By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Feb 13, 2019 at 11:01 AM

If you thought you missed out on the Chinese New Year, you’re in luck. The holiday celebration isn’t over yet. In fact, the Chinese New Year is the longest of all Chinese festivals and is observed for 15 days (and then some). This year, the festivities began on Feb. 5 and will continue through Feb. 19.

Vendors at the Crossroads Collective, 2238 N. Farwell Ave., are taking full advantage, offering guests the opportunity to take part in a variety of specials from vendors throughout the food hall from Feb. 14 through 19.

Here’s what you can expect.

Drink specials

Special beer offerings and cocktails will be available at both Crossroads Collective main bar and the Shanghai speakeasy, which will be open Feb. 14-18 beginning at 6 p.m. 

Offerings include brews from both Singha and Tsingtao ($3 each) as well as cleverly named craft cocktails ($8), including:

  • To Catch a Humming Pig: two gins, housemade orange rosemary syrup, lime
  • Hea-ting and Coo-li hing: Avagales silver, li-hing syrup, lime juice
  • Call me Xingfu!: Tito’s vodka, passion fruit puree, tamarind

Food offerings

Once you have a drink in hand, head to any one of these vendors for Asian-inspired specials created with each brand’s own unique spin.

Beerline Cafe

  • Shanghai noodles featuring udon with stir-fried shiitake mushrooms, Napa cabbage, bok choy, carrots, ginger, scallions and thinly sliced seitan steak strips in garlic hoisin sauce

Falafel Guys

  • Asian shawarma bowl featuring yellow rice, hummus, chicken shawarma and housemade Asian sauce

Frida

  • Soup: Chinese corn, crab and shrimp soup (gluten and dairy-free)
  • Salad: Broccoli and Napa slaw with cashews, bean sprouts, blood orange, wonton crisps, edamame and miso vinaigrette
  • Sandwich: Lemongrass chicken bao burger with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro and togarashi aioli on a steamed bun

Heaven’s Table BBQ

  • Smoked five spice pork brisket served with ginger and garlic rice and hoisin bbq sauce

The Laughing Taco

  • Red light ramen rice bowl featuring rice, scallion, trout roe, bonito, togarashi and soy sauce. Upgrade your bowl with a serving of trompo pork.

Scratch Ice Cream

  • Candied banana fritters served with a scoop of ice cream
Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.