Celebrating at the Crossroads
The holidays are a time to come together; to eat, drink and be happy. We visited the Crossroads Collective and gathered some sage holiday advice from the community who calls the Crossroads home, and who work together to fuel one of Milwaukee’s favorite foodie destinations.
A Time For Family
The variety of vendors at the Crossroads Collective may offer drastically different food options, but they all have one thing in common: their favorite part of the holiday season is spending time with their loved ones. Egg & Flour Pasta Bar’s Chef/Owner Adam Pawlak spends time with his family the same way every year, visiting a house on Milwaukee’s East Side that has been in his family for 120 years. Family members bring dishes to share and celebrate together. “It’s the one time of year that we can all see each other,” Pawlak says. Being together as a family is important, and Martin Magaña, part-owner of Frida agrees that the holidays are, “More about sitting at a table and enjoying dinner with people you love,” rather than the gifts.
Be Prepared
Hosting an elaborate meal can be overwhelming, so it’s best to be prepared. Jason Alston, Chef/Owner of Heaven’s Table BBQ suggests freezing side dishes like greens and casseroles beforehand, for easy reheating on the day of the big event. Are you crazy enough to cook everything the day of? Kudos to you if you are, but you might take some advice from Raw Bar’s Cashier, Eric Weatherall, “If you’re going to cook all in one day, get some of those time-consuming things out of the way and prep them them the day before.” Chopping your onions, garlic and celery the day before will save you loads of time, and not to mention tears.
Serve your Favorites
When providing a meal for family members, you get the executive decision to make your favorite dish, no questions asked. Kantrell Finkley, Chef of Falafel Guys, is sure to serve his favorite greens every year. “I can’t say exactly how I cook them because it’s kind of a secret, but it does take about six hours. I make them with love and care and turkey legs, with a little bit of spices.” Ian Moore, Bartender at The Pharmacy, considers himself to be a, “Mac and cheese fanatic,” and insists his holiday meal isn’t complete without a pile of gooey noodles packed with melty cheese. Beerline Cafe’s Chef, Jacob, has a soft spot in his heart for his grandmother’s cheesy potato casserole, decorated with crispy onions.
Try Something New
Tradition is important when celebrating this time of year, but there is always room to experiment. For example, Turducken has found its place on the table of Jason Alston for a few years now, as opposed to the expected roast turkey. It may have taken a while to nail down his recipe, but as Chef of Heaven’s Table BBQ, he follows the philosophy that more meat is the answer to any holiday question. To add some delicious flair to your meal, perhaps try serving something new to your guests but familiar to you, like Frida’s Martin Magaña does. He elevates his turkey with mole, a traditional mexican sauce that reminds him of home, and surprises his guests with a tasty twist on a classic.
Use Local Products
We live in a state that has so much to offer when it comes to quality ingredients, and those resources will be the perfect building blocks when it comes to holiday cooking. Valeri Lucks, Chief Executive Pie Officer of Small Pie swears by Freis Von Kiel butter; she uses it in all of her baking and even gifts it to friends! Egg & Flour’s Adam Pawlak loves the heat from Black Shoe’s North by South hot sauce, found at Blue’s Egg, Maxie’s and Story Hill BKC, a great way to add a little zing to any dish.
Celebrate Traditions
Like the custom of serving a grand meal come holiday-time, upholding family traditions is another thing that ties the members of the Crossroads Collective together. Chef Jason Alston of Heaven’s Table celebrates with a Secret Santa gift exchange, a time where his family bonds over secret gifts and sub sandwiches. As a tribute to the memory of her father and grandmother, Small Pie’s Valeri Lucks makes her dad’s green jello salad with pineapple and shredded carrots every year. “I make it because it reminds me of [them]. I was always forced to eat a little bit, it was required. So I still make it in their honor, even though I still don’t want to eat it!”
Be Ready to Gift
When it comes to gifts, Scratch Ice Cream’s Lead Ice Cream Scooper, Zak Zdanczewicz, insists that staying inside for Black Friday is the way to go. It seems to the Crossroads crew that gift cards are a favorite stocking stuffer come holiday season. Heaven’s Table Chef Alston says, “This year, I am going to give gift cards to places like Red Light Ramen or Kawa to people who haven’t been there yet, to make them aware of great restaurants that we have here!” Ian Moore of The Pharmacy brings it a little closer to home, “Total honesty: I’m going to gift the Crossroads Collective gift card. It’s a bang for your buck kind of gift right now, and it gets people to come and visit me. Also it works at every stall, so you end up using it for a little bit of everything and you don’t have to choose just one thing.”
