Written by Dana Arnold, Phoenix TasteCasting Co-CaptainIt was serendipity that seven of us gathered on what felt like the first cool evening in Arizona to experience the new fall menu items at Wildflower Bread Company. Louis Basile, the founder and president of The Wildflower, greeted us to give is the background of the restaurant and the food. His passion was contagious for The Wildflower’s commitment to quality ingredients, good value and a great focus on the customer experience.
Wildflower Bread Company is an Arizona-based company with nine locations in the state. Our tasting location was at the Arcadia store at 44th and Indian School. Simple, clean and welcoming describes the décor with splashes of fun such as the blown glass flower chandelier that is a showpiece in the restaurant.
Louis started the company because he recognized a need in the Phoenix market for good bread and sandwiches. His concept grew from there into a full menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and catering. Another Wildflower tenet? Affordability. Now that’s something we could sink our teeth into… and did we!
Our tasting adventure began with the Apple Streusel Pancakes. Made using Wildflower Signature Pancakes, they were packed with real chunks of apple, pecans, streusel, and currants and were served with sweet creamy butter and caramel-praline syrup. The syrup alone solicited rave reviews of “this should be a drink on the menu” and “I could bathe in this syrup!” The pancake texture was perfectly moist.
Fiery Butternut Squash Salad was next on the list. Showcasing a great autumn ingredient – butternut squash – it had a slow heat that was cooled by the sweet maple glaze. The squash was served on field greens and complemented by gorgonzola, dried sweet corn and spicy pecans with cranberry-balsamic vinaigrette. Yum!
Our third tasting was the Turkey & Cranberry Walnut Stuffing Sandwich. This may sound like an afterthought with Thanksgiving leftovers, but if that’s the case – we’d roast a turkey every weekend to get these ingredients. The depth of flavor from each of the ingredients alone make this sandwich a showstopper (and filling).
Next up was the Butternut Squash Ravioli, topped with a roasted walnut cream sauce and nutmeg. If this doesn’t warm you up inside, nothing will. Served with (our opinion) the Valley’s best garlic bread, the ravioli pockets were filled with a tender butternut squash and topped with a perfectly-seasoned creamy sauce. Amazing!
We were also lucky enough to experience their new drink for fall – a Mayan Chai Latte. Served hot or iced, ours came warm. Chai, milk, spiced chocolate syrup (think warm heat in the back of the throat) and anise made this a drink you wanted to complement fuzzy socks and a good book.
A trio of desserts was the last stop on our dining adventure. Pumpkin Pie, Roasted Nut Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Although everyone groaned about not having any room left in their bellies, there were still ooh’s and aah’s heard around the table. Each pie had its own stand-out qualities that would make it the perfect ending to any meal at The Wildflower. Many of us planned to place an order for one for our upcoming holiday parties.
We were sent home bearing gifts of holiday breads including Pumpkin Cinnamon bread, Cranberry Walnut bread and a Stuffing Loaf, reminding us of the reason Wildflower Bread Company was created in the first place.
Fun Tidbits
- Free wi-fi at all locations
- Every loaf of bread takes three days to make
- Several items are packaged and sold online and at the store such as the pancake mix and marinara with meatballs
- The Wildflower gives back! 10% of every baguette sale helps schools that serve underprivileged children
- Some locations give cute lotion samples away in the women’s bathroom
Fiery Butternut Squash Salad was next on the list. Showcasing a great autumn ingredient – butternut squash – it had a slow heat that was cooled by the sweet maple glaze. The squash was served on field greens and complemented by gorgonzola, dried sweet corn and spicy pecans with cranberry-balsamic vinaigrette. Yum!
Our third tasting was the Turkey & Cranberry Walnut Stuffing Sandwich. This may sound like an afterthought with Thanksgiving leftovers, but if that’s the case – we’d roast a turkey every weekend to get these ingredients. The depth of flavor from each of the ingredients alone make this sandwich a showstopper (and filling).
Next up was the Butternut Squash Ravioli, topped with a roasted walnut cream sauce and nutmeg. If this doesn’t warm you up inside, nothing will. Served with (our opinion) the Valley’s best garlic bread, the ravioli pockets were filled with a tender butternut squash and topped with a perfectly-seasoned creamy sauce. Amazing!
We were also lucky enough to experience their new drink for fall – a Mayan Chai Latte. Served hot or iced, ours came warm. Chai, milk, spiced chocolate syrup (think warm heat in the back of the throat) and anise made this a drink you wanted to complement fuzzy socks and a good book.
A trio of desserts was the last stop on our dining adventure. Pumpkin Pie, Roasted Nut Pie and Pumpkin Cheesecake. Although everyone groaned about not having any room left in their bellies, there were still ooh’s and aah’s heard around the table. Each pie had its own stand-out qualities that would make it the perfect ending to any meal at The Wildflower. Many of us planned to place an order for one for our upcoming holiday parties.
We were sent home bearing gifts of holiday breads including Pumpkin Cinnamon bread, Cranberry Walnut bread and a Stuffing Loaf, reminding us of the reason Wildflower Bread Company was created in the first place.
Fun Tidbits
- Free wi-fi at all locations
- Every loaf of bread takes three days to make
- Several items are packaged and sold online and at the store such as the pancake mix and marinara with meatballs
- The Wildflower gives back! 10% of every baguette sale helps schools that serve underprivileged children
- Some locations give cute lotion samples away in the women’s bathroom
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