Local confection connoisseur Tricia Medina has been slinging handspun milkshakes, freshly baked cupcakes and gourmet marshmallows at her Gilbert dessert shop, Toasted Mallow, since 2014. The perennial Best of the Valley winner will be bringing samples of these scratch-made mallows to this year’s Best of the Valley Party, a celebration of Phoenix’s superlative small businesses taking place at Warehouse215 in Downtown Phoenix on Saturday, October 18. Medina makes gooey, cloudlike “cubes of happiness” in more than a dozen flavors, including birthday cake, churro and salted caramel. We caught up with her to chat about everyone’s favorite fluffy s’mores star, hot cocoa sidekick and source of summer camp nostalgia. Toasted Mallow will join dozens of other local BOV-winning merchants at the 2025 Best of the Valley Party, which also boasts bottomless tastings, live entertainment, a custom photo booth, scavenger hunt, beer garden and more. Tickets are available here.
What will you be serving at the Best of the Valley Party and what makes it a good representation of your menu offerings?
We will be toasting two of our holiday flavor marshmallows that are perfect for any event – small, sweet treats to [satisfy] your sweet tooth.
Describe the vibe and food philosophy of Toasted Mallow.
Our vibe and philosophy is to create joy and playfulness with our mallows that will evoke childhood memories, to share my Latina heritage through flavors, and have a sense of community and connection through dessert by giving a safe space for everyone.
What do you hope people remember about your treats when trying them for the first time?
I hope they remember the nostalgia it created – the taste of a handmade marshmallow – and are able to enjoy the love and dedication we put into our desserts.
What does it mean to you to be a Best of the Valley winner?
They like me, they really like me! But also, that my little soft cubes of happiness truly inspired others to remember who we are.
What are you most looking forward to about this year’s Best of the Valley Party?
The smiles and awesome community of support.
