It’s hard to believe it’s already been five years since Sprinkles has been in the Valley. That’s right, countless delicious cupcakes have been made and devoured over the last half decade. To celebrate their anniversary, the bakery will be doing something a little different. Next month, you can get an exclusive taste of Sprinkles Ice Cream. On May 7, the first 200 people that go to the Sprinkles event will receive a FREE scoop of Sprinkles Red Velvet Ice Cream even though there is no Sprinkles Ice Cream store in Arizona yet. The red velvet ice cream which is a sweet cream ice cream layered with bites of Sprinkles Cupcakes’ iconic red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting. Don’t worry, we’ll remind you again when the date gets closer.

It’s about time a little more class was added to Tempe. Don’t get us wrong, Tempe is great but sometimes it would be nice to be able to hang out near Mill Ave and have a classy evening. Now you can. Salut Kitchen Bar is now open for business. The restaurant features surprisingly affordable bruschetta, gourmet tapas, salads, sandwiches, and delicious entrees. Salut’s extensive wine selection is what sold us, though. It’s the perfect spot for a nice wine and dinner date. The comfortable and loungy atmosphere will make your experience there that much better. Seriously, check it out.

Salut Kitchen Bar | 1435 East University Drive | Tempe, 85281

For those of you don’t know, an empanada is a pastry that is stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness then either fried or baked. We’re guessing you didn’t know that today is National Empanada Day. How can you celebrate? The best way is probably by eating some empanadas and you can do that at TQLA. From today to April 14, you can enjoy their off-menu Chorizo Empanada with New Mexican Red Chile sauce and Nopales Salsa for just $8.25. So, do yourself a favor and have an empanada sometime this week.

Is it Friday already? That week flew by. Anyway, if you’re looking to party, the Weekender has you covered. Perfect for relaxing by the pool with, the Skinny Strawberry Blonde is best drink to have in hand. Courtesy of the folks at Z’Tejas, here’s a delightfully easy recipe to mix your own.

Ingredients:

1.25 oz SKYY Wild Strawberry

3 basil leaves- torn and muddled

1 whole strawberry sliced or 6 slices of strawberry

1 oz lemon Juice

1 oz cranberry

.50 oz Ginger Monin Syrup

.25 oz Agave Nectar

Method:

Muddle 6 slices of strawberries and 3 torn basil leaves with the .25 oz of Agave Nectar in a mixing tin.  Add ice, 1.25 oz of SKYY Wild Strawberry Vodka, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz cranberry juice and .50 oz Ginger Monin.  Shank vigorously and pour into margarita glass.  Garnish with a whole strawberry on the rim.

If you’ve driven down Mill ave anytime in the last few months, then you’ve seen the construction outside of Tempe’s famous Monti’s restaurant. Well, the waiting is over. Monti’s finally debut’s its new (and thoroughly awesome) patio concept, rightfully called “Tempe’s Front Porch.” The restaurant held a contest to see who could come up with the catchiest name and two lucky Valley residents won the prize — a party for them and 20 of their friends. The comfortable patio has seating for 130 people, three fire pits, and a bar all to relax, eat, drink, and take in the sights. We’re mainly excited for that jalapeño inspired cocktail we have featured in the image.

With the gorgeous weather outside, don’t you feel bad for leaving your dog home while you enjoy a nice lunch on a patio? This Saturday, April 6, Milagro will be best the spot for you and your pup. From 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Milagro Grill in Arcadia will be hosting the Growl on the Patio event to debut their new dog-friendly patio and their new growlers. In case you’re wondering, growlers are those big glass bottles you can bring home beer in.

You can pick up one of the half-gallon amber jugs on sale for just $8 and can fill ‘em up with your favorite beers, like Mud Shark and Four Peaks. To buy the jug and fill it up only costs $12 on Saturday. Milagro Grill will also offer $3 Mud Shark draft beer and their seasonal $6 Sonoran Hot Dog (pictured).

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about the canines. Food samples from the boutique pet shop Noble Beast will be provided. Photos will be taken of all the dogs in attendance and posted to Milagro’s Facebook and if you’re dog gets the most likes by April 13, you’ll win a $50 gift card to the restaurant.

