Ice Cream at Randy’s Restaurant This Scottsdale favorite serves American comfort food, but remember to leave room for dessert. Or better yet, make it part of your dinner order. Each of the nine old-school dinner options at Randy’s (think: liver and onions) comes with two choices from a vast arsenal of side dishes, which includes everything from apple sauce to, yes, ice cream. At peak season, owner Randy Tobyn dishes out 100 gallons of the sweet, cold stuff per week, including hard-to-find flavors like Black Cherry Vanilla. 7904 E. Chaparral Rd., Scottsdale, 480-941-8419, randysrestaurantaz.com
Banham’s The staff is friendly, and the service is solid, but for cheesecake this good, a connoisseur might endure surly help to get a plateful. The generous slices of creamy, lightly sweet traditional cheesecake are bestsellers, and regulars know to line up early for the dulce de leche and pumpkin cheesecake varieties. Sublime. 2836 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-824-8657, banhamscheesecake.com San Francisco Chocolate Factory There’s a new reason to travel to the Northwest Valley, and it’s a caramel apple encrusted with M&Ms. Also frozen New York cheesecake dipped in Guittard chocolate, and Rocky Road fudge, and something called Pecan Sponge Crunch that’s just plain out-of-this-galaxy good. Who cares which city this place is named for? Not your sweet tooth, that’s for sure. 702 W. Dunlap Ave., Phoenix, 602-758-5240, sfcfonline.com
AZ Chimney Cakes Crispy-crunchy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, these cylindrical Hungarian treats are made to order and filled with all manner of creamy decadence. Can’t decide between a Salzburg (a coconut cone filled with vanilla gelato and topped with cherry pie filling) and a Barcelona (a cinnamon cone with strawberries)? The friendly, patient staff will help you make your best choice. 1055 N. Dobson Rd., Mesa, 480-687-7515, azchimneycakes.com
The Pie Vending Machine at Pie Snob There’s some small danger in knowing that Pie Snob’s 16th Street location is home to a 24-hour “Pie ATM,” but not if you’re into eating some of the best pie available in the Valley at, say, three in the morning. Cherry crumb, key lime, caramel apple – it’s all here, all the time. 6522 N. 16th St., Phoenix, 602-266-0511, piesnob.com Lucky’s Deep-Fried Biscuits at ATL Wings Who has the willpower to save room for dessert when presented with a pile of chicken wings? Trust us, you’ll want to develop some. Lucky’s deep-fried biscuits – served with your choice of honey, maple syrup, cinnamon, powdered sugar or some combination of those – taste like the lovechildren of frybread and beignets. They’re totally worth declining that last flat. Multiple locations, atlwings.com Frasher’s Smokehouse Gooey butter cake tastes as deliciously over the top as its name implies. Originally baked at a suburban St. Louis bakery, the Midwest favorite has found a tasty home here in the Valley at Frasher’s, where owner George Frasher offers a “314” menu of St. Louis favorites. 3222 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-314-5599, frasherssmokehouse.com The Toffee Merchant Bourbon Pecan English Toffee If ever there was a reason to stray from your dietary vows, it would be this crunchy, stick-to-your-teeth toffee. Made with sweet cream butter, cane sugar, aged bourbon whiskey and pecans, the tempting toffee is topped with toasted almonds, pecans and semi-sweet chocolate. Worth every calorie. 480-748-6547, thetoffeemerchant.com Honey Cake at Café Chenar It’s not always in the dessert case at this kosher restaurant, but when you spot honey cake – an Eastern European classic made differently in various regions, but always with thin layers of toasty, honeyed graham-like cake and lightly sweetened dairy (sometimes sour cream, sometimes yogurt) – don’t hesitate to order it. 1601 E. Bell Rd., Phoenix, 602-354-4505, cafechenar.com
Best Entrée Side Dish
Best Cheesecake
Best Local Chocolate Shop Inexplicably Named for Another City
Best Edible Tower of Goodness
Best Place to Pretend You’re at the Automat
Best Unexpected Dessert
Best St. Louis-Style Gooey Butter Cake
Best Reason to Cheat on Your Diet
Best Eastern European Dessert
Sweet Stuff: Best of the Valley Desserts in 2022
Editorial StaffJuly 1, 2022
