Meatball Ferris Wheel at The Sicilian Butcher | Photo courtesy The Maggiore Group
Spring has sprung in the Valley, and local restaurants and bars are celebrating the season with new menu offerings. Here are nine new menus to check out this month.
The Italian Daughter
Expect traditional Italian delights with a modern twist on The Italian Daughter’s brand-new spring menu. We can’t wait to try the gnocchi fritto – fried stuffed gnocchi served with house-made marinara and gorgonzola aioli. An old-school meatball sub, spinach and ricotta tortellacci, fresh lobster and crab cakes, and an Italian chopped salad are also featured. Pair the new menu with all-day happy hour and live music in the bar and lounge area.
23655 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-404-6085, theitaliandaughter.com
Wildflower
Pop into one of Wildflower’s 15 locations across the state to try five new dishes and the return of the Reuben, a “seasonal favorite,” according to Louis Basile, the local chain’s owner and founder. “At Wildflower, we are always innovating our menu with our guests’ needs top of mind,” he says. The new menu also includes rosemary chicken pasta, a snap pea and greens salad, a snap pea side, Mediterranean pasta salad, and Millionaire’s Bacon drizzled with honey.
Multiple Valley locations, wildflowerbread.com
Mavrix
Scottsdale’s locally owned and operated entertainment destination recently unveiled a new chef-driven menu including appetizers, salads, street tacos, main dishes including shrimp and grits and a green chile pork chop, burgers, hearth-oven pizzas and sweet treats.
9119 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480-291-7500, mavrix.com
Skysill Rooftop Lounge
The Westin Tempe’s rooftop eatery invites visitors and locals alike to take advantage of its open-air patio this spring, with its Saturday Brews, Views and BBQs series. The new barbecue menu includes carnitas street tacos, a grilled cheeseburger and smoked elote. Pair with a cold one, panoramic views and live music every Saturday this spring.
11 E. Seventh St., Tempe, 480-968-8885, marriott.com
Keeler’s Neighborhood Steakhouse
This Carefree steakhouse recently launched a new cocktail program, featuring innovative takes on signature sips. The new menu includes refreshing libations like a chamomile martini, a Moscow Mule with bell peppers and basil and The Silver Fox, an homage to the late restaurateur Paul Keeler. Featuring Buffalo Trace Bourbon, espresso, black walnut bitters and orange peel, the spirit-forward tipple is $16, with $1 from each purchase going toward Keeler’s beloved men’s group, Embark Men.
7212 E. Ho Hum Rd., Carefree, 602-374-4784, keelerssteakhouse.com
Little Rituals
After more than three months of experimentation, Little Rituals has finally unveiled an all-new spring cocktail menu that uses unorthodox methods – think using a jewelry cleaning machine to infuse ingredients or sous vide tubs to pickle fresh grapes – to bring guests the ultimate cocktail experience. Highlights includes the Ponzi Scheme, a Manhattan-style cocktail with notes of spice and citrus thanks to marigold-infused bourbon, and Sidepiece, a scotch-based cocktail balanced with apple brandy, lime juice and butterscotch honey.
132 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-603-2050, littleritualsbar.com
Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
B&T’s already extensive menu just expanded, with 22 new drinks, including eight mocktails and an updated selection of cocktail-style shots. Fae Scotland is an ode to proprietor Ross Simon’s roots, recreating the bright fizziness of the Scottish soft drink Irn Bru. It’s served sparkling with orange pearls in a frozen flute glass with a demi spoon. Simon’s goal for the mezcal-based Tropic Like It’s Hot was to create a cocktail that made the famously smoky spirit refreshing. “Starting with childhood memories of tropical fruit punch, we combined guava, pineapple and passionfruit juices with fresh lemon and a house-made grapefruit syrup to create this complex sweet, smoky profile,” he says.
1 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 602-340-1924, bitterandtwistedaz.com
SugarJam The Southern Kitchen
Kick off the start of spring at this Southern-inflected bistro and bakery, where a few new signature spring cocktails have made their way on the menu. Try the Coco-Pina Margarita, The Southern Kitchen (TSK), Strawberry Mule, Smoking Rosemary Lemonade or the Bee’s Knees. Pair with breakfast, brunch, sandwiches or dessert.
15111 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale, 480-948-6210, sjsouthernkitchen.com
The Sicilian Butcher
A meatball Ferris wheel? It’s a thing on the spring menu at The Sicilian Butcher – six pre-selected meatball and sauce combos served in a miniature rotating Ferris wheel with polenta, shaved Grana and toast points. The potato and ricotta pizza is also a winner, made with Yukon gold potatoes, caramelized onions and ricotta cheese.
Multiple Valley locations, thesicilianbutcher.com
