Morning to Late Night: The Ultimate Day in Gilbert

Morning to Late Night: The Ultimate Day in Gilbert

Coffee and brunch to shopping local for home decor, goat yoga at the ranch, dinner at the brewery and an underground speakeasy — it’ll be a full and energetic day in Gilbert.

Early Morning: Get Caffeinated

For those who style themselves coffee aficionados, Liberty Market is where it’s at. The restaurant’s espresso bar brews, froths and steams Cuban favorites like the Cortado, and uses Stumptown beans for espresso and French Press. You can even order Ca Phe, an iced Vietnamese coffee.

Linger in the historic 1935-era building or get your joe to-go and wander over to the nearby Water Tower Plaza — where you can sit on a bench and watch the city wake up and take that first perfect photo of the day.

Morning: Join the Brunch Crowd

It’s universally understood that weekends are for brunching. When it comes to choosing where in Gilbert to indulge in this coveted weekend pastime, you have your work cut out for you. Elegance is the name of the game at Nico Heirloom Kitchen, where James Beard Award-nominated chef Gio Osso whips up brunch dishes like delicate crepes folded around ham, gruyere and eggs, and drizzled with bechamel sauce. When paired with “almost bottomless” bellinis, it’s a meal worth savoring slowly.

For a buzzy crowd and a breezy patio, there’s Postino East. The tidy menu of eight expertly crafted entrees means you spend less time choosing what to order and more time sharing $5 pitchers of beer or glasses of wine. At Snooze AM Eatery, belly-filling breakfast offerings run the gamut from stacked sammies and flavorful protein bowls to a roundup of 20 different morning cocktails.

Midday: Buy Local

Shake off post-brunch headiness by browsing the artisanal wares — and meeting the makers — at Barnone. This grain-hut-turned-maker-space houses the creative works of Arizona’s most skilled artisans. From whimsical, handmade stationery and reclaimed-wood crafts to fresh-cut flower arrangements, the products you’ll encounter are as varied as the people creating them.

That’s why Barnone, like its name indicates, is so unique — the stalls are shops, yes, but they also serve as each maker’s actual workspace. Hang out in one spot long enough and you might see a greeting card make the journey from the letterpress to the shelf.

Sunset: Befriend the Goats

Goat yoga is the trend no one saw coming, but like most brilliant pairings, you wonder why we never thought of it before: adorable goats plus gentle yoga equals happy humans. And, oh yeah — Goat Yoga Arizona in Gilbert was the first place in the world with trained yoga goats, ostensibly launching the fitness craze heard round the world. Goat Yoga Arizona offers year-round classes at Welcome Home Ranch. Sessions run all day, but the sunset ones are Instagram-perfect. (Keep your smartphone handy.) Classes are ideal for all skill and age levels, too, so don’t let the fact that you’re not a hardcore yogi deter you.

How it works: Bring your own mat or towel, set up on the grass and follow your instructor’s lead through the poses. As you bend and stretch, the kind-hearted goats nuzzle up to you, curl into you, perhaps even climb on you. Let the bonding begin.

Evening: Raise a Pint

Discover Gilbert’s stellar craft beer scene by sipping your way through the city’s award-winning breweries. Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company has established national cred and a local cult following for their fearless approach to the craft. The brewers have a created a lineup of beers that showcase Arizona-grown ingredients, everything from grains and fruit to nuts and honey. And because we’d never suggest drinking on an empty stomach, order food from the pub menu: salads, sandwiches, burgers and share plates.

OHSO Brewery + Distillery produces small-batch beers in the style of a nanobrewery — order small tastes or a flight to experience the range of offerings.

Back at Barnone, you’ll find 12 West Brewing Co. Their 10-barrel operation churns out a rotation of a dozen brews (hence the name). Known for their sour beer — Inside Job is a kettle-soured pale ale with notes of lime — the brewery’s IPAs are also worth a try.

Late Night: Sneak into a Speakeasy

Well, you don’t have to sneak in. But you do need to know the password. Before heading to The White Rabbit, check the underground nightspot’s Facebook page for the secret phrase — it changes constantly — that’ll get you past the monosyllabic bouncer standing in front of the nondescript door. Once you’re granted access, descend a set of stairs into a small room of bottle-lined shelves. Here you’ll need to find the shelf that swivels into the door that opens into the lounge. (Nope, we won’t spoil the fun by telling you which one it is.)

What lies in wait beyond? The White Rabbit’s decor is straight out of the 1920s, as are the drinks — Bee’s Knees, Szerac — and the mood is electric. Squeeze into one of the blue velvet banquettes, or cluster around a slim wooden table. But if you can’t find a spot (the lounge gets busy on the weekends), join the happening scene at the bar.