New Wave Market
7120 East Sixth Avenue, #20, ScottsdaleWhen you need both a jar of AZ Queen Bee Desert Bloom Honey and a dozen mesquite chocolate chip cookies to go, don’t fret — go to New Wave Market. Located in the heart of Old Town’s foodie hub, the Sixth Avenue spot feels somehow tucked away. Sit down for the menu of made-from-scratch goodies, like the Hawaiian bread French toast topped with blueberry balsamic jam or the ghee-fried egg sammie on a sea salt bagel — seriously yum — but stay for the shelves or take-home gourmet goodies beckoning from the sidelines. We’re talking jars of pickled blueberries, spice blends, salsas, and cocktail bitters. There’s even a wall devoted to small-batch chocolate bars. The whole kit and caboodle feels like a food art gallery you can’t help but eat with your eyes.
Asiana Market
1135 South Dobson Road, MesaSometimes food cravings don’t make sense, like when you’re hankering for both a hot stone bowl of bibimbap and a fabulously flaky cocoa hazelnut croissant. Scratch that impossible itch all under one roof at Asiana Market, a one-stop food emporium that pairs a triple-threat food court — Tous Les Jours Bakery Café, Paik’s Noodle Mesa, and Asiana Kitchen Tofu & Grill — with a Korean grocery store stocked with aisles of seafood, seasonal produce, Korean candy, kimchi, and every Asian condiment you can think of. They say not to grocery shop hungry, but even with the hunger pangs silenced, it’s tough not to leave with stuffed shopping bags. Jackfruit and liter jugs of sesame oil take up room.La Grande Orange Grocery & Pizzeria
4410 North 40th StreetLa Grande Orange can be mayhem. After standing in the order line, which can snake its way out the door, you pick up your order in a flurry before someone steals your table. But somehow the total chaos of the place works — and a big reason for that is the grocery side of things, an expertly curated mishmash of gifts and goods that’ll have you buying more than planned. Sure, there are the candles and cards and cactus pillows, but meander by the wine wall and you’ll find a tiered case arranged with salts, sauces, and even spatulas. Next are some olives, cheeses, charcuterie, and then comes the cookbooks, cold drinks, and candy section. Fill your basket with goods and your face with fresh and wonderful salads, sandwiches, and sourdough pizza.
American Way Market
1509 North Arizona Avenue, ChandlerRoot beer doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves. We’re talking small-batch bottles flavored the old-fashioned way, with molasses, cherry tree bark, sassafras, or licorice root. Well, at American Way Market in Chandler, there’s a cooler full of the stuff, stocked with regional brands and funky flavors that’ll have you screaming "Holy sarsaparilla!" And that’s just the root beer case. With more than 150 vintage and specialty sodas to choose from, everything from peach cobbler to pumpkin pie, building your own four-pack is fun and nostalgic. Same goes for ordering off the food menu. With colossal scones and giant cookies, with pulled pork and smoked pastrami available to go, good luck narrowing it down. We warned you.
Haji-Baba
1513 East Apache Boulevard, TempeThere isn’t a thing on Haji-Baba’s menu that isn’t good, from the whipped-to-a-frenzy babaghannoj to the super-stuffed falafel sandwich. And after you fill your appetite tank (portions are hefty and prices super-reasonable), time to stock up on provisions. Half market, half restaurant, the Tempe outpost has all your Mediterranean cooking needs covered — and then some. Aisles of dried beans and spices, mammoth jars of tahini, grape leaves and olives, lebna and pita bread in the refrigerated section, and trays of flaky baklava, not to mention henna hair dye and prayer rugs, will have you saying, "Wait, are we in Arizona?" Prepare to go home with more than you bargained for.
DeFalco's Italian Deli & Grocery
2334 North Scottsdale Road #133A, ScottsdaleYes, there are delis in Phoenix, but only one DeFalco’s. This place is a family-owned Italian eatery and market that feels like it's from somewhere other than the Valley. Calzones come larger than life. Meaty deli sandwiches are stacked high with spicy soppressata, prosciutto, pastrami or provolone. Meatball subs creak under the weight of house-made meatballs. Plus there's hot pizza, homemade pasta, deli salads, and a mouth-watering dessert case crammed with cannolis, carrot cake, and cheesecakes. Dine in for unfussy yet filling food made with authentic ingredients and shop the market for all things Italian, from canned tomatoes to biscotto to vino.
Shamy Market & Bakery
1110 West Southern Avenue, #8, MesaShamy Market & Bakery in Mesa's Fiesta District is a hidden gem if ever there was one. Upon entry, visitors are met with a handful of aisles lined with vacuum-packed olives and creamy labneh. A refrigerated section offers cheeses and other dairy products, while chips, snacks, canned goods, and bottled drinks dress the shelves all around you. Nestled against the back wall of Shamy’s expansive specialty market, the wondrous bakery counter awaits. We recommend sticking around for lunch and be sure to order the manakeesh, foul, fattoush, and dolmas.
Baiz Market
Multiple LocationsPerhaps the best place in the Valley to go for Middle Eastern groceries, Baiz Market packs aisles with spices, olive oils, freshly made pita bread, produce, and meats. It also sells rose water, fig jam, and halawa. There's a halal meat counter that meets Islamic dietary standards, and a sweets display showing off rows of gooey baklava and pistachio Burma pastries. As far as non-perishables go, there's a wide array of compact discs by Middle Eastern musical acts and an impressive selection of hookah pipes and shish (flavored tobaccos). If you're hungry after shopping, be sure to pop into the market's in-house eatery, Al Hana, for shish taook and some outstanding shwarma sandwiches.
Imperial Market & Deli
737 East Glendale AvenueImperial Market & Deli is a kosher-friendly market and eatery in Uptown. Come here for kosher meat, kosher wines, Shabbat catering, pareve (without meat or dairy) cakes and other baked items, and an endless variety of small pastries. In 2010, this Jewish market and deli, which has served excellent imported meats since 2006, opened a dining room for sit-down table service. That means Imperial Market & Deli is also solid for quick sandwiches, like a hot-pastrami or hard salami, and hot dogs, falafel, burgers, and schnitzel. Usually, the deli has an adjoining Bagel Cafe (though it's temporarily closed due to COVID-19 precautions).
Yasha From Russia
10240 North 32nd StreetYasha's son Nerick and his wife Lyudmila now run the market and eatery Yasha From Russia. This boutique stocks wide selections of caviar, salami and cured meats, bagels, bread, cheese, crackers, and wine. There's also a dizzying array of teas, in pretty boxes emblazoned with images of Czar Nicholas. Snap up some luscious caramels, and tea sets, and you're ready for a proper Russian tea. Ready to check out? Snag a hot dish like the piroshki (dough pockets packed with creamy mashed potatoes, homemade sauerkraut, or meat) to enjoy at home. Or choose from take-and-bake items the frozen dumplings (cherry, potato, beef, lamb, sour cream).
Nomada
3410 North 24th StreetThe husband-and-wife team behind Nonna Urban Eatery in Scottsdale, i.e., Valentina Huerta and Chef Gian Franco Brugaletta, opened their own high-end provisions boutique in early 2021 called Nomada. The south-Biltmore neighborhood market offers retail food products and heat-and-serve options, plus beers and wines. Some pantry-friendly items include cheeses, charcuterie, oils, vinegar, spices, condiments, teas, and baking supplies. Ready-made items can range from dips, spreads, and salads to chicken and duck Rillette and turmeric rigatoni.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on June 12, 2018. It was updated on March 20, 2021.