Downtown Mesa guide: 6 restaurants, bars and attractions to try

I recently moved away from Mesa, and I'm already missing the delightfully quirky buzz of downtown and the inviting restaurants in the Asian District.

The big picture: Here's how I'd spend the perfect day in my former city:

☕ Coffee: Stop by Jarrod's Coffee, Tea & Gallery , which just moved off Main Street to a darling bungalow at University Drive and Macdonald. It has plenty of cozy corners for enjoying your drink of choice.

📚 Morning activity: Browse the 5,000 square feet of treasures at Book Gallery , an overflowing bookstore with rare finds.

🥪 Lunch: Grab a bite at my favorite sandwich shop, Worth Takeaway . I almost always choose the Buffalo Chicken , which is delicious on a roll or as a salad.

🖼️ Afternoon activity: Wander the halls of the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum , an underrated (and free!) gallery.

🍛 Dinner: Head to H Mart in the Asian District, where you'll find more than a half-dozen food stalls like Maisen Katsu (Japanese) and Da Pan Danny's Kitchen (Korean).

🍻 Late night fun: Chart a pub crawl through downtown Mesa's burgeoning bar scene. Try a unique sipper at Cider Corps , a locally brewed ale at Phantom Fox Beer Co. and a fancy cocktail at Espiritu .