agreeable, non-threatening, and clean small town, it is a place that contrasts with Lewiston, which is often euphemistically described as gritty.

A change of pace and place is always a relief when surviving in the Bates Bubble, and there is nothing like bursting into another one to revive the soul.

A trip to Brunswick begins with a pleasant half-hour drive, during which one cruises past the lengthy strip mall that is Lisbon Street and the "Who Cares? Jesus." sign.

Route 196 becomes a quiet, windy road that goes by a few antique stores and then becomes Route 201 South, just as it heads on to Maine Street in Brunswick.

It's hard to say, really, what Brunswick has that Lewiston doesn't. Maybe what Brunswick has is easy accessibility to everything, including free two-hour parking line both sides of Maine Street. Unless noted, everything mentioned here is on Maine Street.

A good first stop is Morning Glory Natural Foods, which also has a location in Bath. This healthy store will provide you with lots of organic and pure food and foodstuffs; you'll never feel this good about eating potato chips and peanut butter.

The store also stocks eco-friendly cleansers and some packaged meals - get your risotto and falafel here.

For those who do their own cooking, the store carries bulk grains and nuts. And for those in need of a freshly scrubbed, sweet-smelling body, Morning Glory has tons of healthy body care, including the Burt's Beeswax line. Fliers on nutrition and disease prevention, as well as books on yoga, are also available.

I asked Kat Richman, Morning Glory's friendly salesperson, what she recommended in the way of food in Brunswick. She said that all the worthy eats are on Maine Street.

Right next to the natural food store is Big Top Delicatessen, which touts itself as a "New York Style Deli." Whether or not that's true, Richman says the sandwiches are tasty, and how wrong can you go with a deli?

On the other side of the street from the Big Top is Bombay Mahal, a decent Indian restaurant. The service is quick, the staff is relaxed and the skimpy dose of spices in the food won't terrorize the untried tongue. Brunswick also has a few Italian options, including the Great Impasta and Benzoni's.

The Great Impasta is right at the start of Maine Street, and has a cozy dining atmosphere and your standard Italian fare. This is a good place to go for Bates Parent's Weekend when every restaurant in the Lewiston-Auburn area is jammed. But be forewarned: The Great Impasta doesn't take reservations.

Benzoni's, on Town Hall Place off of Maine Street, has brick-oven pizza and beer and ale on tap. It also has outdoor seating - if your idea of a view is a small parking lot.

On the end of the main part of Maine Street is Maine Street Manhattan, a swanky looking eatery that refers to its food as "casual gourmet." It has an eclectic dinner menu and doesn't appear too intimidating.

Seafood can be found down the street at Joshua's Restaurant and Tavern.

For lighter fare, try the popular Bohemian Coffeehouse. They roast their own beans, and they aren't a major corporate chain spreading its tentacles across the planet.

Another place for a quick bite is the Wild Oats Bakery, located in the Tontine Mall (mall meaning building with a few stores, not mammoth megaplex).

Wild Oats has yummy sandwiches and baked goods, as well as many types of the expensive but delicious Fresh Samantha juices. The bakery has an outdoor deck connected to it; enjoy your scone and coffee under a giant umbrella while its still warm outside.

The Tontine Mall offers the visitor more than just food:

The Coffee Dog Bookstore is housed in the building with Tontine Fine Candies, which is guaranteed to fix that chocolate craving.

The Eveningstar Cinema serves up arty flicks nightly, with matinees on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the bulletin boards inside the building boast news about Brunswick area community theaters and meditation classes.

Brunswick is a great place to go for compact discs (and cassette tapes, and records ...)

No national chains are here, just trusty Bull Moose Records - known by all from Portland and the Lewiston Mall.

For those who would rather pick up some Mozart or Ella Fitzgerald, Macbeans Music is the place to go, and conveniently, the two stores are only seconds away from each other.

A chain like Border's Books and Music in Portland might have a bigger fiction selection than it's independent counterpart, but Gulf of Maine Books is an excellent small bookstore.

This independent bookseller has a hefty poetry section, an impressive Native American shelf, and some great-looking cards and calendars.

Fun gifts and "stuff" can be found at The Works, which also has some women's clothing and jewelry.

Jenney Station has cigars priced from $2.89 to $32.00, as well as Zippos, humidors, magazines, tobacco, and Macanudo jackets.

And for die-hard Aveda product fans, Looking Glass Hairstyling has it all.

And that's it for the run down on Brunswick. There is more, of course. the Bowdoin campus, for instance. Bailey Island isn't too far away. And maybe there is life off Maine Street that should be discovered.