Maxmiliano does brunch, for your next Highland Park bacchanal

smoked salmon eggs Benedict

In retrospect, we should have walked both to Maxmiliano and back for brunch, although that would have come to four miles. But we had certainly worked up an appetite after walking the two miles there, so I didn't hesitate to immediately order a breakfast pizza, with potatoes, two baked eggs, bacon, pancetta, and sausage. It's not as overwhelming as it sounds -- the crust is thin and the toppings are judicious.

breakfast pizza

The pizza could maybe use a few herbs or chiles to give it some pop, but the combination of breakfasty toppings was just right.

Ordering our other dish was harder, because unlike many breakfast spots, there were several things I wanted to try. Matt voted for baked cinnamon raisin French toast or pastrami hash, and I would have been happy with the ricotta pancake with lemon curd and blueberries, the quinoa with kale and eggs, or pretty much everything else. But I can never pass up eggs Benedict, so we went with the smoked salmon version since we already had three kinds of pork on the pizza.

applewood-smoked bacon

 Oh, and a side of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon, just because. Maxmiliano makes all its baked goods on the premises (a freestanding bakery is coming next door later on) and we sampled the lemon-rosemary bread. More like a dense, rich bundt cake than a bread, I was scraping every lemony crumb off my plate.Pastry-lovers can order a basket of assorted baked goods for $8, and after tasting the lemon bread, I think it would be worth a try.

Lemon-rosemary bread

 Eggs Benedict came with country potatoes, and the high point was the homemade English muffins. Charred a bit on the grill, they elevated the familiar dish which went well with the house-smoked salmon for a slightly lighter touch.
I'm kind of embarrassed to say that Maxmiliano hosted us once again. But I really do think the restaurant is a big asset to the neighborhood, and I'm glad to have such interesting brunch selections right down the street. Once the patio is opened, it will be the perfect summer boozy brunch spot.
Here's most of the brunch menu; there's also bottomless Intelligentsia, natch, and the possibility of Mimosas or craft beer, yay!
Maxmiliano is at 5930 York Blvd. in Highland Park and brunch is from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Maxmiliano brunch
Vanilla-Fig Yogurt with granola and berries  Small 5 Large 8
Baker's Bread Box 8 -  selection of breakfast pastries
Breakfast pizza: Fingerling potatoes, applewood bacon confit, fennel sausage, mozzarella,
Baked Eggs, pancetta, fingerling potatoes, spinach, breadcrumbs 12
Crab Cakes with spinach, poached eggs, sauce Chicoron 16
Ricotta Pancake with lemon curd, blueberries 8
Baked Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with maple syrup 8
Florentine (choice of eggs or tofu scramble) with country potatoes & sautéed spinach 10
Eggs Benedict with country potatoes - choice of applewood bacon confit 12 or house smoked salmon 14
Pulled Pork, Asiago biscuit, poached eggs, country gravy 11
Quinoa with Tuscan kale, butternut squash, eggs 9
Carbonara Pasta, bacon confit, poached egg 12
Fennel Sausage Crumble with sautéed peppers, onion, fingerling potatoes & eggs 12
House Smoked Salmon with a toasted bagel, cream cheese, red onion, capers 14