Milwaukee, WI

When my friends suggested meeting for brunch at Trocadero, I was absolutely thrilled by the idea. Besides partaking in that most mysterious of meals, which is more like breakfast considering the time I wake, Trocadero has the prestige of winning numerous awards from the Shepherd Express’s “Best of Milwaukee 2006″ list, and I had never been.

Despite getting seated quickly on one of many outdoor patios, things were not sailing quite as smoothly as I had hoped. Although the menu offered plenty of options, almost every dish was based around the same core ingredient - egg. Omelettes, frittatas, sandwiches. They all had some variation on one of my most hated breakfast foods. I narrowed the choices down to stuffed french toast or the sausage and cheese frittata. The french toast stuffing turned out to be cream cheese, something I hate far more than eggs, so the choice was made for me.

I sat with my morning drink, catching up with old friends, when my attention turned dreadfully to one of the servers. This man’s job was not to take orders, but to bring the food out. His head was covered in so much dripping sweat it might as well have been raining. I watched with anticipation for those salty droplets to fall into the fresh plates of food he was carrying, silently praying that he wouldn’t be the one to deliver my order.

My prayers were answered and the food came without any unnecessary moisture. It might have been good for flavor though. The frittata wasn’t bad by any means, just not what I would have expected from such a well-reknowned restaurant. It was a small sprinkle of tomatoes, maybe a quarter of a sausage, encased in rather soggy mess of egg, and topped with what looked like a slice of Velveeta cheese. I’ve had far better at mom and pop diners for far less cash. Regrettably, the best parts of the meal were the few bites of fruit and the thick slice of buttered toast.

I left Trocadero with utter disappointment. Considering my dislike of eggs, I may be biased to begin with, but it would make sense to offer some sort of variety for differing tastes. Even my friends’ dishes had a particularly bland look to them. I will consider giving their dinner menu a try in the future, but for now, Trocadero seems like another average restaurant with a high price tag.