228 FOOD & DRINK BEST DOUGHNUTS THE ORIGINAL RAINBOW DONUTS 15834 N. CAVE CREEK ROAD 602-867-9502 THEORIGINALRAINBOWDONUTS.COM Four doughnut shops around the Valley feature the word “rainbow” on their respec- tive marquees — but just one is the O.G. It’s not hard to distinguish this one, either, as the company’s website and boxes declare in bold letters: “We are not affiliated with other Rainbow Donuts/franchise/donut shops.” A single visit to The Original Rainbow Dough- nuts is enough to convince you. The store fills its racks with bona fide bangers like yeast and cake doughnuts and more ornate offerings, such as the Tiger Tail, a twist of chocolate-and-vanilla dough glazed into a locally famous can’t-miss concoction. i i i BEST COOKIES URBAN COOKIES 2325 N. SEVENTH ST. 8776 E. SHEA BLVD, #108, SCOTTSDALE 602-451-4335 URBANCOOKIES.COM Don’t let this pastry shop’s name fool you. Yes, it’s smack-dab in an urban locale. But it also blows beyond mere cookies with its cupcakes and dessert bars. The cookies? They’re worth raving about. The chocolate chip wallops you with milk and dark chips. Grab the classic peanut butter, lemon short- bread and the cowboy cookie, which blends oats, butterscotch chips, pecans and kettle potato chips. Show Arizona pride by munching a Saguaro State — sugar cookies shaped like cacti, covered in vanilla glaze and green jimmies (sprinkles, to you). i i i BEST ICE CREAM SWEET REPUBLIC 6054 N. 16TH ST. 602-535-5990 3712 N. SCOTTSDALE ROAD, #101, SCOTTSDALE 480-868-0860 AND OTHER VALLEY LOCATIONS SWEETREPUBLIC.COM As out-of-state chains jockey in the Valley’s ice cream market, none can pull us away from homegrown favorite Sweet Republic. Since opening in Scottsdale in 2008, Sweet Republic has become a staple, with fans now lining up at four locations around Phoenix. Sweet Republic’s ice cream cases brim with familiar options like brownie fudge swirl, summery strawberry buttermilk and delec- table dairy-free mango sticky rice, along with seasonal licks like matcha latte and the Halloween favorite, Pumpkin Graveyard. Enjoy your scoops in a cup or waffle cone, blended into a milkshake or topped with bananas, brittle, caramel and whipped cream in the Toffee Banofi Sundae. Housemade marshmallows are the best addition to any Sweet Republic treat. Servers will toast the mallow on the spot, giving the pillowy square a roasty caramelized crust. i i i BEST SOFT-SERVE ICE CREAM ONYX ICE CREAM 5813 N. SEVENTH ST., #102 ONYXICECREAM.COM Neon is the name of the game at Onyx. The moody dessert shop lit with a pink-and- green glow serves ice cream just as colorful. Bright purple, aqua blue, hot pink and sunny yellow swirls pop against the shop’s signa- ture black cones for a treat as vibrant as it is delicious. Onyx opened on Seventh Street in January 2025 and since then has been cranking out a rotating menu of weekly flavors that draw fans back to try what’s next. Check the purple, earthy and sweet ube and the verdant oat milk-based matcha, and always in the upgraded marshmallow- dipped and torched cone. Sure, you can get these treats in a cup. But then you wouldn’t get bright blue and purple drips streaking your beard, and probably your shirt. i i i BEST MILKSHAKES DANZEISEN DAIRY CREAMERY STORE 6024 W. SOUTHERN AVE., LAVEEN VILLAGE 623-478-9494 DANZEISENCREAMERYSTORES.COM If you’ve spent any time in a grocery store lately, you’ve probably seen Danzeisen Dairy products: glass bottles of milk emblazoned with Diamondbacks logos, desert scenes and even Alice Cooper’s face. In the southwest Valley, Danzeisen puts its milk to good use at its Creamery Store. Walk in to pick up fresh milk (plain or in a variety of flavors) and cream, and stick around for a decadent shake. We usually opt for the Monsoon, a sugar avalanche that begins with a chocolate milkshake and gets freaky with