Disclosure: I’ve been eating at Henry and Marty since it opened in July 1998, when it was a hole in the wall for a vegan lunch run by partners Henry D’Alessandris (actor/dancer/chef) and Martin Perry (concert pianist). Soon it expanded and morphed into a spot for upscale dinners, frequented by locals and a slew of summer out-of-towners.
I’ve attended a few public Hanukkah parties here (Henry made a mean mess of latkes), taken part in a magazine photo shoot on site, and am acquainted with the former owners.
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But this review, like all those for this column, rests on one visit, a snapshot of one night. Perry and D’Alessandris sold the business in 2007. Paul Hollingsworth, manager since 2004, now co-owns it with chef Aaron Park, former proprietor of the West Side restaurant in Portland.
Henry and Marty is as popular as ever. Our group of four visited the restaurant on a Saturday night in early April to a full house. By 9 p.m., it was almost empty. (This is pre-summer Brunswick, after all.)
Along a pumpkin-colored wall of the oblong dining room hang John Bisbee’s graceful sculptures made of curved spikes. Abstract paintings by Mark Wethli hang on the opposite wall. Colorful faces painted on cubes by Arlene Morris line up on a third.
In addition to this artwork, two long, crimson fabric lengths attach to the ceiling like flying carpets, a decorative nod to noise control. They do the job. The tables have candles and white linens with smooth white paper placed on top. This covering is less appealing than cloth, but it’s easy enough to ignore.
We started with vegetarian pat?$8). It seemed a crime to skip this dish created from spring parsnips, one of the few local vegetables available freshly dug this month.
The pureed mold of the caramelized root vegetable, cashews, minced asparagus, lemon zest and dill was served with crispy homemade pita shards. The large portion was tasty and mild, the pure and sharp parsnip flavor mellowed by additions. My friend missed the fatty richness of a liver pat?but I did not.
Our other appetizer, six Korean pork mondu pan-fried dumplings ($10), arrived too brown around the edges. On a very busy night, should a kitchen staff throw out slightly overdone food, redo and thus delay the appetizer? Probably. Suffice it to say, all six dumplings were consumed, but a carefully watched pan would have made them more delectable.
Henry and Marty’s menu lists about 20 entree choices in three categories. For those who like predictability and stability, the menu includes seven “Henry and Marty Classics,” such as chicken picatta, seafood linguine and beef brisket. Cuban-style jumbo shrimp ($19) is another popular dish from the “old” days, and it was as good as it always has been, a simple presentation of shrimp brightly flavored with garlic, rum and lime, served with spicy rice and just-firm-enough black beans.
Six “Petite Entrees” ($12 to $15) offer different scale, style and price options. We chose crepes stuffed with smoked salmon, asparagus, shallots and mascarpone ($15). The rolled and light pancakes oozed with luscious and smoky contents reminiscent of cream cheese and lox, and was warm and comforting without the chewiness of a bagel underpinning.
The grilled lamb shoulder steak ($28) picked from the “Spring Entrees” list was seared perfectly and served exactly medium-well as requested by my dining companion. It’s a cut on the tougher side, so we had no quarrel with its texture, and the steak was thick, generously peppered and flavorful. But somehow, despite a plate of jus, the taste of the advertised molasses, rosemary and date didn’t convey.
Our grilled mahi mahi with lime, lemon and orange was a dish created to honor Brunswick-Trinidad Cuba Week, a celebration of the town’s sister-city affiliation. The fish was very tender (ceviched for a few hours, the chef said afterward) and bore a delicate citrus flavor. This was an outstanding preparation. It came with the same appetizing rice and beans as the jumbo shrimp and a side of haricots verts flavored with cilantro and shallot vinaigrette — also excellent.
We topped off our meal with maple bruleed bread pudding ($8). This slice of soft, egg-y, cinnamon-y bliss, a coating of burnt sugar on top, tasted like the world’s best French toast. With vanilla ice cream, it’s a slice of heaven.
Besides vegetables, the kitchen uses many products from its midcoast neighborhood — beef, cheese, tempeh and gelato. In addition, Park regularly cooks donated meat in his commercial kitchen for local food pantry volunteers to turn into nourishing lunches. The restaurant has hosted a fundraising dinner every year since 2006 to benefit the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program. To its credit, the staff volunteers their time and donates tips. The event raises close to $5,000.
Many guests rightly flock to Henry and Marty for first-rate food and ambience. But locals also find this restaurant’s strong community commitment another form of inspiration.
Nancy Heiser is a freelance writer and editor who lives near Portland. Her work has appeared in national and regional publications.
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