Joe Johnston points to Liberty Market’s exposed ceiling, where the original rough-hewn rafters from the 1930s connect to the “new” rafters from a 1950s expansion of the downtown Gilbert building.

Then he gestures to the cement floor, where the faint imprints of long-gone retail shelves are still visible. He moves his foot over the well-worn area where a cashier stood for seven-plus decades.

“This whole building kinda tells a story,” Johnston says.

Tuesday, Liberty Market begins a new chapter of that story, reopening as an urban marketplace and restaurant featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas.

It’s the latest venture from Johnston, owner of two popular Gilbert eateries: Joe’s Real BBQ, situated across Gilbert Road from Liberty Market, and Joe’s Farm Grill, built on the site of his family farm a few miles away.

• Slideshow: See more photos of the new Liberty Market

“When we were kids, we used to come here with our mother and buy meats,” he says. “Life is strange. I never envisioned owning it.”

But when Sam and Mary Brommert, who took over Liberty Market in the 1980s, decided to sell it in late 2005, Johnston (pictured below with chef David Traina) didn’t hesitate.

“I would look at this building from across the street at Joe’s,” he says. “I was afraid someone was going to turn it into an Osco.”

Instead, the historic market, which still sports its distinctive 50-year-old neon sign, will stay true to its roots while recognizing the changing lifestyles of today’s East Valley residents.

Just inside the entrance, cold cases hold ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads for the grab-and-go crowd. Retail shelves offer a variety of products, including olives, pasta, cheese and produce.

To the left is a pizza bar, where a huge, pecan-fueled Renato oven (the same model Chris Bianco uses at his acclaimed Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix) produces 11-inch, thin-crust pies.

Beyond the pizza bar, diners browse at a food counter with a salad display, a deli case, a hot slab (for frittatas and lasagna) and a bakery case.

Across the open dining area, which seats about 100, there’s an espresso bar with a fully restored 1965 Faema E61 espresso machine (pictured below), the model that revolutionized espresso technology, imported from Milan, Italy.

The kitchen, part of a new addition that increases Liberty Market to 6,000 square feet, juxtaposes a state-of-the-art Vulcan kitchen suite with the market’s 1955 meat slicer and a restored 1934 Hobart mixer.

“I’m not necessarily a nostalgia buff,” Johnston says. “I like combining the best of the new with the best of the old.”

Outside, a row of blue and silver chairs provide streetside seating along Page Avenue. A picnic area features 1930s tables and chairs from the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.

Even the new restrooms are unusual: There are five unisex stalls, each decorated by a different person. Johnston, a Vespa fan, painted one in the trademark colors of the Italian scooters. Traina (Delux, Café Terra Cotta) decorated another with kitchen utensils and recipes.

Says Johnston: “I think I’ve found my niche: Coming up with an idea people will enjoy and making it reality.”

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Pizzas: A wood-fired oven will produce a half-dozen thin-crust varieties, including a white pizza with grilled chicken (pictured below) and a veggie pizza dubbed “The Furlong” in honor of Agritopia farmer Clark Furlong. Also, Sicilian-style pizzas will be made in the kitchen and finished in the pizza oven.

Sandwiches: Look for gourmet offerings, such as a grilled cheese with Monterey Jack, cheddar, Manchego, oven-baked tomatoes and bacon. The Rancher, the most expensive at $12, features filet mignon, carmelized onions and Shaft’s Bleu cheese (pictured below). “As we evolve, we’ll use the pizza oven to make the bread,” Traina says.

Salads: The highlight is The Rancher, a sibling to the sandwich, made with flank steak. “I think our food is simple yet flavorful,” Traina says. “We’re letting the fresh ingredients speak for themselves.”

Sides: The focus is on fresh produce, such as corn-and-tomato kidney bean salad, roasted sweet potato salad (the perfect accompaniment to a turkey sandwich, Traina says), roasted green bean salad, hummus and fresh fruits in a housemade simple syrup.

Desserts: Look for several kinds of cake — especially a decadent red velvet — as well as cookies and brownies.

Breakfast: Highlights are a fried egg panini, a selection of pastries and a frittata of the day.

Beer: A dozen bottled selections cover all categories from Estrella Damn imported from Barcelona to Dogfish Head’s 90 Minute IPA from Delaware. Also offered is canned Giuinness with its patented nitrogen surger.

Wines: A dozen wines the glass are offered daily, starting at $6 and going up to $12 for Swanson Merlot. Looks generous pours (four glasses per bottle). About two dozen wines are available by bottle.

Liberty Market
Where: 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert (between Elliot and Guadalupe roads)
Open: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday
Prices: Salads $6-$10, sandwiches $7.50-$12, pizzas $7-$11, desserts $2-$5.
Info: (480) 892-1900 or libertymarket.com.

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