Heimatland

Richard Cicic of Madd Chef’s Bistro has launched one of his most ambitious eateries to date.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 03/11/2009
Richard Cicic is mad about old-style European food. That’s why the Madd Chef loaded up a brand new menu with traditional German fare and other homemade European selections when he took over the kitchen at the new Heimatland Restaurant last month.

With the retirement of Heimatland’s long-time owners, Richard is partnering with Melissa Krebs and Lena Knight to rekindle the restaurant’s ethnic flavor.

Like at his popular Madd Chef’s café and bistro, the food at the new Heimatland is prepared from scratch using the freshest, natural ingredients Richard can find. Even the brats are all natural.

“We’re bringing over the same concept of clean, natural food, but with a heavy European influence,” Richard explains. “The focus is on Germany, but with side trips to Spain and Italy and other European destinations. We offer a lot of the old family recipes I grew up on.”

The buffet is gone, but the huge portions served up at the new Heimatland more than make up for it, Richard promises.

“There is no way anybody can finish these portions and walk away hungry,” he challenges.
The brand new menu revives the old-world experience, featuring headings in both German and English—starting with Europaische Hausgemachten Salaten (European-style homemade salads).

A favorite already at the new Heimatland is the Swedish Lingonberry Salad, a venture into Scandinavia, featuring mixed field greens topped with grilled chicken, tomato, cucumber, Feta cheese, and finished with honey lingonberry balsamic vinaigrette, for $7.98.

“The lingonberry is like a wild cranberry that grows all over Sweden,” Richard says. “It’s like the apple of the United States.”

One of Richard’s personal favorites is the Field of Poppies—mixed field greens and crisp romaine topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries and Feta cheese served with homemade strawberry poppy seed dressing, also for $7.98.

Make a meal of any salad by adding soup and fresh bread for $3 more.
Richard’s Croatian heritage is revealed in his Cevapcic—an appetizer of grilled kabobs made from seasoned ground beef, lamb and pork, served with tomato, cucumber and onion salad, for $7.

For lunch, Richard suggests a belegte broetchen—a mouthwatering towering panini specially made to represent a variety of tastes, from the Irish-style corned beef panini to the Tuscan Mortadella panini to the authentic German panini, featuring bratwurst and shredded cabbage topped with provolone and fried potatoes.

“I don’t even like to call them paninis because that word is so overused,” Richard says. “These are real paninis. We use shredded cabbage and vinaigrette instead of lettuce, and they are all served on hand-sliced Italian bread.”

Abendessen (dinner entrees) at Heimatland feature a variety of schnitzels (chicken, pork and veal), along with Eastern European staples like chicken paprikash and beef goulash.
On weekends, Heimatland offers Richard’s specialty crepes and Belgian waffles topped with apples, peaches or rum cherries.

Part of the change at the New Heimatland will be the reduction of the bar size to accommodate more family seating, which will increase from 40 to 60. But at the new bar, less will be more, Richard promises.

“It will be an upscale hangout where you don’t have to worry about a fight breaking out,” Richard promises. “We’re going to have a European pub experience with great camaraderie and flat panel screens to watch rugby and soccer, and, of course, featuring some great German beer on tap.”

During the summer, Richard plans to bring old-fashioned pig and lamb roasts to the Heimatland’s outdoor patio. “It will be an old-time ethnic party with grandma’s food,” he says.

Heimatland is located in the German American Business Center at 3511 Center Road in Brunswick. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday. The phone number is 330-220-8671.

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