Generations at 5 Points Brunch

At the very end of 2013, my friend Tiffany and I enjoyed a tapas brunch at Generations at 5 Points. They were doing brunches once a month with seasonal menus and the dates hadn’t worked out for us to attend any of the others that had happened. But recently I saw via their Facebook page that they are offering brunch every Sunday.

Tiffany and I set up another breakfast date last weekend and stopped in to catch up, relax and enjoy ourselves. It was a gorgeous day and we walked from the west end of Main Street to Gen Five for brunch. We saw that there is a new store going in where Three Sisters Uniquities was but the name escapes me. Looks like it will have women’s accessories and more.

When we arrived at Gen Five, a few other tables were already enjoying the brunch but we grabbed a high top in the bar area and settled in. We treated ourselves to a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa while we looked over the menu.

It was quite different from the menu we saw back in January and I wanted to ask a few questions. That’s when we were filled in that this wasn’t a tapas brunch but regular size portions. This definitely helped us because we were both looking to order two dishes to share. We would have been so full!

The prices were extremely reasonable with nothing over $9 and quite a variety; Panini sandwiches, omelets, Caesar salad, eggs Benedict, french toast, brie and goat cheese dishes and more.Dishes were also labeled if they were vegetarian and gluten free – a little extra step that goes a long way now with food allergies.

We decided on splitting the baked Brie for a starter and Tiffany ordered the Smokehouse Panini and I stepped way outside my comfort zone and went with the Huevos Rancheros with (of course) a side of sour cream in case it was spicy.

The Brie came out quickly and was gigantic! It was inside puff pastry and came with a warm baguette, roasted peppers, apples, candied pecans, spinach and honey. We cut into the brie and it oozed just as it should but I didn’t notice the carmelized onions or peaches in it. I did notice it was seasoned with rosemary and other herbs and that combination with the sweet items or the spicy peppers really paired together fantastically. We almost finished it all but realized we had meals coming so we asked for Emma (our amazing server) to take the rest away.

Emma then filled me in that she had pureed a watermelon if I wanted a mimosa made with that she would pour one up for me. I jumped at that opportunity to try something new and it came over really frothy! It was refreshingly delicious and I want to make these at home sometime for the brunch I always want to have for my friends.

Our entrees came out next and looked spectacular. I snapped shots of them quickly before we dove in. My Huevos Rancheros came with verde and rojo salsa and of course my sour cream. The verde had quite a kick so I used more of the rojo and all my sour cream. It also came with toasted wheat bread but not buttered, thank you for helping me watch my weight Five Gen 🙂

At first I thought the eggs were dry but then realized that normal people probably put all the salsa on the eggs and then they would have been too runny if not cooked this way. I kept the salsa on the side and just dipped and it was perfect. (I keep my condiments on the side whenever possible – I don’t drizzle ketchup or ranch on my fries and prefer it on the side so I can put on how much I want.) The chorizo added great spicy flavor but didn’t overpower and the cotijo cheese was almost more like Parmesan but was really delicious.  I would order this again and recommend it!
 

The chef accidentally made the wrong panini for Tiffany and so they boxed it up for her to take home and promptly made her the right one. (I appreciate them not wasting the food and just throwing it away!) The “incorrect one” had hash browns, bacon, egg, cheese and jam on it and while we waited we snacked on the potatoes that were nice and crispy on the outside and soft and mushy on the inside. Tiffany got back to me later in the week after trying the Panini and said the salty sweet of the bacon and jam combo really paired nicely together. I think if I do their brunch again, this might be my option!

The Smokehouse Panini had pulled pork, bacon, pickles on it in addition to gouda cheese and chipotle mayo. She really enjoyed it and was able to take half of this one home as well because the potatoes were so good and we snacked on them a bit much.

A decent flow came in for the brunch and Emma was keeping busy. I wanted to ask how the renovations were going on the addition but I didn’t want to slow her down. Generations has taken over the location where RiverMill Foods was located (They moved to Elm Grove to expand). That side is going to be more about beer and pub food from my understanding. I’m curious if the buildings will be two separate entities or will they hole cut in the wall to join them. Either way, I’m excited for it to open and glad to not see an empty spot on the Five Points.

I definitely recommend you come for the brunch on a Sunday morning. Waukesha doesn’t have too many brunch options on a Sunday and this is one to definitely take in. 

We left and meandered down Main Street on our walk back. It’s great to see so much activity in downtown. Although there are still some vacant spots, there aren’t as many as there were.

The only corner on the Five Points that is vacant is Broadway & Grand. That building is currently undergoing some renovations because high-end apartments and a skywalk are planned for the adjoined parking structure and will hopefully we open by June 2015. I think that building will have a resident soon because of the new apartments coming. The rest of the locations on the Five Points are currently occupied and I heard a rumor that Sloppy Joes is expanding into the former Riverview Mart. 

I also saw that a Vapor Bar with E-Cigarettes and E-Juices (?) is opening on Main Street between and People’s Park – curious about that. And waaaaay down on the West End is a nail studio. We peaked in the windows and it looks really nice.

I do wish more places were open on a Sunday – even just a 10 am – 2 pm. I get that this is one day that many places want to close to have a day with their family (or just a day off as they deserve), but friends of mine commented on just how many restaurants and shops weren’t open yet by noon on a Sunday or at all on that day. And it actually caused them to leave downtown and go find somewhere else to go.