A new menu at one of your go-to eateries can go either way. Your favorite item may disappear, along with your patronage, or new innovative dishes can freshen things up and keep you coming back for more. When Manito Tap House recently ushered in a new menu, we were cautiously optimistic that the green-certified, made-from-scratch Spokane gastropub with a cult-like following would nail it. Luckily many popular items on the menu live on, and one of many new surprises, the Buffalo Cauliflower ($10), turned out to be one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten in Spokane. Vegetarian and gluten-free friendly, this crispy-on-the-outside, tender inside buttermilk-fried pile of cauliflower bites are basted in not-too-spicy buffalo sauce, coated in cotija cheese, and served with bleu cheese for dipping. While it’s listed as a snack on the menu (along with other tasty things like empanadas, pigs in a blanket, and chicken & dumplings), you won’t want to share, so make it a meal with a salad and cup of Moroccan lamb stew. //
Feature photo: Better than hot wings. // Shallan Knowles
