Neat City

Category: Sweets & Bakery

  • Proof Bread’s Country Sourdough Is Worth the Saturday Drive

    Proof Bread’s Country Sourdough Is Worth the Saturday Drive

    I have been chasing a great loaf of sourdough my whole adult life, and Proof Bread is the closest I have come in Arizona. Their downtown Mesa bakery is open, bright, and lined with big wooden shelves of country loaves waiting for you to bring one home. Get there early, because the good ones go fast.

    That Crust, That Crumb

    I grabbed a country loaf on the way home from the farmers market and tore into it in my car like a raccoon. The crust was mahogany and shatter-crisp, the crumb open and tangy, with that unmistakable long-ferment flavor.

    More Than Bread

    The bakery also offers butter, jams, and pastries worth the detour, but the bread is the reason to be here. Proof is doing real, honest, patient work.

  • Novel Ice Cream: Stuffed Donut Sundaes Are the Main Event

    Novel Ice Cream: Stuffed Donut Sundaes Are the Main Event

    If you have not had a Novel Ice Cream sandwich yet, clear your afternoon. Their signature move is stuffing a freshly glazed donut with a giant scoop of house-made ice cream, rolling the whole thing in toppings, and handing it to you in a branded box that barely contains the joy.

    Small Shop, Big Flavors

    The downtown counter is cheerful and tiny, with a rotating lineup of flavors written up on the chalkboard. I went classic with Madagascar vanilla on a warm original donut, which is still the platonic ideal of a dessert sandwich.

    Bring a Friend

    These things are big. Bring a friend, bring two, and split them at the little patio out front. I watched a whole family of four argue happily over whose flavor was best, and honestly, they all had a point.