I don’t need much of an excuse to bust a move to Brunswick, such is my love for some of its Maine Street shops, the flea market at Fort Andross and the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College.
Flip Breakfast and Brunch Bar, located on Maine Street just before the Bowdoin campus, opened Christmas week, and I’d seen a few social media posts about it, enough to get it on my must-visit list.
It came to pass a couple of Fridays ago when I picked up my friend and neighbor, Jen, and we catapulted ourselves up I-295 to give Flip a whirl. Our timing was perfect; the place filled up soon after we got there around 11 a.m.
We were seated in a booth in one of two dining rooms. Nearby was a seating area with a couch and a pair of comfortable looking chairs that seemed like a fabulous spot to sit with a mimosa and a good book.
Bubble & Squeak from Flip in Brunswick. Photo by Aimsel Ponti
We were served coffee and perused the delicious-looking menu for a few minutes. I gazed longingly at the pancake and waffle offerings, not to mention the slab of coffee cake made by Cakes by Design. However, since I’m a sugar-free gal, I focused on the egg-based options and landed, happily, on something called Bubble & Squeak ($12), a take on the British dish traditionally made from leftover potatoes and cabbage. Flip’s version was composed of scrambled eggs, sautéed onions and peppers, potatoes, spinach and goat cheese, served with a homemade biscuit and a small fruit salad. Is it possible that said biscuit had sugar? Sure, but I’m only human.
I have a few things to report on my breakfast. First off, it was scrumptious. The combination of ingredients was sublime, and I somehow managed to actually pace myself and not inhale it in two minutes. But I will also say that for the money, I thought the portion size was a bit on the small side. Perhaps another egg or a bit more spinach would have made the difference. That said, Flip is a new, local business that opened while we’re still in the midst of the pandemic, and I was happy to support it. Plus, and this is key, it really was enough food once I sat for a few more minutes and let my brain get caught up.
Jen had Florentine Benedict ($12), which was a grilled English muffin topped with poached eggs, spinach and Hollandaise. She noted that, while it was certainly flavorful, it lacked the runny yolk and generous portion of Hollandaise sauce she associates with the dish. Jen had hoped to mop up the extra sauce with her English muffin, but it was not to be.
As for me, I am sure I’ll visit Flip again. Maybe I’d try the steel-cut oats or the biscuits with sausage gravy. Yum alert! And if sugar wasn’t an issue, you had better believe I’d be all over the Hotcakes Sandwich, which is an egg sandwich served between two pancakes with a side of home fries. I love this idea and can’t believe I hadn’t seen it before.
Flip fits nicely into the landscape of downtown Brunswick, and I hope it stays that way.
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