The genesis of this idea – this column – came to me when we began traveling Central Texas a lot, mostly on our Daytripping Thursdays, and when you get to a town or area that is new to you, maybe you don’t know where all the cool places are where the locals go. Sometimes they have a tourist guide available, and those show all the few really popular places that have been around a long time, but it isn’t until you start talking to the locals that you find the shops and joints everyone doesn’t always know about. Every time we’re out and about, I privately wish we had our own local tour guide. Well, that’s what we’re doing here. We’re hoping to highlight some great places that we really enjoy. And this particular episode is right on brand.
Hidden Gems.
Sometimes these are newer businesses, and they don’t have the money to do a lot of advertising, and sometimes the cool little hidden gems don’t have the best location, or they’ve moved, or sometimes there are a lot of other reasons a new visitor might not know about these places.
5 Things! isn’t a popularity contest, and I can’t mention every place that’s great or that perfectly fits the category of the column because we’re limited to 5 Things per article. This feature is really just my way of showing you some of the sweet places we’ve found that we wish more people knew about. Some establishments do a lot of things really well, and we can’t include them in every article because we want to spread it around a little bit. Sure, we’ll eventually double back and include a business in another category, it’s inevitable (and soon,) but we’re just trying to show interesting places you will want to visit.
Ricochet Thrift and Consignment Store
Ricochet isn’t really literally “hidden.” It’s right on the main thoroughfare through Brownwood at 705 W Commerce St., but if you aren’t looking or paying attention, you might miss it. In this sense, Ricochet is a hidden gem and it is full of hidden gems. Like a Matryoshka Russian Nesting Doll, if you get the allusion. If you’re on a trip to Brownwood, stop here early on during your trip so you still have room in your car for the cool things you’ll inevitably find and want to buy from this place.
This store is one of our favorite little shops. We’ve been visiting Ricochet for years, usually several times a month, and we’re always greeted with a friendly face. Ricochet is packed with cool vintage finds and nostalgia too! I’ve bought dozens of classic jazz and swing-era vinyl records there, awesome old books, not to mention antique glassware, and other amazing finds. I once bought a cool mid-century phone that was built into a wooden desktop box, like something 007 would have used! We like to spend time here, checking out all the new (old) stuff that comes in almost every day. Also, I would be remiss not to mention that the prices are really good. These aren’t “antique store” prices. This is a true thrift and consignment store, and you’ll love it as much as we do.
Los Trece
What a cool place this is! And a little off the beaten path. Los Trece bills itself as a “Performance and Event Venue,” but it’s really so much more. This little Old West Town is really exactly that. Built like a movie set for all of the old western movies you ever loved (complete with Old West characters and occasional shootouts in the dusty streets,) Los Trece is also an outdoor seating restaurant, bar, and live music venue. Head on out to 3901 Hwy 84-183 East, just a few minutes from Early. You can be there from our little downtown Brownwood apartment in ten to twelve minutes. It’s hot as blazes in Central Texas as I write this, but you’ll find a chilly drink and a whole lot of cool things to look at and do in this little “town.”
Over The Rainbow Ice Cream
“How has business been,” I asked the owner.
“Really good. The heat has helped.”
No joke! Danielle and I slipped out into the baking heat of downtown and walked the half block around to Baker Street and then another block down to the corner of Baker and Fisk. Right across from the old Brownwood Hotel, and catercorner to the old Teddy’s Brewhouse you’ll find Over the Rainbow Ice Cream. Officially the address is 201 Fisk, but they have an entrance on Baker Street as well. I ordered the Mint Chip and Danielle ordered the Cookies and Cream. This is some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had, and the nostalgia flows over me as I remember back in the 70s when we still called Baskin-Robbins “31 Flavors” and as a special treat our parents would take us in and let us get a scoop. I’m not comparing Over the Rainbow to Baskin-Robbins, because I think OTR is way better. I’m just comparing the experiences. OTRs ice creams are expertly made right in-house, and the store is inviting and comfortable. Push through from the heat into the cool air and look through the glass cabinet to pick your own treat. I don’t know if I’ll get in trouble for this, but Danielle got a homemade cookie too! They also have shakes, floats, and coffee available. Now is the perfect time to give them a try. Believe me, if you do, you’ll be back.
Matt’s Mantiques & Mercantile
This great little gem is double-great because I can see it from my front window. Matt Arrington and his wife Skye opened this shop first over on Adams Street, but as soon as they could they moved over here to 301 Brown Street, just a half block down from our little apartment.
As is implied in the name, Matt’s Mantiques is a man-store, which ironically makes it the perfect shopping place for women. In fact, spying out my window or sitting on my front stoop surveying downtown, I see more women going into the store to shop for husbands, sons, fathers, and boyfriends, than I see men. Matt’s has a rich and wide selection of everything men like… sports collectibles, tobacciana, bar accessories, belts, hats, vintage pieces, photos, wall art, antique signs, golf apparel, Brownwood gear, trinkets, you name it. They even have pickleball gear. I buy my deodorant there!
I struggled for a while about where and when I wanted to include Matt’s Mantiques in this column. I’m doing one soon on 5 Great Places to Get Coffee, and Matt’s has great coffee… and it’s free! Stop by anytime and get some coffee and hang out! But… I decided to include him here because this place really defines what a “Hidden Gem” really is. If you’re from out of town, live out in the county, or just don’t come downtown very often – make a plan to come in and visit Matt’s. You might even see me a half a block up, sitting on my step, smoking a hand-rolled cigar.
Sliger’s Market
Sliger’s isn’t where it used to be, and that makes it more of a hidden gem than it was 15 years ago. We used to bring the children into town, and we’d go by Sliger’s when it was on the main thoroughfare in town, and when it was hot like this and our own tomatoes wouldn’t produce, we’d buy a dozen flats of tomatoes for making salsa and tomato sauce to put in the root cellar for winter. We’d buy our plants for the spring and fall gardens, trees when we needed to plant some, and peaches when our own trees didn’t produce. Sliger’s, now found at 2909 Coggin Ave., is everything you want in a small, locally owned and operated grocery and nursery. It’s smaller, but just as awesome as it used to be, with flats of fresh, usually locally grown fruits and vegetables. They have seeds for the fall garden, specialty candies, goodies for your charcuterie tray, locally produced canned and pickled delicacies, coolers full of eggs, butter, cheeses, and a dozen other needful things. Today we picked up a dozen eggs, fresh peaches from Idalou, oranges, and some mushrooms too.
Is this the kind of place you want to visit when you’re visiting from out of town? Of course! Even if you’re staying in a motel or planning on going to a movie, stop in and get some specialty candies just like they had in the old days. Personally, I love little joints like this which remind me of a scene from Green Acres, or where the locals come in and shop away from the big chain grocery stores up on Commerce. Give ‘em a try, and I think you’ll love it there too.
Ok, that’s it for this episode. I hope you’re enjoying these columns. If you know of, or own, a business that you’d like to see featured in 5 Things! don’t hesitate to send me an email: [email protected]
Michael Bunker is a local columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose posts appear periodically on the website.