Liberty Cafe

Liberty opened in 2009 in a narrow slip of building on South 3rd, between a tattoo shop and a bar, and the founders did the floors, bar, paint and wiring themselves to keep the rent survivable. Sixteen years later the room still reads that way. There is a bar along the window looking onto downtown, a couple of wheeled booths, two small couches, board games, books and rotating art on the walls.

It is the opposite of a drive up stand. This is a place that runs community event nights rather than a loyalty app, with free wifi, small tables, and a room compact enough that you end up in conversation with whoever is behind the counter.

Food is grilled and simple: paninis including roast beef with cheddar, a vegetarian cheese melt and prosciutto and provolone with dijon, plus breakfast sandwiches, egg and cheese croissants, tomato soup and pastries. Gluten free bread is available for the paninis.

The one thing to plan around is the schedule, and it has contracted a long way. When Liberty opened, the local paper's headline fact was nine to nine, seven days a week. Today it is closed Mondays and does not open until 10 AM any day, closing between 5 and 6 depending on which day you turn up. A coffee before work is not an option here, which is worth knowing before you drive downtown for one.