Bang! rockets into spring with a new menu

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While the kidlets are stuck with chicken tenders and mac and cheese, the comfort mavens at Bang!, 3472 West 32nd Avenue, debuted some new grub last week for more roving palates.

We've been loving on Bang! for years, awarding it Best Burger and Best Meatloaf in the past. More recently, we drooled over its apple pie, so there's no question that even micro-changes at the little joint bear mentioning.

The new menu introduces shrimp, rib and penne entrees to the rotation, as well as a few new sides and subtly different salad accompaniments, but it's the dessert portion of the menu where things really get reinvented. Not one from the previous menu survives.

Here's a breakdown:

New large plates:

Spicy peppered shrimp with mango habañero salsa and jasmine rice - $15

Hoisin and chili-glazed ribs with lemony potato salad - $15

Penne pasta with roasted tomatoes, peas, roasted garlic, mascarpone cream, and Parmesan cheese - $14

New side dishes:

Deviled eggs with smoked Spanish paprika - $5

New desserts:

Black bottom pie - $7

Pineapple upside down cake - $7

Peach cobbler with bourbon cream - $7

Panna cotta with blueberry and ginger coulis - $7

It's tough to pass up mascarpone, but our money's on those ribs, followed by that pineapple cake for some real Southern throwback with a feisty little kick.

The restaurant shifts the menu a few times a year. Co-owner Chris Oakley says the current incarnation will likely last through the summer. The new items debuted last Thursday.