Every time I'm in Phoenix, i have to visit Cowboy Ciao. I've been coming here for the past 6 years and I've never been disappointed. By far, my favorite thing is the Stetson salad. Not only do i love the way it tastes, but the way it's presented is fabulous. All the ingredients are neatly placed in a row on the salad plate -- smoked salmon, chopped arugula, roasted sweet corn, pepitas and cous cous -- and then the server gingerly mixes in the creamy pesto dressing and serves it to you. ABSOLUTELY YUMMY!! It's such a cute ritual. I love the creative food combinations (peanut brittle & bacon, for instance) and the cocktail options and wine flights are fantastic. During lunch the scene is very casual but once dinnertime rolls around, the lights turn down & the noise goes up. Admittedly the last few times my usual dessert -- the poto' chocolate (thick chocolate at the bottom of a cappuccino cup topped w/cream infused w/chili powder) -- has been a letdown. Even so, I highly recommend this place - -it's consistently outstanding.
Pros: The food, the drinks
Cons: They don't have a location in L.A.!!
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