Best Doughnut Shop 2013 | Arizona Donut Co. | Food & Drink | Phoenix
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Best Doughnut Shop

Arizona Donut Co.

When's the best time for a doughnut? Anytime. At this 24-hour doughnut shop in Tempe, run by one of the owners of BoSa Donuts, you can get your fried fritter on before joining the rat race or, via the drive-thru, after partying with the night owls. And with more than 40 varieties to choose from — think buttermilk, Boston Cream, cinnamon crumb, toasted coconut, and giant bear claws — at Arizona Donut Co., it's a matter of not when you'll be eating doughnuts, but which doughnuts you'll be eating.

Best Shaved Ice

Snoh Ice Shavery

Although it's been a ubiquitous part of Asian cuisine for hundreds of years, bao bing (pronounced bow-BING) the frozen treat made of finely shaved flavored ice, fresh fruit, flavored sugar syrup, and condensed milk hasn't always been the easiest to find in America. So when this stylish little shop of cool and fruity bliss landed in Central Phoenix this spring, we thanked our shaved-ice stars. Our favorite is the taro with mochi balls and a glaze of black sesame, but you can personalize your bao bing however you'd like: with flavors such as strawberry, mango, and Thai tea; toppings that include boba, kiwi, lychee — even Oreos; and glaze options of condensed milk, chocolate, and caramel. Very cool.

Best Bread

Caffe Sarajevo

Jackie Mercandetti

We love Seida Turulja's homemade lepinja, chewy and soft nook-and-cranny Bosnian flatbread, as much as what she puts inside it. The owner and chef of this hidden gem of Bosnian food in West Phoenix, Turulja makes about 100 lepinja daily, freezing them, and then, when it's time, grilling them along with meats like plump and garlicky grilled lamb and beef sausages, spicy and juicy veal hot dogs, and chicken to soak up the flavor. Nearly the size of a dinner plate, there isn't much Turulja's lepinja can't handle — especially when it's a healthy appetite.

Best Gelato

Cool Gelato Italiano

When it comes to Italy's culinary gift bag of sweet treats, gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, may be the one we enjoy receiving the most. And at this real-deal gelato shop in Scottsdale, from Italian-born husband and wife team Alberto della Casa and Letizia de Lucia, it can be scooped up in 20 varieties. From the fresh and berry-heavy Fruits of the Forest to silky stracciatella with shaved dark chocolate interspersed in creamy fior di latte to seasonal creations like pecan pie, cinnamon roll, and Irish coffee, each is a scoop of luscious indulgence in a colorful plastic cup. The only thing missing is the bow.

Best Ice Cream

Sweet Republic

Courtesy of Sweet Republic

Sweet Republic is the kind of place that takes us out of our ice cream comfort zone. At this bright, cheery spot, top-notch local and seasonal ingredients artfully find their way into small, handcrafted batches of flavors that encourage us to break free of our ice cream confines. There are made-from-scratch creations like luscious plum verbena, refreshing basil lime sorbet, and decadent honey blue cheese made with aged raw sheep's milk and local desert blossom honey. It's a good bet we may never peer into an ice cream case the same way again.

Best Bakery

European Bakery and Café

Jordyn Carias

This family-owned bakery, from Armenian natives David and Rose Kouyoumjian, may have a West Valley address, but thanks to pastries from France, Armenia, Poland, Germany, Italy, and Hungary, the scene's a sweetly international one. When the Kouyoumjians aren't busy filling bakery cases with a colorful display of delicate tiered cakes, fruit-filled strudels, and crunchy cookies, they're making loaves of fresh bread or packing premium cheeses, meats, and veggies into more than 10 kinds of massive sandwiches that won't leave customers from any country going home hungry.

Best Candy Store

Sweeties Candy of Arizona

Your dentist will hate us for turning you on to this place. It's literally a superstore of candy. There is a saltwater taffy department, people. Just about everything is sold individually or in bulk, and every item you remember from childhood is right here, stacked floor to (practically) ceiling. There's nothing fancy about Sweeties, but the help is as nice as can be. We guarantee you'll leave on a sugar high — as you drive to the dentist to get those fillings replaced after some time in the gumdrop aisle.

Best Baking Supplies

ABC Cake Decorating Supplies

Let them eat cake? You don't have to tell us twice. From the flux of cake trends — red velvet, cake pops, and luxury cupcakes —to the parade of cake cable — Cake Boss, Cake Wars, Ace of Cakes — it's safe to say this country has gone absolutely bat-shit for batter. So where do pastry professionals and would-be wedding cake bakers go when they prefer their desserts DIY? It's as simple as ABC.

ABC Cake Decorating Supplies is an unexpected wonderland of cake-making essentials, from cake molds and candles to miniature newlyweds and marzipan flowers. Need a 20-pound bucket of fondant? How about cookie cutters in the shape of every U.S. state? Not sure where to begin? Try walking down the aisle dedicated almost entirely to sprinkles. ABC also offers cake-decorating classes to help you take your sweet skills to the next level. All the tools you could need and know-how to use them? Now that's just icing on the cake.

Best Meat Market

The Meat Shop

If you've got the guts to meander into the rather intimidating-looking Meat Shop on Buckeye Road just south of downtown Phoenix, a cornucopia of meat cuts will be at your disposal. If you don't, Meat Shop could probably supply you with some guts for purchase since all the butchery is done on-site. The shop specializes in additive-free, cruelty-free meats for all you bleeding hearts. It also serves up some of the highest-quality rashers of bacon, guanciale, and chorizo available in Phoenix. It's no wonder that many of the best local restaurants and snootiest foodies frequent the old-school butcher shop. You'll surely be the hit of your next barbecue if you drop into Meat Shop beforehand.

Best Health Food Store

Healthy Habit Health Foods

Remember the 1970s? When your mom would drag you to the health food store to buy items she couldn't just pick up in the grocery store — stuff like bran flakes and vitamins? We loved the smell of protein powder and handmade soap, looking at funky cookbooks and health manuals, wandering aisles packed with sprouty bread and energy bars.

Today, you can get all that stuff at the grocery store, assuming you hit up a Whole Foods or Sprouts (even the mainstream groceries like Safeway carry a wide selection) but we prefer a trip to Healthy Habit. Don't get us wrong, there's nothing old here (as in expired), it's just old-school all the way, with Birkenstocked clientele and sweet clerks. We take a deep, vitamin-scented breath and are transported back to a time when health food was exotic.

Best Of Phoenix®

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