Four Downtowns in 24 Hours part 2

Liberty Market in Gilbert

Downtown Gilbert is one of my favorite places to spend a weekend morning. I was born in Norfolk, Nebraska and spent a good part of my childhood there. The small towns in the Midwest always had a quiet downtown area with brick buildings lining the street with a drug store, a bank, a bar, a thrift store, a diner and one (if any) stop light. Downtown Gilbert reminds me of that. It has kept its early 20th century feel while still attracting hundreds of people to modern restaurants and shops. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers market full of fresh local produce, teas and treats. The Gilbert water tower stands as a beacon and hovers over a splashy park that usually has small children running through tiny jets of water. Right across the street is Hale Theatre that produces year round plays and musicals performed by local actors.


The second stop in our Four Downtowns in 24 hours brought up to the Liberty Market. Liberty Market was originally a grocery store which opened in 1935. When the new owners (including Joe Johnson of Joe’s Real BBQ across the street and Joe’s Farm Grill on Higley and Ray) renovated the place and reopened in 2008, they kept much of the original architecture and style of the original market, even including the iconic neon sign you drive by while passing through Gilbert. Now, however, while they still sell some food and beverages in the original market area, Liberty Market is known for great food and great coffee.

For breakfast, they have some new twists on classics like the American Standard or the Demi Breakfast and some fresh selections like my favorite, the Salmon Plate, which is smoked lox on a bed of greens with bread crisps and olive tapenade. They also have a selection of pastries like bread pudding and scones. For lunch or dinner, you can choose the burger of the week or a wood-fired pizza or any number of soups, salads, sandwiches and amazing entrees.


We showed up a little early for lunch, so we sat at the E61 Coffee Bar while we waited and had some yummy espresso drinks. Besides a mean latte, the E61 has an item called Cortadito, which is a Cuban style espresso drink with foam and sugar, served as a tiny pair of drinks. Cute and tasty! What makes the E61 the best espresso bar in the Valley, by far, is the espresso machine, an E61 Faema. The Faema was produced in Italy and was one of the first true espresso machines manufactured that are still used today. This thing needs to be perfectly maintained and regularly calibrated so it makes the perfect pull of espresso every time. I dare any coffee drinker to come try an espresso drink at E61 in Liberty Market and not say it was the best cup of coffee in this continent!


For lunch we did get the burger of the week, which was a Red Beans and Rice Burger (which was a patty made of red beans and rice) which was served with homemade potato chips. Like everything else we have ever had here, it was delicious. Another quirky thing about the Liberty Market that you must check out are the bathrooms. They actually won New Times “Best Bathroom” in 2009. What is unusual about them is that the bathroom itself is unisex. There are a series of doors with both an “M” and a “W” on them. Each stall is a small room with a different music theme and recipes hand written on the walls by the restaurant owners. For more information on the bathrooms and this history of Liberty Market, check out their YouTube channel.

Next time you are strolling down Gilbert Road, swing inside Liberty Market. Take in the old fashioned feel while enjoying high quality food and drinks!

Four Downtowns in 24 Hours part 1

This was not planned; it was more like serendipity. My husband and I had visited some of our favorite places in the east valley (and a new one!) and we did not realize until we were driving to downtown Chandler that we had visited four downtown areas in 24 hours. I want to share with you some amazing places in the east valley. Let me know if you have been here before, or if not, go visit and let me know what you think!

Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe

Four Peaks is one of my favorite places in Tempe. There are so many great places to eat and visit in Tempe, but every time we are in the neighborhood, we seem to direct the car here. Four Peaks Brewing Company is located on 8th street between Rural and McClintock. It’s an unusual place for a bar and restaurant, but the Arizona State University college atmosphere surrounds the old building which delivers charm and a laid back ambiance. The original brick building was started as an ice factory in 1892, then it was converted to a creamery in 1927. The brew masters of Four Peaks renovated the building and opened their doors in 1996. Their goal was not only to make great beer, but to provide excellent food that no other bar could match.

Four Peaks has the staple wings and hamburgers which go great when watching football or baseball on their many televisions, but what sets them apart are the unusual fare. On a regular day, one can find menu items such as the Arizona Chicken Egg Rolls with a creamy and sweet jalapeno sauce, a grilled Salmon BLT on whole grain bread, a white pizza drizzled in olive oil with chicken, basil and pine nuts, or a hot Italian Beef Beer Bread sandwich using bread made in house. The brewery also has three specials during lunch and during dinner which is where the foodie in me goes nuts. I was looking at last night’s specials in the email I get twice a day and was pretty happy I wasn’t there…I wouldn’t have been able to choose: Short Rib Cannelloni with homemade pasta, spicy marinara and béchamel cheese and sautéed baby arugula, Confit Pork Belly with Yukon Gold potato pancake, and Blackened Ahi tuna with a pumpkin seed mole, sweet corn rice and broccolini.

The other night, we went with my husband’s family from El Paso. It is always fun to take someone there for the first time. It was a Tuesday night and the wait was still about 30 minutes, but it was worth it. This time of year is the best. The brewery is open with plenty of patio seating and they just released their famous, limited seasonal, the Pumpkin Porter for the first time in cans. The people watching is great, with a mix of college students studying or taking a break with their friends to groups of older men and women telling stories and rating the quality of the seasonal or cask conditioned brew. The only negative to Four Peaks is the parking. I recommend getting there before peak lunch or dinner times to get a spot along 8th street next to the brewery, or there is a small parking lot around the back, otherwise there may be a slight walk. Four Peaks has a location in Scottsdale with a full menu and a “Tasting Room” also in Tempe which features a different food truck parked next to it every day, but the 8th street location is the heart of it all and encompasses the spirit of Tempe.