Yummy dessert spots in Flagstaff, Arizona

"Life's short, eat dessert first"
By Angele Sionna

Life's short, eat dessert first… it’s been said a million times before and will be said a million more because the sweet wrap up to your meal can be just about the ultimate in food satisfaction. Whether it’s hot and gooey or just melts in your mouth from the delicate construction of fine fruits and sugar blended by an artisan of delectables, a good dessert can put a smile on your mouth and make your day. Here are some great Flagstaff spots that you should go ahead and consider ordering dessert before the rest of your meal…

The Cottage Place Restaurant
126 W. Cottage
www.cottageplace.com
Flambé is the word of choice at the Cottage Place. These desserts have a tableside presentation involving fire. It's just hard to beat and doesn't hurt that these desserts are delightfully fresh and satisfying! The other treats here also have as good of taste as they have presentation, but I'd expect no less from Cottage Place’s fine chef Frank Branham. They truly have the art of cooking mastered for every course.

Josephine’s Modern American Bistro
503 N Humphreys St
www.josephinesrestaurant.com
This is where I go for crème brûlée. It’s, well, a cup of awesome! I've been known to go to Josephine’s just to have dessert and coffee out under the stars on the patio, an enchanting atmosphere to relax in and for your taste buds. Other nectarous treats to enjoy here include a rich and luscious Mascarpone Chocolate Mousse Tiramisu.

Cafe Daily Fare
408 E. Route 66 (behind the Babbitt used car lot, 1/2 block east of Elden St)
www.simplydeliciousflagstaff.com
Café Daily Fare is a nice spot to grab lunch away from the hussle and bussle of downtown without going too far at all. Desserts here range from cookies and cupcakes (Belgian chocolate, lemon poppy, carrot raisin walnut, and “pineapple upside down cake” flavors) to crème brûlée, and bourbon chocolate pecan tarts. They even will make birthday cakes and deliver them to students at NAU (or anyone else anywhere in town) to make your special one’s special day a little sweeter.

Wildflower Bread Company
530 East Piccadilly Drive (at Butler & Lone Tree)
wildflowerbread.com
If you haven't somehow filled up on Wildflower’s salads and sandwiches, they have quite an assortment of sweet treats to indulge in. My fav - the Lemon Coconut Torte. It is, as the menu calls it, "scrumptious." It's a white cake layered with a light and airy lemon mousse and topped with coconut and a whipped topping. A little happy in every bite. Perfect for a relaxing summer night with a cup of coffee out on the patio. For you chocolate lovers, try the Ultimate Chocolate Cake. It is rich yet still some how airy. It is a rich chocolate cake filled with a decadent chocolate mousse covered in a dark chocolate ganache.

Beaver Street Brewery
11 S. Beaver St.
www.beaverstreetbrewery.com
You haven’t experienced all Beaver Street has to offer until you’ve had their Apple-Ginger Stout cake. This little gem is made with gingerbread cake, apples, spices, and Beaver Street’s own R&R Oatmeal Stout. It's served warm, drowned in a thin and not overpowering caramel sauce and fresh whip cream. Yum! This could be the most unique twist to gingerbread yet. Good anytime of the year, but especially great on a cold winter day with fresh snow on the ground. Still, that doesn’t stop me from ordering it while sitting on the sunny patio.

Sugar Mamas
At the East Flagstaff Wednesday Community Market (St Pius Catholic Church Parking Lot, 2257 E. Cedar Ave.)
These sweet-toothed ladies don't have a storefront yet (though they will coming up in November). Right now you can find their sweet goodies at the Wednesday Flagstaff Community Market (open from 4-7pm). Don’t miss the toffee brownies. (Mmm.) The toffee chips and caramel are ooey gooey with a crunch that tastes so great with the chocolately brownie underneath. Their specialties also include chocolate macaroons, key lime tartlets, cupcakes, strawberry cheesecake squares, lemon zucchini scones, pies and cookies.

Macy's European Coffeehouse, Bakery & Vegetarian Restaurant
14 South Beaver Street
macyscoffee.net
Macy’s has been a Flagstaff must for coffee since 1980, but if you’ve never tried their sweet treats you’re missing out. Their pièce de résistance are the chocolate chip cookies, made with a recipe from one of the chefs’ moms. But their peanut butter cookies melt in your mouth and are not to be missed too! Of course the biscotti and other breakfast treats make for a yummy sweet snack with a coffee or dessert after lunch.

(This article was originally written by me for Flagstaff Live!)

A Must Visit for the Best Produce & More - Flagstaff Community Market

By Angele Sionna


If you happen to be in Flagstaff any Sunday morning thru mid-October, take the time to explore the farmer’s market south of the tracks downtown near Beaver and Phoenix.

My family and I have gone several times this summer and are delighted with all of the vendors. There is all kinds of locally grown produce from tomatoes to onions, herbs, and more. Plus specialty foods and flowers.

My two year old really likes picking up a honey stick from Cowboy Honey for a quarter. Of course the breads from Village Baker are fantastic.

You can grab lunch while you're there from Molly's Tamales, a Phoenix-based vendor. They make fresh tamales to enjoy there ($2.50 each, $3.50 each for Salmon) or buy the frozen ones to eat at home later ($13.50/6). They have vegetarian and meat tamales. I've stopped a few times and can recommend the bean and cheese, the zucchini and mushroom, and the salmon tamales. Next time, I hope to get there early enough to try Molly's fruit tamales. She says she's the only one who makes them and they sound fantastic.

The most interesting flavor combinations of the whole event came from Terra Verde Farms artisan foods. I really like their Lavender Pepper rub, Strawberry Lavender Preserves, Blood Orange Marmalade and the Spicy O’s. They have a web market (in case you don’t get a chance to try them in person) at terraverdefarms.com.

The Flagstaff Community Market has some strict rules on who can sell at the market. Every vendor has to make the products they're selling. No resell is allowed. Plus they don't allow outsourced processed foods. That means patrons can count on original and great products grown in our area... which is good for the environment too.

The Flagstaff Community Market runs Sundays thru October 12 from 8am to noon. For a map click HERE. For more info, go to their website: flagstaffmarket.com.