Buckley's brunch

A delicious Sunday brunch near Milwaukee's lakefront

Ever since I had dinner at Buckley's and let out lots of yummy sounds over browned butter gnocchi and carrot cake with vanilla bean frosting, I've been hankering to go back for brunch. Brunch at Buckley's is served only on Sundays, from 10am to 2pm.

You might recognize Buckley's by its sidewalk café seating and charming black-and-white umbrellas, and if it's nice enough I'd recommend snagging a spot outside. Unfortunately, though it was June when we went, there was a chilly breeze that morning. But dining inside is almost equally as charming — I have no complaints! 

As I was brunching with my mom and my aunt, we started with mimosas. We always start with mimosas, followed eventually by coffee. Though our drink tastes apparently run in the family, we each picked something different for eating. My mom went for her go-to Eggs Benedict. Buckley's prepares theirs the nearly-classic way: soft poached eggs, grilled country ham, tomatoes, and arugula on a toasted english muffin with hollandaise sauce. It was beautiful, and must have been as delicious as it was pretty, since she cleaned her plate. 

I ordered the omelet with portabella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese with a side of mixed greens. I've had good omelets in the past, of course, but this was truly exceptional. It wasn't so large that I didn't know what to do with myself — the size was just right. The fillings were so tasty, and the egg itself appeared to be cooked with just the right blend of herbs and spices so that it wasn't bland in the slightest. This is one omelet I'll be going back for! 

My Aunt Kal chose the lox and bagel: cold smoked salmon with cream cheese, chives, shallots, capers, hardboiled egg and a toasted bagel. I like salmon, but I'm not sure lox is my thing. Still, the presentation was lovely and my aunt, too, cleaned her plate. So if lox is something you crave, I'd say it's a delicious bet at Buckley's. 

To close out the meal we naturally shared a piece of Buckley's famous carrot cake between us. Of course it was gone in a jiffy and I didn't snap a photo, but you can see one from my Buckley's dinner post from last summer. The pieces are huge, dense, and moist — definitely shareable and not to be missed. Can we go back to Buckley's now?