Whenever we get the chance, Robert and I like to check out Main Street in the town we are visiting. Sometimes we find abandoned businesses, a street that once was, and sometimes we find a thriving community. Georgetown, Texas has a downtown square that is definitely thriving. There are restaurants, a coffee shop, and a variety of shops with the courthouse anchoring it all in the center.
The square offers a variety of shops and restaurants. So often you find a downtown filled with antique malls and boutiques but Georgetown surprised us with much more variety. There are a few boutique and home decor shops but also a handmade crafts market, a more upscale craft boutique (think stained glass, art wind chimes), a dog friendly used bookstore, an independent bookstore, a few clothing shops and some restaurants. The Williamson County Sun newspaper office is also on the square, along with a small visitor’s center.
The two antique shops I ventured into were not the jumbled, musty mess one frequently finds, but nicely arranged shops with a wide variety of reasonably priced items. We especially enjoyed Rough & Ready Antiques at 6th and Mai which had a nice selection with some Western flair.
Another stand-out was Dog-Eared Books which is a dog-friendly bookstore. The used book shop was packed with books, but they were arranged well so it wasn’t difficult to locate what you were looking for. The children’s section was on the second level, accessible by a curving staircase next to a stone wall. There were some nice reading nooks on the upper level – great places for kids to spend some time while Mom and Dad shop or even for grown-ups to read a little before heading home.
My personal favorite, and the biggest surprise, was Cianfrani Coffee Company. I went in, looking for a nice cup of coffee. I found that and a coffee shop that roasts it’s own coffee beans. There was a special Sunday roasting going on which was filling the shop with a rich coffee aroma. The shop was bright and pleasant and my coffee was great but it was the beans roasted on site that put this on my list of places to visit again. I picked up a bag of the Chisolm Trail blend to bring home.
We also had lunch at Wildfire. The lunch menu was well priced for a place with white linen tablecloths, which surprised us. I had a blackened tuna salad which was nice, though nothing out of the ordinary. I also had French Onion soup – perfect for the cool, rainy day, but it was so salty I couldn’t finish it. Robert had an oak-fired chicken parmesan which he enjoyed, but again, it was nothing amazing. Reading the menu for the Sunday brunch made me want to visit again though. With choices like gingerbread and buttermilk pancakes, almond French toast, migas and chorizo chiliques I was definitely wishing we had arrived in time for brunch. Having Wildfire on the square was definitely a nice option to the dining choices. There was Mexican food nearby, a bistro, the Monument Cafe – a fun looking diner, and a few other choices.
Georgetown has the kind of square that makes me want to book a B&B weekend with friends, eat good food, shop for antiques, books and treasures and just explore and enjoy all that is available.
