Last week, OnMilwaukee shared the news that Crossroads Collective would be wrapping up its tenure as the East Side’s food hall on Thursday, May 8. The announcement regarding the closing also contained an important detail: a new operator would be taking over the space at 2238 N. Farwell Ave.
Today, we’re happy to announce that Nadi Plates, the popular family-owned food truck and catering operation, is on track to bring their scratch-made Italian fare to the East Side gathering place.
Nadia Santaniello Bucholtz, who operates the business alongside her partner Dave Brown, her sons Austin and Zachary and her daughter Bianca, says that the opportunity to establish their first brick and mortar restaurant in the iconic East Side space is literally a dream come true.
“As a first-generation Italian-American who has always hoped to open a restaurant on the East Side where we call home, I truly feel blessed by how this came together,” she says. "This business grew from conversations our family had around our kitchen table, and it’s been our dream to be able to share it with our neighbors on the East Side.”
Get your last bites at Crossroads
Current Crossroads Collective vendors, including Scratch Ice Cream, Awi Sushi, Temple Goddess + Adonis Burger Co., Capybara Cafe and the Pharmacy Bar will remain open through May 8, largely to accommodate diners who wish to grab a bite during the Milwaukee Film Festival April 24-May 8.
Nadia and her sons hope that the neighborhood will make an effort to give those businesses a memorable send-off.
“We started Nadi Plates as a food truck and a small business in a shared kitchen, so we know what it’s like to operate at that level,” notes Austin Santaniello. “And we genuinely hope that the community will come out to support all of the small businesses currently operating at Crossroads as they wrap up their time at the food hall.”
The family is also excited to work together with the speakeasy bar, Shanghai, which will remain operating in the back of the Crossroads space alongside Nadi Plates. Plans are currently in the works to expand the 20-seat bar’s footprint beginning as soon as this summer and Nadi Plates will be working with them to offer a customized food program to accompany their cocktails.
Over three years in the making
“We’ve been looking for a restaurant space for over three and a half years,” admits Santaniello Bucholtz. “And we’ve been working with New Lands, specifically, for over a year to find the perfect space. The idea of moving into the food hall didn’t come up until very recently. And it was remarkable. For the first time in this very long process – when we walked in to look at the food hall – the space felt right to us.”
Sheldon Oppermann, CFO and General Counsel of New Land Enterprises says that they knew they needed to find a way to work with Nadia and her family as soon as they met them.
“These are good people with great food,” he says. “We’re incredibly fortunate to be a part of their move home to the East Side and the growth of their already successful locally-owned business. We know how important great gathering spaces are for creating vibrancy in a neighborhood, and what Nadia and her family have planned will be that neighborhood place where everyone gathers and feels welcomed.”
Santaniello Bucholtz says that working with New Land has been equally gratifying.
“They’ve really gone above and beyond for us,” she says. “They believed in us and our vision for what we wanted to bring to the East Side and they’ve made it possible for us to move forward with our dream.”
What to expect
Beginning in May, the family will be moving all of their operations from their current commercial kitchen space in Waukesha into the East Side space, which will become the central production hub for their two food trucks and catering business, which has grown swiftly over the past five years, currently accommodating over 50 weddings and private events annually.
“From there, the plan will be to fully renovate the food hall space into a full-service sit-down restaurant,” says Austin Santaniello. “Right now our plan is to break ground on the space in June with hope for an opening this fall.”
Nadi plates will occupy a good portion of the former food hall and will also fully utilize the Ivanhoe Place, which was converted into a pedestrian plaza in 2023.
“A big part of the appeal for this location was our ability to introduce ourselves to the community right away, largely because of the plaza,” notes Zachary Santaniello. “We have fun plans to utilize that space and introduce ourselves to the neighborhood with a series of pop-up events beginning this summer.”
Once the interior of the former food hall has been renovated, guests can expect a restaurant that serves a menu of Italian fare that sits solidly between the very casual fare they offer on their food trucks and the more formal catering they offer for private events.
“We’re envisioning this as somewhere in the middle ground,” says Santaniello Bucholz. “We’re hoping to create a menu filled with fun, delicious dishes and shareable small plates. We’ll also make it a point to offer vegan and gluten-free options, just as we have all along, because our goal is to share our Italian heritage and food with everyone we possibly can.”
Austin nods. “It will be a place where people can sit down and enjoy great cocktails and wine… a place that’s comfortable and casual where people can come and feel like family. We love the idea of bringing people together and sharing food. That’s what we love to do.”
Moving forward, the family also has plans for a cafe and lunch space that will extend to the exterior pedestrian plaza.
“Right now, we’re thinking something along the lines of a European espresso bar vibe,” says Zachary. “A place where people can come in, grab a coffee, a panini or a salad – and then enjoy it on the plaza.”
As for now, the family is busy getting ready for a busy summer. They have a season filled with weddings to cater, a full slate of events for their two food trucks (including appearances at Festa Italiana, Pride Fest and Milwaukee Night Market, as well as locations like Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. and Sahale Ale Works where they’ve made regular appearance over the years) and a new contract serving food in the newly minted Food Truck Alley at American Family Field.
But Santaniello Bucholtz says she’s looking forward to it.
“I thrive on organized chaos,” she says. It’s really my happy place. So, the idea of running catering, events and renovations at the same time is really something that we’re looking forward to.”
The family plans to share additional information on the restaurant’s renovations and opening in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, guests can access a full list of upcoming food truck events on the Nadi Plates website and events and updates through the brand’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
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 every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, 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.