The always excellent Grimaldi’s Pizzeria likes to introduce a new pie that’s fitting to the season. Since spring is officially here, Grimaldi’s Prosciutto Pizza will be taking over the menu and our taste buds. It’s a classic white pizza topped with sliced Italian prosciutto, shredded parmesan and fresh arugula. Using the freshest ingredients, handmade mozzarella, “secret recipe” sauce and hand tossed dough, this isn’t your average pizza joint. The new pie debuted on April 1 and on National Garlic Day (April 19), there’s a possibility you’ll be able to enjoy the pizza with some pretty awesome food deals.

In just a little under two weeks, some of you are going to owe Uncle Sam some cash. Yes, tax day is almost here. If you haven’t filed yet, you should probably get on it. To help ease the pain (for those of us who owe some money), here are some awesome food deals on tax day.

At any Z’Tejas location, your first margarita is only $4.15. If you have a bit of a sweet-tooth that needs satisfying on April 15, Sprinkles will be having a buy one, get one deal. Kelly’s At SouthBridge will take off 20% of your entire bill. So, celebrate tax day with some grub this year.

We’re always looking for a new happy hour to spend our hours after work at. The Cove Italian bistro introduces a brand new 6 for $6 happy hour. The Scottsdale restaurant will feature new happy hours bites like fried calamari, shrimp skewers, and sliders. You can wash it all down with $3 draft beer that includes Stella, Peroni, Kiltlifter, and more. If you’re more of a wine connoisseur you can enjoy a multitude of reds or whites for just $6. Check out the whole menu.

»READ MORE

Is it Friday already? With the weekend comes the Weekender. Today’s cocktail of choice comes from Z’Tejas. With Spring in the air, adding a little lemon and lime to your drinks is almost a necessity. The Skinny Blonde has everything you could want and at only 184 calories, why not drink one?

Ingredients:

1.5 oz SKYY Vodka

.75 oz lemon juice

.75 oz lime juice

.75 oz Agave Nectar

8 ea mint leaves

Topped with splash club soda

Finished with Lime Fomz

Method:

Combine 1.5 SKYY vodka, .75 oz lemon juice, .75 oz lime juice, .75 oz Agave Nectar and 8 mint leaves in a mixing tin with ice.  Shake vigorously.   Strain over fresh ice and top with a splash of club soda and finish with Lime Fomz.  Garnish with a lemon wheel on the edge of the glass and a mint sprig.

If you think tequila is just a party drink, think again. The Milagro Grill will be hosting a Herradura Tequila Tasting Dinner. These dinners have blown up since the Arizona Taco Fest a few months ago and the next one is coming up soon. Join Milagro, Herradurra, and tequila aficionados on Tuesday, April 2 for a delicious four course meal. Each course will be perfectly paired with a premium tequila for just $50 per person. There are only 25 spots available to RSVP quick by calling 602-773-5844.

Amuse

Red chile braised oxtail, goat cheese espuma, poblano chile sope

(Paired with Herradura Silver Tequila)

Primero curso

Salmon crudo, smoked strawberry, avocado, chicharron, chorizo oil

(Paired with Herradura Reposado Tequila)

Segundo curso

Aji Amarillo marinated Pollito, Salsa de frijole, risotto de limon, zucchini blossom

(Paired with Herradura Anejo Tequila)

Postre

Raspberry tres-leches with crème fraiche ice cream

(Paired with Herradura Seleccion Suprema Tequila)

Can you feel it? Spring is in the air. Already it’s time to hang out and relax by the pool. What’s the number one relaxation drink? Lemonade. Well, this Weekender is going to bring you some. But not just normal lemonade, that’s boring. This is the Lemon-Champagne Sparkler.

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Lemonade

2 cups of Champagne

2 tbs of cranberry juice cocktail

Method:

Simple enough. Mix all the ingredients in your favorite tall glass and serve over ice. We recommend adding a little umbrella.

This Sunday, the luck of Irish will be all over. With St. Patty’s Day comes all sorts of events and delicious green beverages. If you’re looking to get away this weekend, the Hidden Meadow Ranch has what you’re looking for. Their menu this weekend has a little extra Irish flair. In case you can’t make it, they were kind of enough to bring us a the perfect St. Patty’s cocktail, the Leprechaun Kiss.

