Buttery Breakfast

The South End Buttery is the epitomy of a classic weekend morning...you walk by on a Saturday or Sunday and the place is full of south enders with their cute dogs and their usual order: a cup of strong coffee, a latté, a donut muffin or for those with an early sweet tooth, one of their famous cupcakes.

This is how it has been for years and you can tell the regulars are very comfortable with it continuing likewise. About a year ago, something happened that rocked the bakery. The South End Buttery got into the hands of Joe Brenner, the famed culinary director of Todd English's numberous properties. A project was envisioned to add a restaurant facette to the Buttery's menu.

When the restaurant section first opened, there was considerable upset because the café seating was reserved for the in-restaurant brunchers. This did not sit well at all with the regulars. Luckily however, since the opening, much has been fine tuned and revamped and the café remains a separate part from the restaurant, all south enders who want to enjoy their newspaper with their cup of coffee and butterscoth scone may now return to their settled comfort zone. The space has been refurbished with a beautiful wooden bar to the bar with a couple of booths and there is an entire downstairs section with a fireplace to add to the coziness.

As for the restaurant section of the Buttery, I have only experienced their brunch, but it was so good that I am very much inclined to try out its dinner. Served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10-3, the buttery has a great menu with some old school favorites like fried chicken and waffles and eggs in the hole as well as more individual specialties, like their buttery breakfast which comes with two eggs, your choice of sausage or bacon and a choice of pancakes or mini waffles. I got the latter and thoroughly enjoyed it, however my favorite part of the whole meal was the butterscotch scone we started off with. This delicious baked good comes accompagnied with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream and is priced at five dollars. It brings me back to my childhood in england where they really do things right. By the time I was finished this treat, I wanted to order about five more.

I was very reassured by this brunch at the Buttery, I had indeed tried it out when it first opened and was not impressed. Now that the usual starting kinks have been ironed out the place holds true to its South End comfort and standard.

I am now looking to find a time to try out its dinner menu which sounds equally as appealing...any takers??