Buckley's Kiskeam Inn is a family business from all angles.
At the request of his two sons, Britt and Taylor, Mike Buckley revived the namesake after an 18-year hiatus. He operated Buckley's for seven years as a Riverwest bar in the '80s, but eventually closed to spend more time with his family.
When his sons expressed interest in learning the business, he reopened as a restaurant at 801 N. Cass St. in February 2007, though he had one condition.
"We were going to have fun doing it," he says.
His conditions, it seems, have been met. The entire family has contributed to the restaurant's gorgeous transformation, from décor to desserts to acting as the head of the dining room.
Britt is the night manager, and often you'll find him engaging customers from behind the 15-ft. antique bar -- one that Mike personally drove back to Wisconsin from New York after glimpsing only a fraction of its historic charm, complete with the polished heads of Greek muses. His sense of style is dead on; the dark, elegant wood and soft white candle light contrasts beautifully against the silver-blue hue of the restaurant's cozy -- and smoke-free -- dining room.
Although the name rings with Irish pride -- Kiskeam is named for the County Cork, Ireland, hometown of Mike Buckley's grandmother -- the atmosphere here, as well as the menu, reflects a much more eclectic vibe.
"We're only Irish as far as the hospitality," says Britt. "Although, I did name our lamb stew "Irish stew" to get a plug in there."
Head chef Joe Sandretti is Italian, thus, the chicken Saltimbocca ($18) -- proscuitto and sage layered chicken sautéed in butter, shallots, white wine and served with garlic-mashed potatoes -- is a house favorite.
The Kobe beef sliders ($10), which come with greens, pickled red onion, horseradish and crumbles blue cheese have been immensely popular, as well. Business has been good in the year it's been open, Britt says, although the change over from the Lakeside Inn was tough on the former restaurant's customers.
Sandretti's exquisitely prepared fare helped a lot. So did the nightly drink specials. Tuesday offers half-priced martinis; Wednesday half-priced bottles of wine; Thursday half-priced bottles of beer.
In an effort to combine the two, the brothers Buckley are now embarking on a series of wine and beer pairing dinners, monthly events featuring a special multi-course meal specifically designed to complement a selection of wine or beer.
With Sandretti's expertise, Britt's passion for wine and Taylor's penchant for the perfect pint, the three have created themed field trips for the taste buds.
Technically, this happens nightly. Sandretti creates the dinner specials and together they sit down with the wine and beer lists to create heavenly pairings that the servers then suggest to guests. The regular dinner menu comes with wine recommendations for each entrée.
"We limited it to just the entrees," says Britt. "When I first started out, I was so into it that I had a recommendation for everything on the menu, but then realized that was probably too much -- you have to give people a little freedom here!"
The pairing dinners are a bit more specialized. Limited to 12 guests at $50 each, the group occupies the back half of the dining room while Britt or Taylor -- and the occasional product rep -- explain the chosen libations, why they enjoy them and why they go well with the meal. Chef Sandretti then comes out to explain his culinary choices and everyone leaves with a printout of the menu and wine selections for future reference.
Each pairing is themed: Italian and sparkling are two upcoming wine dinner ideas, and Pacific Northwest breweries and Quebec's Unibroue are on tap on the sudsier side of things. Reservations are made by phone or via e-mail provided on Buckley's Web site, where the specialty menus are listed in advance.
"It's all about introducing people to wine and beer they might not otherwise have tried," say Britt. "That's how Taylor and I became so knowledgeable -- we're constantly trying new things and learning."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
