Best Cookies 2024 | Urban Cookies Bakeshop | Food & Drink | Phoenix
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Best Cookies

Urban Cookies Bakeshop

Judy Nichols

You can smell the carbs as soon as you open the door to Urban Cookies, so take a deep whiff of baked goods as you walk inside the tiny retail store. There's just enough room to lean in for a closer look at the nearly dozen cookie options, which include a Prickly Pear Saguaro sugar cookie, because Arizona. These treats are not of the grocery store variety. They are sizable — with mere mortals needing both hands to hold on before taking a bite — and they are baked fresh every morning in both the Phoenix and Scottsdale stores. If your sweet tooth is more fixated on cupcakes, pick from among a dozen everyday flavors and occasional specials. This bakery also offers dessert bars, iced cookies and cakes. They've been curing sugar cravings since 2005.

Best Breakfast Sandwich

Berdena's

Lauren Cusimano

A popular, stylish Old Town Scottsdale coffee shop would seem the least likely place to find an excellent no-nonsense breakfast sandwich. This is a neighborhood that thrives on showy fluff, after all. But the breakfast sandwich at Berdena's is a stone cold killer that works so well because every element is handled with precision and care. Thick slices of ham get a little sizzle on the griddle, cheddar melts over a fried egg with a gorgeous lacy edge, a handful of crisp arugula joins a perfectly seasoned slice of tomato, and all of it is piled inside of a soft, eggy brioche bun. A subtle smear of chipotle aioli is as wild and crazy as this sandwich gets, but unlike so many of its more showy contemporaries, a little care and craftsmanship is what makes this sandwich pop.

Best Italian Ice

Joe's Italian Ice

Lauren Saria

Less might be more, but sometimes more isn't so bad. The polished commercial look and lengthy menu might scare off those who were raised on Italian ice served from a hole in the wall or a roadside stand, but Joe's is no bland corporate chain. This two-location indie spot produces its Philadelphia-style ices in-house from fresh whole fruit, and it shows. The strawberry ice is bright and fragrant, the banana cream ice actually tastes like a Cavendish and the sweet-tart Bada Bing Cherry is loaded with chunks of whole fruit. There's always one sugar-free flavor on the menu — nothing added, just the fruit's natural sugar — and ices are also available as a signature "Joelatti," with a dollop of soft serve ice cream on top and another hiding in the bottom of the cup. Pro tip: Dole Whip is the perfect mate for a fruit-based Italian ice.

Best Doughnuts

Dutch Donut Factory

While trendier doughnut shops often try to do more, changing up everything from the toppings to the dough, Dutch Donut Factory stays classic. On any given day, the Mesa shop has nearly 30 varieties available, from pillowy raised and glazed doughnuts to moist cake and old fashioned styles dressed up with coconut flakes or sprinkles. With doughnuts this good, simplicity is king. Upon browsing the case, you'll find every other delight you need for a truly satisfying pastry spread: tangy buttermilk bars, crisp, cinnamon-laced apple fritters and tender cinnamon rolls, as well as Texas-style kolaches, coffees and boba teas.

Best Ice Cream

Novel Ice Cream

If our waistlines allowed it, we'd eat ice cream every day, but alas, if we want to keep fitting into our jeans, it's an occasional treat. Not every scoop is worth the calorie splurge, but we never regret stopping at one of Novel Ice Cream's three Valley locations. We first became aware of Novel when we started seeing images on Instagram that made our mouth water: a bright blue schmear of ice cream sandwiched between a fresh sliced doughnut. It made for great content, but Novel's offerings aren't just pretty pictures. The local chain keeps eight flavors permanently on the menu (including the bright blue Cookie Monster and a decadent Bourbon Toffee Caramel Crunch) and rotates in four different ones each week. They're all creamy, made in-house and refreshing, and if you're dairy-free or just want something a little lighter, Novel does a bang-up job with fruit sorbets as well. Novel has newer locations in Mesa and Peoria, but we particularly love visiting its original home in a tiny historic building on Grand Avenue.

Best Gelato

Cool Gelato Italiano

Replicate the vibe of your European summer memories at Cool Gelato Italiano. The tiny shop tucked away near Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is owned by Alberto Della Casa and Leticia de Lucia, who trained with a gelato master in Bologna, Italy, to bring dessert-loving Phoenicians the finest gelato in town. Cool Gelato Italiano serves a rotating selection of traditional and creative flavors, everything from raspberry and chocolate to tequila lime and banana caramel pecan. Many of the flavors are vegan and are clearly marked as such. Whatever you choose, you'll close your eyes in bliss as the cool creaminess and intense flavor hits your palate. The shop keeps somewhat limited hours, so check the website before you go, and prepare to be taken back to Italy by every spoonful.

Best Bonbons

Chocofin Chocolatier

There is a trend — a good one — toward chocolatiers who produce their own chocolate in-house, and this little shop run by Louis and Denise Mirabella has joined the "bean-to-bar" movement with some excellent offerings of its own. What we find ourselves trekking out to Fountain Hills for, however, is the outstanding selection of bonbons built on fresh ingredients and premier chocolates sourced from all over the world, meticulously distilled down to tiny morsels that explode with flavor. Options range from classics such as cherry cordials, gianduja and cognac to wilder concoctions like passionfruit caramel, clove-spiced rice crisps and zinfandel ganache, but what sets Chocofin apart — in addition to the quality of its chocolate — is the exceptional intensity and pure flavor the Mirabellas coax out of the bonbons' fillings. You only need one or two, but you're going to want to take home a couple dozen.

Best Coffeehouse

Dialog

Dialog is many things — a cafe, market, art gallery, Taschen bookstore and event space. Co-owner Chad Campbell told Phoenix New Times shortly after it opened in January 2023 that Dialog's purpose is to "dialog with and engage the community." The store's minimalistic aesthetic drips cool, detached and dreamy futuristic vibes. That crisp, clean interior and the store's big glass windows inviting in the wide-open, blue desert sky make the new Roosevelt Row hangout a great spot to chill or let inspiration flow. While the functions taking place at Dialog are frequently changing, its U-shaped coffee and mocktail bar remains the constant spiritual center of the shop. Its beans are sourced through and roasted by Stereoscope Coffee in Los Angeles. Whether you want time to work on a personal project or a space to sip and chat with friends, Dialog has you covered.

Best New Coffeehouse

Bang Bang Coffee

If you're looking for a new coffee joint where you want to linger outside and enjoy made-from-scratch waffles and your favorite cup of joe, Bang Bang Coffee will deliver. Coffee comes a local roaster, and patrons can choose from macchiatos, cappuccinos and lattes. Couples, families and those who just want some solo time can walk to the coffee window, chat with one of the owners and then have uninterrupted time with conversation or a good book. Ben Rushlo and Julie Higginbotham wanted to create a space where people can enjoy a casual vibe and where they can get to know the regular customers. The atmosphere at Bang Bang Coffee centers around a sense of community, offering an intimate and personal experience.

Best Coffee Roasters

Peixoto Coffee Roasters

With locations in Chandler and also Epicenter at Agritopia in Gilbert, Peixoto Coffee Roasters keeps the East Valley buzzing. The Peixoto family have been farming coffee beans in Brazil for more than 100 years. Their family coffees are the highest quality and burst with a variety of flavor profiles including fruity, nutty, chocolate and honey. The stores also sell a limited amount of "extended family" coffee beans which hail from nations such as Ethiopia, Peru and Colombia. The atmosphere at the coffee shop is bright and airy, with lots of open spaces for working, networking or just relaxing. But the best part is bathing in the smells of freshly brewed fair trade coffee.

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