chocolate frosting, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate sauce, an ice cream sandwich, Oreo cookies, whipped cream and a cherry. Other options are similarly unrestrained. Can’t decide? Try ordering the flight. BEST PAWN SHOP ICE CREAM PARLOR MO’S ICE CREAM 1152 E. INDIAN SCHOOL ROAD 602-279-4417 MOSICECREAMPARLOR.COM Is there another ice cream parlor inside a pawn shop in Arizona? We highly doubt it. Now, calling Mo’s a “parlor” is more than an exaggeration: The ice cream shop is inside the doors of Mo Money Pawn Shop, surrounded on every side by the various wares for sale. It’s a legendary first-date in the making, and the ice cream — Thrifty brand, appropriately — is pretty solid. It’s shoveled into your bowl or cone in unique cylindrical scoops, and though there aren’t any off-the-wall flavors here, you get a lot of bang for your buck. A one-scoop waffle cone is $4.25, and a three-scoop sundae runs just $7.99. You can also opt for a root beer float ($7), a milkshake ($5.50) or an ice cream sandwich handmade with two chocolate chip cookies ($4.50). Enjoy it while you browse jewelry, sports memorabilia, electric guitars or, if it’s your thing, firearms. Those all cost a good deal more. i i i BEST GELATO ALLORA GELATO 6990 E. SHEA BLVD., #106, SCOTTSDALE ALLORAGELATO.COM In Europe, certain things simply taste better. Exhibit A: gelato. Fewer preservatives? Vaca- tion bliss? Whatever the reason, you can trick your brain into believing it’s at a little gelateria in Puglia — just head to Allora Gelato. The vanilla-sweet smell of freshly rolled waffle cones fills the compact, stylish shop. On an iPad screen, punch in how you want your gelato — a cup or cone, one scoop or two. Then queue for the counter, where you can sample spoonfuls of Allora’s creamy, light-as-a-cloud gelato. The pozzetti, the stainless steel vessels holding each frozen flavor, feature such cheffy options as hazelnut and orange zest or a floral, citrusy sorbet with lemon and lavender. Or go basic with mint cookies and cream, chocolate brownie or a decadent strawberry dulce made with fresh berries. The team behind the counter artfully shapes each scoop into cones and cups, finishing your order with a crisp wafer. This, my vacation-brained friend, is why there was a line. BEST OLD-SCHOOL SODA FOUNTAIN MACALPINE’S DINER & SODA FOUNTAIN 2303 N. SEVENTH ST. 602-262-5545 MACALPINES.COM Like Joni Mitchell says, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. MacAlp- ine’s Diner & Soda Fountain had been serving Phoenicians for nearly a century, and under the MacAlpine’s name since the late 1930s. When it closed during the pandemic and co-owner Cary Heizenrader passed away, it stayed shuttered for years, its future uncertain. After a GoFundMe, a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a boatload of community support, MacAlpine’s reopened in 2024 and welcomed folks back for ice cream sodas, phosphates, milkshakes and lunch fare like BLTs and chef’s salads. The restaurant doubles as an antique store, allowing guests to browse old records and vintage jewelry after polishing off a chocolate egg cream at the counter. We’re sure glad it’s back. i i i BEST DIRTY CHAI SONGBIRD COFFEE & TEA HOUSE 812 N. THIRD ST. 602-374-4192 SONGBIRDCOFFEEHOUSE.COM A chai with a kicky shot of espresso, or two, gets your day off on the right foot. You’ll find Phoenix’s finest at a bungalow-style historic home that’s been transformed into a down- town coffeehouse. Choose from spicy, sweet or a mix, and the shop’s kind and knowledge- able baristas will pour shots of their high- quality, local espresso over the chai of your choosing. Hot or iced, both of Songbird’s dirty chais are to die for. And grab a crumble cake while you’re at it. If you’re lucky, you’ll be graced by the presence of Inky Bob, Song- bird’s resident cat.