Oh, Butchers & Bakers. It's been two weeks since you vacated the Tontine Mall and left a boule-shaped hole in my heart. When you opened this past year, I had just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and the thought of a gluten-free safe haven in the wake of my new dietary restrictions put a smile on my face—and in my stomach. However, even in the wake of my excitement, I couldn't help but wonder, "Is there a true demand for a gluten-free cafe and grocer like this in Brunswick?". I hoped, in vain, my fears would be unfounded.
Don't get me wrong—this isn't an "I-told-you-so" article; rather, quite the opposite. You were the specialty vendor that no Brunswick Celiac thought to ask for, but that every Brunswick Celiac appreciated. Allow me to celebrate you below.
First of all, let's all take a moment to appreciate this gluten-free breakfast sandwich. Two over-medium (read: perfectly jammy) eggs, cheddar cheese, and a smashed potato (you read that right) sit between two fluffy slices of rosemary focaccia. Who but you would have thought to put a smashed potato on a breakfast sandwich, or to bake gluten-free focaccia in-house? When I went gluten free, I came to terms with the fact that I would never again eat warm bread (much less bread that doesn't fall apart when you touch it). For the last few months, you've spoiled me with just that—not only with your breakfast sandwiches, but with your lunch options as well. Now you're gone, and I'm back to squishing my sandpaper bread into the too-small panini press at Moulton. Yum.
It's also worth noting the endless variety of gluten-free delicacies you carried. In your glory days, I dined on delicata squash stuffed with vegan risotto, mouth-watering Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, and roast beef sandwiches (one of which is pictured above), nostalgic pasta and potato salads, take-and-bake frozen meals like Moroccan shepherd's pie and roasted peach pork, and endless green salads with delectable and complex homemade dressings. The best—and now worst—part? None of them were misses.*
*Okay, so maybe the baked Italian mac and cheese was uncharacteristically gross, but that was so left-field that I'm choosing to erase it from my memory (by immortalizing it in writing).
I haven't even mentioned your extensive dessert list. I never knew that any kind of bread pudding—much less gluten-free bread pudding—could taste so good. From tartlets, to donuts, to cakes and pies, you served up as many sweets as savory eats. Even as someone without a sweet tooth, I marveled at your wide array of flakey, creamy, and sugary offerings.
Many times, I wondered to myself how you did it all—and how you did it all so well. I can't imagine the amount of work that your team put into brainstorming, crafting, and perfecting these inventive recipes. Each dish was completely unique; no dish was a riff off of another one. How did you pull it off for as long as you did?
While you might have bitten off more gluten-free food than you could chew, I speak for all gluten-free foodies in Brunswick when I say that we deeply appreciated your short, but very sweet, stay in the Tontine Mall. I'll never forget all of the delicious dinners, easy lunches, and outings with friends that I had inside your doors. Thank you for creating a space where, early on in my diagnosis, I could feel safe when eating. I'll always be thankful for it.
P.S.: I'd like to give an honorable mention to this "Dedicated Gluten Free Space" sign, which always made me feel like I was walking into an exclusive club. I'll try my best to match this energy, even though you're no longer with us.