The gables and arches of Colonel Jesse Driskill's 1886 Austin hotel almost make it look a century younger, until you notice the steer heads and other fancy embellishments no one's doing these days. The Driskill Grill, AAA Four Diamond Award winner in 1994, is a warm, inviting place to eat. I lunched there, entertained by waitresses Charlotte Talbert and Artie Allen, both friendly and garrulous. Get there early for lunch and you'll have time for more hotel stories before the grill gets too busy. The decor here features ivory woodwork with pink, mauve and turquoise trim.
Fresh roses adorn marble table tops.
The ceiling is Victorian tin scrollwork. The background music is not overpowering. All are on Sixth Street within walking distance of The Driskill. Freelance writer Charlie McDonald makes his home in another historic Texas town, El Paso. Though George may never have rested his weary head in Middletown, the town came in for some heavy history during the Civil War.