http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/travel/06/08/0608smiles.html

 

Photo by Larry Kolvoord AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Salado’s popular with other wedding couples, of course, including these newlyweds cruising the streets of the historic village, which was named in 1860. Below, Roy T’s Old Salado Bakery offers blue plate specials, pizza and baked goods with a New Orleans touch: homemade beignets.

Photo by Larry Kolvoord AMERICAN-STATESMAN

TRAVEL

Jenna Bush puts sleepy Salado on the map

Known for its galleries, restaurants and shopping, now this quaint village has star appeal.

By Candace Birkelbach
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sunday, June 08, 2008

SALADO — This quaint village north of Austin, which bills itself as “artfully yours,” already was on most Central Texans’ list of places to visit. With galleries, fine shops, restaurants and a beautiful creek, it’s a natural place to escape the chaos of big city life.

But lately it’s been buzzing for a different reason thanks to Jenna Bush’s super secret bridal luncheon at Salado’s Inn on the Creek and “Texas-Sized Celebration” at Salado’s Silver Spur Theater.

Inn owner Will Lowery admitted with a laugh that the village had never seen anything this big.

I decided to check in and see how Salado is doing after the entourage rolled into, and out of, town. Fortunately, all the hubbub has died down, returning the area to the serenity for which it is known.

My first stop was Roy T’s Old Salado Bakery to get my caffeine fix. This place has a locals-only vibe, but don’t worry about looking clueless when you walk into the shop. Owner Roy “Knox” Tyson quickly pegged me as an “I-35er,” someone who just pulled in from the highway that runs directly in front of the shop, and helped me sort through the menu. If the homemade doughnuts and beignets don’t make you a lifetime patron of this New-Orleans style bakery, the coffee is sure to win you over. What’s with the New Orleans theme? Tyson went to Tulane University and fell in love with the Big Easy.

The Salado College T-shirts adorning the walls are a nod to the first co-ed college in Texas, which burned down in the 1920s. (Ask about getting an honorary degree!)

There are also daily blue plate specials and the family’s own unique recipe for Manhattan-style pizza. And you can wash it down with a classic Dublin Dr Pepper.

But time now to shop.

Horsefeathers has home décor items to suit any taste. And if you buy something, designer Diana Woolard will follow you home to help you figure out where to put it. I found some interesting candles (lemonade, fried green tomato and cashmere scents), lamps, trinkets, furniture and paintings that I would be happy to place in my home.

Mud Pies Pottery offers colorful handmade pottery. Want to make your own? There are pottery classes for adults and children. And please, try the 46 flavors of fudge, including chocolate cherry walnut, armadillo crunch and key lime.

OK, I’ve had my morning fudge; now it’s time for lunch.

The Ambrosia Tea Room is next door and serves fresh salads, chilled strawberry soup and ginger peach tea. And as 31-year Salado resident Robert Denman told me, men are allowed to eat in tea rooms.

But Browning’s Cafe across the street also offers salads and classic sandwiches such as chicken salad, tuna fish and pimento cheese. I opt for the homemade minestrone soup, and I made the right decision. The bold, rich tomato base of this soup made my mouth very happy, along with the fresh vegetables.

I’m curious to see where Jenna Bush set up camp during her wedding weekend, so I drop by the Silver Spur Theater (the only source of night life in the town, it offers over-the-top slapstick comedy with a touch of vaudeville). Owner Grainger Esch, sitting on the edge of the stage decked out in a red plaid shirt, black vest and cowboy hat, says in hindsight he is glad he didn’t know in advance because it would have been daunting to keep the secret.

Lowery says that when Bush arrived at the inn, she and her friends ran down to the creek, kicked off their shoes and walked through the water holding hot pink parasols.

He prides himself on maintaining a discreet inn where dignitaries can come for a peaceful evening. (The inn offers specialty dining for reservation only on Friday and Saturday nights, with a different four-course menu each week.)

My afternoon ended too soon, and I left town with a thought running through my head: “I wish I were older so I could retire and move here now.”

Birkelbach is an Austin freelance writer.

Worth checking out

Roy T’s Old Salado Bakery, 100 N. Church St. (254) 947-7181, www.oldsaladobakery.com.

Inn on the Creek, 602 Center Circle. (877) 947-5554, www.inncreek.com.

Salado Silver Spur Theater, Royal Street. (254) 947-3456, www.saladosilverspur.com.

Mud Pies Pottery,(254) 947-0281. www.mudpiespottery.com.

Salado Wine Seller (881-B N. Main St.) open for wine tastings Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday noon to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to 8 p.m. Five tastes for $3. Thursday is Ladies Only Night from 6 to 8 p.m. (254) 947-8011, www.saladowinery.com.

Fletchers Books and Antiques(945 N. Main St.). Eclectic items from estate sales. Civil War, religion and philosophy books. (254) 947-5414.

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