READERS' PICK: There's something primal about the yeasty aroma of fresh-baked bread. In Tucson, the best place to stop and smell the flours is Beyond Bread. This busy little bakery/café serves up no fewer than 27 different styles over the course of a week, from the obvious favorites like rye and whole wheat, to exotic combinations like green chile and provolone or cranberry pecan. There are also specialties like the egg-rich braided challah, available on Fridays for Sabbath, or the to-die-for babka (wheat flour, eggs, butter, sugar, oil, chocolate, almonds, rum, vanilla, yeast, lemon zest, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and sea salt). If you're not sure what you want, there are plenty of samples of that day's offerings available to taste-test. The café also does a thriving business in delicious hot and cold sandwiches using its wealth of fresh breads as a starting point. Catering is also available. Be forewarned: Lunchtime is often crowded with an overflow of area office workers, and by the end of the day the selection may be scant. But for true bread-heads, there's no better place to loaf.
