Arizona Bread Company Bakery and Cafe

Arizona Bread Company’s cuisine appeals to those looking for fresh, made-to-order food with abundant portions at reasonable prices.

by Stan Kalson — 

For 13 years, I have been buying my artisan hard-crusted breads, sandwiches, soups and salads from the Arizona Bread Company. I have watched them grow and perfect their recipes, and in recent years they have remodeled their restaurant to provide a comfortable ambience. Around lunchtime, the place is abuzz with happy customers enjoying their great food.

Amy and Matt Wakser and their family had a dream to provide the healthiest breads with no added fats or preservatives, many award-winning soups made fresh daily by the “soup doctor,” and a variety of salads, sandwiches and desserts. They definitely have succeeded in creating great choices, using over 20 varieties of bread, including sourdough, French, country Italian, Italian, 9-grain, European rye and traditional egg bread or challah (on Fridays only). For major holidays, they create specialty breads using ingredients including chocolate, dried cherries, dried strawberries, fresh apples, cranberries or chocolate cherries.

Arizona Bread Company’s cuisine appeals to those looking for fresh, made-to-order food with abundant portions at reasonable prices. They have created nutritious meals by blending homemade fare with quick, convenient service.

Sandwich choices on your favorite fresh Arizona Bread Company bread include oven roasted turkey, ham, roast beef, pastrami, tuna, chicken or egg salad, and vegetarian, with your choice of breads, toppings and spreads.

Salad choices are garden Caesar, chicken Caesar, Greek, Cobb, Asian chicken, California Southwest, tomato stuffed with chicken or tuna, and chicken BLT. These are served with fat-free red raspberry, fat-free Italian, Italian, French, fat-free ranch, 1000 Island, Greek, Caesar, poppy seed, blue cheese, soy ginger or jalepeño ranch dressing.

Paninis (hot, grilled sandwiches) are a favorite. You can choose from the Sedona (turkey and provolone), the Scottsdale (roast beef and provolone), the Santa Fe (ham and American cheese), the East Coast (pastrami and Swiss), the Monterey (tuna and Swiss) and the Tempe (provolone, Swiss and American cheese and tomato).

Dessert choices include homemade cookies, brownie bites, lemon squares and Rice Krispy treats.

My favorite meal is a bowl of matzo ball soup (Fridays only), and the tastiest chicken salad smeared over a slice of dense European rye bread with caraway seeds.

If you need catering for your office or home parties, call Amy for a personal evaluation of your event.

Arizona Bread Company is at 7000 E. Shea Blvd. (west of Scottsdale Road), in Scottsdale. Open Mondays-Saturdays: 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sundays: 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 480-948-8338 or fax in your order to 480-922-4486.

Here are soup and salad recipes to try at home.

Broccoli Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3-1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth (two 14-ounce cans)
• 8 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
• 1 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/8 teaspoon real salt, or to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until onion and celery soften. Add potato and garlic. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Stir in florets. Simmer and cover pan, until broccoli is tender. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the cooking pan. Stir in cheddar and sour cream; continue cooking over medium heat until cheese is melted. Season with salt.

Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Real salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 cups mixed salad greens
• 1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken breast
• 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Whisk vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl to combine. Whisk in oil until combined. Place salad greens in large bowl. Add half the dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad greens among four plates. Arrange equal portions of chicken, egg, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and blue cheese on top of lettuce. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

Stan Kalson is the founder and director of the International Holistic Center, Inc. and has been active in the Greater Phoenix holistic community for 30 years.  www.holisticresources.org. 602-287-0605.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 26, Number 1, February/March 2007.