Ingredients:

2oz. Vodka

1 oz. Lime Juice

1 drop of green food coloring

1/2 oz. Creme de menthe

20z. Sprite (for a little fizzle).

Method:

Put all ingredients into a shaker with ice except the sprite. Shake well and pour into a martini glass. Top with the sprite. Garnish with a slice of lime.

Recently, we brought you a story about a new mystery restaurant that was soon to be revealed. From the creative minds behind Citizen Public House, the mystery has been revealed. Restaurant partners Andrew Fritz and Richie Moe have unveiled their new concept — The Gladly. Located at the Anchor Centre at the Biltmore, The Gladly has been described as having a “a playful vibe with a seriously delicious menu.” Some featured items include Root Beer Braised Bacon with Steel Cut Oats, Red Eye Gravy and Red Shiso ($12), Smoked Mozzarella Fondue ($10) and a menu that Fritz describes as “a tad bit bigger than Citizen’s.” The Gladly will be coming to taste buds near you fall 2013.

Ever since you were a kid, your parents have been telling you to eat your vegetables. Now that you’re an adult, chances are you’ve grown to love the healthy food, especially when it’s prepared to perfection. St. Francis has always preferred getting fresh, natural ingredients from local sources. The restaurant has decided to expand the vegetable offerings on their menu.

Cauliflower Soup – crisp caper, crouton, heirloom cauliflowers

Spinach Salad – spinach, pickled onion, olive, egg

Kale Caesar – local kale, crouton, parmesan, caesar dressing

Beets – citrus vinaigrette, shaved red onion, almonds, arugula

Broccoli – lemon aioli, broccoli, breadcrumbs

Spring is in the air, can you feel it? With warmer weather comes an array cocktails to match. Today, we’re bringing you an icy twist to the classic cosmo. Perfect for those sunny days, the Cosmopolitan Slushy will cool your jets when you’re ready to relax.

Ingredients:

10 ounce (1 1/4 cups) citrus-flavored vodka
1/2 cup Rose’s lime juice
2 cups cranberry juice
4 ice cube trays

Method:

Combine the ingredients in a pitcher with 2 cups water and stir to blend. Pour the mixture into the ice cube trays and let it freeze for at least four hours. Right before serving, empty the trays into a large bowl and break up the cubes with a fork and serve.

Like you need an excuse to go out and party. In case you actually did, St. Patrick’s Day will soon be upon us. In just about a week and a half, the beer will turn green and the streets will be lined with the Irish. From now until then, we’ll be bringing the best St. Patty’s parties around town. We’ll get started with a Sandbar St. Patty’s celebration.

All three Valley locations will be celebrating with their “Hola, Green-Go” specials. For food, get your taste buds ready for a traditional dish with a southwest twist, the Corned Beef Cabbage Tacos sound amazing. To wash it all down, order some Shamrock-aritas, Green Schläger Shots, the always delicious Irish Car Bomb, and, of course, Green Beer.

This is all happening on Sunday, March 17 from 11:00am to midnight.

From the brilliant minds behind The Mint, Sandbar, Axis/Radius, and RnR, comes their newest experiment: Hi-Fi Kitchen & Cocktails. As the name suggests, the new concept is centered around a music theme. Surrounded by steel beams and garage doors for a contemporary artsy loft feel, Hi-Fi will be located in the vibrant Old Town Scottsdale. Its full menu will be served late into the night for all of the partiers in Old Town. Obviously its cocktail menu will be up to par, as well. The place is unique in that it will be functioning as a indoor/outdoor place. A giant square, island bar accomplishes that. It also features a vintage speaker wall that also displays old school black and white televisions. But the coup de grâce is their “$100,000 digital graffiti wall that will show an ever evolving array of 3D images that will morph the mood throughout the night.” Sounds pretty cool. Expect to see it fully functioning on March 20.

Have you had Fireball Whiskey yet? If you’re not a big fan of whiskey, give this one a shot. It tastes like an Atomic Fireball. You know, the candy. Del Frisco’s will be hosting a Fireball Whiskey event next Wednesday March 13th from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The restaurant and Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey will team up for special promotions on their rooftop Summit Bar.

From 8:00 p.m. to midnight, you can also enjoy their weekly Hump Day specials. This includes $7 small bites, $7 signature cocktails, $6 select glasses of red & white wine, and $4 draft beers.

