Restaurants Offer Special Events For February Holidays
Celebrating Valentine's Day, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras -- and Super Bowl.
Valentine’s Day treats from C. Adam’s Bakery. Photo taken Feb. 5, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.
February has officially arrived, and with it, a confluence of holidays. The Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day — along with Super Bowl Sunday — all take place during a five-day stretch beginning Feb. 10 and concluding on Feb. 14.
Milwaukee bars and restaurants are divided on which of the four occasions to celebrate — a positive for diners, who now have their pick of specialized menus featuring everything from dumplings to Buffalo wings and king cake to chocolate strawberries.
Lunar New Year
Traditional foods for Lunar New Year include changshou mian (longevity noodles), whole fish and citrus fruit, all of which are said to bring good luck, happiness and prosperity to the new year. DanDan, Momo Mee and RuYi will all offer specialty menus featuring these dishes and others to usher in the year of the dragon.
At DanDan, 360 E. Erie St., guests can expect spring rolls stuffed with shrimp and lobster, longevity noodles, fried lotus root, candied mandarin oranges and more on the restaurant’s Year of the Dragon menu. The customizable experience offers four courses for $80 and is available for dine-in only on Feb. 9 and 10. Reservations can be booked online.
Pan-Asian restaurant Momo Mee will serve traditional dishes including jiaozi dumpling soup, crispy momo, five-spice duck with Szechuan peppercorns and others for the holiday. The menu is available through Feb. 25. Reservations are strongly suggested.
Meanwhile, the chefs at RuYi, located inside Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, will prepare dishes including pot stickers, steamed fish and dashi garlic butter live lobster. The specials will be available Feb. 10 through 24.
Super Bowl Sunday
Sports bars across the city are pulling out all the stops for the year’s biggest day in football; the San Francisco 49ers will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11. In addition to screening the big game, a handful of Milwaukee establishments will offer special deals for fans.
Pilot Project Brewing, 1128 N. 9th St., plans to serve $12 wings and $12 chorizo nachos during the matchup, while Jack’s American Pub, at 1323 E. Brady St., will be handing out free 12-inch pizzas — with the purchase of a bucket of beers.
At Explorium Brewpub, 143 W. St. Paul Ave., guests can expect an appetizer buffet featuring Buffalo chicken dip, BBQ meatballs, chicken wings and other game day favorites, along with activities like Super Bowl Bingo, raffles and more.
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is characterized by rich and indulgent foods. It takes place just before the Lent, thus marking a final hurrah of sorts before the season of fasting.
While many local bakeries will be selling king cake and pączki for the holiday, a few Milwaukee restaurants are offering fully-fledged menus leading up to Fat Tuesday.
Motor Bar & Restaurant, located inside the Harley-Davidson Museum, kicked off carnival season early, launching its menu of Mardi Gras specials in early January. Dishes such as crawdad dip, Cajun shrimp po’boys and beignets will remain available through Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Maxie’s, 6732 W. Fairview Ave., will lean into its southern roots with a lineup of NOLA favorites including crawfish etouffee, duck gumbo and Maxie’s muffuletta from Feb. 9 through 14. On the sweet side, king cakes are now available to order online for pickup at Maxie’s sister restaurant, Blue’s Egg.
Valentine’s Day
The day of love is also one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants, as couples venture out to swoon over sumptuous meals — and each other — on Feb. 14.
Dozens of establishments across the city are planning special menus and experiences for Valentine’s Day. That includes 1033‘s Burn Book dinner, featuring a prix-fixe menu inspired by the 2004 — and now 2024 — film “Mean Girls.”
The miniature, three-course menu will be available Feb. 14 through 17 at the restaurant, 1033 S. 1st St. Reservations are available to book online, though Valentine’s Day reservations must be booked by calling (414) 226-5754.
Cavas, 401 E. Erie St., which temporarily closed in January, will reopen on Feb. 14 with a special, six-course dinner menu in celebration of both romance and its return to service. The decadent meal will include raw oysters with cherry mignonette, pistachio-crusted baby lamb chops, strawberry panna cotta and more, along with drink pairings. Reservations can be made online.
The Iron Horse Hotel plans to host chef Albert Burrus for a special Valentine’s Day pop-up. Burrus, who previously operated Blac Bistro, will prepare a six-course dinner with wine pairings at the hotel’s Ash Hearth & Bar. Reservations are available to book online.
Additional restaurants and bars including Bacchus, Birch, Braise, Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge, Carbon Steak Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen, Company Brewing, Crossroads Collective (Feb. 10), Il Cervo, Harbor House, Lakefront Brewery, Lake Park Bistro, La Merenda, Lupi & Iris, Movida, Old Town Serbian Gourmet, Pilot Project, Pomona Cider Company, Tauro Cocina, The Original, Pfister Hotel, Turning Tables Tavern and Eatery, Saffron, Saint Kate, The Wolf on Broadway, Third Coast Provisions and Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern (Feb. 13), are all hosting Valentine’s-themed events.
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