Best New Non-Alcoholic Beverage
Proper Hibiscus by Big Marble
Marketed as an organic cocktail/mocktail mixer, this rosy pink, intensely fizzy little beverage – new from Breadfruit restaurateur turned ginger-beer maker extraordinaire Dwayne Allen – is floral on the nose and faintly fruity (though never syrupy) on the palate, a crisp, fizzy refresher that’s delicious as is over ice. bigmarble.com
Best Urban Farm
Steadfast Farm
If you’re looking for sustainably grown fruits and veggies, farm-fresh eggs or a good cup of joe, stop by this 2-acre biointensive market farm located on a sprawling compound in East Mesa. Steadfast stays involved in the community by selling its produce at local farmers markets, establishing partnerships with esteemed Valley eateries like Tratto, FnB and Feringhee, and offering consulting services to other small-scale farmers. Bonus: The farm also features a pond, playground and coffee shop. 5111 Inspirian Pkwy., Mesa, 480-793-1734, steadfast-farm.com
BOV TRIO
Hayden Flour Mills
932 N. Colorado St., Gilbert, 480-557-0031, haydenflourmills.com
- Best Flour
This isn’t your typical all-purpose powder. Father-daughter duo Jeff and Emma Zimmerman are reviving heritage grains at their Queen Creek mill, offering whole rye, emmer farro and purple barley flours alongside white Sonora wheat AP, bread, pizza, pasta and pastry flours.
- Best Dried Pasta
The Zimmermans turn their fantastic durum semolina flour into the multiple-Good Food Award-winning fusilli, shells and flowers (an elegant, playful riff on wagon wheels perfect for trapping sauce in its “petals”). Pair with sauce from Sonoran Pasta Co.
- Best Food Biz Hub
Pop by Hayden’s Gilbert storefront Monday-Saturday to shop its wares. On Tuesdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., you can get crusty loaves from Barrio Bread and fresh pasta from Sonoran Pasta Co. Both local businesses operate out of Hayden’s HQ.
Marilyn Hawkes’s Top 5 Local Products of 2024
A ranking of new goodies from PHOENIX magazine’s packaged food czar.
1. L. Mae Farms
Baker Lindsay Hitte’s sourdough bread, with its seductive cake-like crumb and delicate crust, “makes the most heavenly cinnamon toast I’ve ever tasted,” Hawkes says. “Full stop.” lmaefarms.com
2. SEE SALT
“Just a little pinch of this hand-harvested French butter sea salt can make any dish sing.” seesalttaste.com
3. Shannon’s Kitchen The Best Bar
Stash one of Shannon Andersen Ortiz’s honey-laced granola bars in your bag for “a sweet, but healthy pick-me-up,” Hawkes says. “They really are the best.” getthebestbar.com
4. Barrio Bread Bagels
James Beard Award-winning baker Don Guerra makes chewy Sonoran wheat sourdough bagels “using a natural leavened approach for easier digestion.” barriobread.com
5. Embers Chocolate
Chef Tandy Peterson left Mowry & Cotton to cook game in the wilds of Alaska. Now, she’s back in the Valley and making bean-to-bar chocolate “with inspired ingredients like corn and chamomile,” Hawkes says. “Yes, please.” emberschocolate.com