One of favorite parts about DLT is being able to share the latest and greatest from the culinary world with you folks. When we learn about a new menu, you’re the first to know. That said, we just got news about new menu items at The Mint in Scottsdale. One part restaurant, one part night club, The Mint has it all. In honor of their second anniversary, they have just announced brand new, sexy food items. This includes Edamame with Sesame-Seaweed Salt, Spice Crusted Tuna Tataki, Crispy Shrimp Rolls, Japanese Gyoza, Malaysian Satay,  Slow Roast Sichuan Pork Ribs, Sizzling Prawns, Iron Plate Rib-Eye, and much more. To check out the whole menu, head into the restaurant!

Part dessert, part cocktail, what’s not to like about the Chocolate Martini? With the weekend in tow, we’re here to add a little sweetness to your Friday and Saturday. Courtesy of the Roaring Fork, here is their recipe for the chocolate martini.

Ingredients:

1.5oz Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka

.5 oz. Van Gough White Chocolate Liqueur

.5 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Method:

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled martini glass lined with chocolate at the bottom.

Ah, the power lunch. Many important business meetings occur during the lunch hours. Whether you’re attempting to impress a new client or demonstrate your status to your successful friend, the power lunch is the go-to setting for these necessary situations. So, where will you have your next one? Check out Central Bistro. For just $16, you can enjoy Central’s Power Lunch every day of the week. Start with a small soup or salad, followed by the chef’s daily entree and finish it off with a homemade chocolate cookie. This may not be the best meal to discuss a multi-million dollar deal over but it’s a still good deal.

The wildly successful and popular restaurant, Citizen Public House, in Scottsdale has been keeping a secret for quite some time now. In a sold out event to more than 1,500 food enthusiasts, the people who brought us Citizen will unveil the name and details of their new restaurant project, that will open later this year.

The event is going down on Sunday, March 10 at 12:15 p.m. Just because the event is sold out, that doesn’t mean you can’t keep track of emerging details and hints. For all of you Twitter junkies, pay attention to #CitizenSecret in the Twitter sphere.

We’ll update you when we learn more.

With the end of the second month of the year, have you been keeping up with your New Year’s resolution of living a healthy lifestyle? The Madison Improvement Club is making it easy with the launch of their new menus at the s.e.e.d café, located inside the club. At the s.e.e.d café, you’ll find only sustainable, edible, and entirely delicious food. Incorporated in all of their dishes, the café only uses local, seasonal, and truly fresh ingredients. New additions to the menu include:

Squashgetti ($10) - an oven roasted spaghetti squash served with house made marinara sauce and shaved parmigiano reggiano.

Foody’s Palette ($10) - an assortment of cheeses and meats with crackers and other fun stuff.

I Heart You flatbread ($9) - sprinkled with artichoke hearts, chicken, goat cheese and pine nuts.

Me So Corny ($9) - with roasted red pepper tapenade, campo de malteban, corn, arugula and lemon zest.

Our favorite is the Money Well Spent nightly deal. It’s a bottle of house wine and two flatbreads for just $30.

You don’t have to be a sommelier to appreciate this. Chasseur Winery and J&G Steakhouse will be teaming up for a classy night filled with amazing wine and an equally amazing dinner. Owner and winemaker Bill Hunter will be the host of an exquisite evening in J&G’s private dining room on March 7. Each course will be paired with one of Chasseur’s award-winning wines. The cost is $125 for each guest and does not include tax and gratuity.

The Menu:

Amuse:
Beef Tartare Potato Gaufrette
Shrimp Satay
Chicken Samosas

Skuna Bay Salmon Caviar Purse

Chopped Lettuce Salad, Avocado and Blue Cheese Roasted Boneless Quail
2010 Chasseur Russian River Chardonnay

Warm Oysters, Basil Cream and Potato Crumbs, Wasabi
2010 ‘Lorenzo’ Chardonnay

Roasted Venison Loin “Poire au Lard” Pomegranate Reduction
2010 ‘Freestone Station’ Pinot Noir

Rose Macaroon with Vanilla Parfait, Raspberries and Candied Rose Petals
2010 ‘Umino’ Pinot Noir