Photo by Danielle Dahl
Bel Air Cantina unveiled a new menu on Monday with an expanded brunch selection to premiere this Saturday and Sunday at the restaurant’s three locations. Last Sunday, patrons were invited to preview the new Huevos a la Mexicana, a dish of luscious scrambled eggs thick with tomato, jalapeño, onion and cilantro, comforting chilaquiles with fresh crumbled white cheese and cilantro, a beautifully sliced avocado half and four warm corn tortillas.
We are brunch fans who have for years explored the opportunities available in our Brady Street neighborhood. Bel Air began to offer its Cali-Mex-style brunch last spring. We were initially skeptical but on a sunny day last summer, drawn by the outdoor patio overlooking the Milwaukee River, we tried the huevos rancheros and the bean and corn omelet and have never looked back.
The new menu cuts nothing from the old. Additions include a fruit parfait of yogurt, granola, berries and tropical fruit; a Surfer’s Breakfast of eggs, tortillas, black beans and corn, sliced avocado, cucumber salsa, mango salsa and chipotle mayo; and three kinds of smoothies: Berry Azul made of blueberries, yogurt and nectar of agave; dairy-free Tropical Mango with strawberries; and a pineapple, kiwi and spinach smoothie named El Verde. The new menu also smartly lets you add eggs to any taco dish from the regular menu.
We think Bel Air’s unique French toast is some of the best in town. Four slices of Texas-style egg bread flavored with mild Mexican chocolate are garnished with fluffy dulce de leche, little clouds of crema with a light caramel flavor. Maple syrup is served on the side.
Huevos rancheros is Bel Air’s most popular brunch dish. Two eggs over easy float on tortillas stuffed with mozzarella cheese and mild guajillo sauce, garnished with crema, avocado and pico de gallo. Other vegetarian items include Rajas Benedict with sliced poblano peppers and poached eggs, and traditional Mexican chilaquiles covered in verde sauce with scrambled eggs. Meat dishes include a chorizo burrito with scrambled eggs, a tostada Benedict with chorizo and poached eggs and an Argentine steak omelet with grilled sirloin.
Brunch cocktails include mimosas made with fresh strawberry, mango or grapefruit juice and a peach Bellini made of fresh peach juice, peach schnapps and champagne. Traditional mimosas, bloody marys and bloody Mateos (tequila instead of vodka) are available, too. The tall agua fresca is a treat with flavors de jour like cantaloupe or lime-mint.
Thick warm chips and three delicious sauces accompany every meal, all freshly homemade. Most items come with puréed black or pinto beans and Mexican-style rice cooked with tomato juice, carrots, peas and corn. Almost everything is gluten free. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at Bel Air’s three locations: 1935 N. Water St., 2625 N. Downer Ave., and 6817 North Ave. in Wauwatosa. The unique architecture and riverside patio of the original Water Street restaurant is always uplifting. The prices are low and the service is wonderful.
Bel Air Cantina
1935 N. Water St.
414-226-2245
$-$$
Handicap access: Yes
