The Knick Offers Good Food, Lovely Views

You will not find a better place on Milwaukee’s eastside for people watching or gazing at the lake than a seat on the Knick’s front porch. The restaurant is located on the lower level of the elegant Knickerbocker Hotel which was built in the 1920s to provided residential apartments for the wealthy. Look for the entrance to the restaurant east of the green awing that leads to the hotel. Once inside The Knick, check out the frequent seasonal decorations and the highly unusual multi-colored chandeliers that add a decorative touch to the dining room.

If you come for Sunday brunch, as I did twice recently, you will find the Mary Bloody Mary or the Queen Mary, a fine way to begin your meal. For these bloodies, they use a “Secret Homemade Bloody Mary Mix” with just the right balance of tomato and Tabasco. If you want a fancy drink, order the Queen, a monster bloody topped with Blackened Shrimp, Pepperoncini, Pepper-Jack Cheese, Pickles, and Olives. Both drinks are presented with beer chasers. You can also have a Mimosa or a N/A drink including Ginger Beer, Sprecher Soda, or Blackberry Ginger, Ginger Beer and Blackberry Puree.

After my Sunday Brunches, I left more than a few dishes behind that I anticipate for future visits because everything friends and I ordered was a home run.

The Andouille Sausage Omelette with pepper-jack cheese and pico de gallo was stuffed with so much sausage that its three eggs barely contained the meat. The accompanying potatoes were just-out-of-the-fryer crisp on the outside and creamy inside. In my opinion, they were perfect, if that is a possible achievement for the lowly potato.

The Breakfast Quesadilla, like the omelette, was stuffed, this time with scrambled eggs, bacon, green pepper, scallions, tomatoes, and two cheeses. It also came with sour cream, pico de gallo, and more of those scrumptious potatoes.

The Huevos Rancheros, another entrée with a south-of-the- border twist, had a quesadilla base made with refried black beans and pepper-jack cheese and was topped with scrambled eggs, salsa, more pico de gallo, and Cotija Cheese. My companion’s comment, “I can’t wait to come back and order this again.”

You will see four benedicts on the menu, the Vegetarian with roasted veggies and chives, the Smoked Salmon with spinach and fresh dill, and the ones my companion and I ordered, the Traditional with Canadan Bacon and the Crab Cake with Chipotle Hollandaise.

There was enough crab in the crab cake to meet my crab cake standards and the spicy chipotle hollandaise added saucy personality to the dish. For the Traditional, the chef used tender Canadian Bacon, not quite fork-tender, but close, and the house-made hollandaise was generous, lemony, and deliciously rich with butter.

In addition to the Andouille Sausage Omelette, you will see five more omelettes on the menu: a classic Denver with ham, peppers, onions, and cheese; an Heirloom Tomato and Mushroom; a Prosciutto Pesto and Goat Cheese; a Roasted Vegetable; and a Smoked Salmon.

Also on the menu: Biscuits and Gravy with buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy and two eggs; Banana-Pecan Pancakes; Corned Beef Hash; and for something different, Breakfast Pasta.

If you want to bypass the calories and choose healthy instead, order the Fresh Fruit and Granola Bowl with strawberries, bananas, and seasonal fruit.

On a lovely sunny day in February, a friend and I came for lunch and sat outside on the heated porch where we watched the pedestrians walk by and admired the sparkling blue of Lake Michigan. Chinese Chicken Salad was a riot of flavors layered on crisp field greens. Mandarin oranges and teriyaki marinated chicken starred in this salad which was tossed in a Sesame-Teriyaki Vinaigrette. It crackled with flavors which were enhanced by Crisp Wontons and Fried Rice Noodles. Would I order this salad again? A resounding “Yes.”

The Blackened Scallop Salad with Grilled Romaine and Bacon was dressed with Gorgonzola Dressing, a delightful combination. There were three scallops and a lot of bacon, because you can not have too much bacon.

There are also several burgers to choose from including the vegetarian Impossible Burger, a Turkey Burger, and if you have a taste for truffles, a Truffle Burger with Black Truffle Cheddar, Truffle-Peppercorn Aioli, and White Truffle Oil Frites.

There is a lot more to like on the expansive menu at The Knick. No matter what you order, you can expect a tasty meal at this classy restaurant. Come for the view; come for a drink; stay for the food; and finish with a slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake.

On The Menu

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• Location: 1030 E. Juneau Ave.
• Phone: 414-272-0011
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Sat-Sun
• Neighborhood: Yankee Hill
• Website: https://www.theknickrestaurant.com
• UM Rating: stars (average of Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zomato)

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