Hello!
I recently was feeling nostalgic and wanted to visit my old college town to see how it has changed for better or worse. I am an alum of Ashland University and I periodically miss those days, though they say you can never go back. If only. One of the things I loved about attending school there was being out in the quiet country. There was no hustle and bustle or noise of city life (or a more populated suburb). I miss the sense of peace it brought me. However, in recent years, they have built it up near the highway. More chain restaurants, apartments, and large corporations. I'm happy the college students have more options because some were really needed, but it definitely has made it noisier and ruined some of the country feel. I'm happy that the historic downtown closer to the university is being preserved with it's stunning architectural buildings and new small businesses. I wanted to take a look and see what downtown Ashland has to offer, with the help of another Ashland alum who still lives in the area and gave great suggestions.
Per suggestion from my fellow alum, we had brunch at Bella's 220. This small bakery and restaurant packs the charm with its vintage decor, wonderful staff, and lots of cute items on display that are for sale. The bakery items and food are made from scratch daily. One of my favorite and underrated breakfast foods is quiche, and I was thrilled to see it on the menu. That day's flavor was ham and broccoli. It was very fluffy and flavorful. There was plenty of ham, cheese, and broccoli throughout. The crust was very flakey, but a little dark for my preference. The side salad was very fresh and light. I loved the fruit and veggie combination. It's very much like I make my salads at home-throw everything in I can find. The house vidalia onion dressing is fantastic. The chicken bacon ranch sandwich is one of the best I've had. The bacon was thick and crispy, the chicken was tender throughout, and the homemade bun was *chefs kiss* SO good. Their housemade chips are very crunchy and not at all greasy. The reuben was recommended by our waitress. It wasn't piled high, but that allowed the ability to taste every component on the sandwich. It wasn't greasy at all nor was it heavy on any ingredient. As weird as it is to say, that is the most balanced reuben I've ever tasted. The soup of the day was potato corn chowder. It came out very hot, flavorful, and had plenty of potatoes in it. We took some bakery items to go, and enjoyed every single one of them.
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The bakery/to go section when you first walk in
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Dining area
 | Potato Corn Chowder
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 | Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich & Housemade Chips
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 | | Reuben |
 | Quiche & Side Salad
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One of the shops we visited is Fig & Oak. They are a "give back gift shop," per their website, meaning a portion of every purchase goes to a charity or cause. I loved the variety in this shop. From soaps, to pet treats and items, art, jewelry, kitchen tools, toys, candles, books, and more. I could've easily spent an hour or so looking at everything, and it's not even a huge place! Everything is smartly displayed and it is definitely one of the more well-rounded gift shops I've ever been in with all the options it offers. It makes it easy to find something for everyone, or to treat yourself, in one place.
Antiques on Main is a shop that has been downtown for many years. It was there when I was in school, and I'm sure has been there for years prior to that. I wasn't able to find an exact year for how long they've been there, but it is a vintage shop with a variety of antiques, collectables, furniture, toys, etc...They have a basement as well (complete with some creepy antique dolls 😬) so you can spend a lot of time looking around!
Downtown Perk is a coffee shop that has been there since I was at the university. They shared a space with a boutique that was in the front, and they were located in the back. They eventually bought out the front of the shop and added a seating area while expanding the menu to include food items as well as more coffee options. This was my favorite coffee shop away from campus. I have also visited a few times since they expanded and started offering food, and I still love it. One of my favorite things about them is that they have always had these little round tables near the register that have historic photos of Ashland. I usually sit there when I visit. The staff has always been super friendly and patient with me, my mother, and my grandmother's indecisiveness on coffee flavors. They are one of the coffee shops that isn't afraid to serve coffee piping hot, as it should be. The food menu has options like bakery items, flatbreads, sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, and more. Very simple menu items, but done well. We didn't get food this visit, but we tried a couple of flavored lattes: the Toasted Campfire and Raspberry Truffle. The Toasted Campfire was very subtle with the marshmallow and graham flavors. As a smore lover, it wasn't enough for me, but I know adding more would've made it very sweet. The Raspberry Truffle was delightful. Lots of raspberry flavor, not overly sweet, and oh so creamy. Before you leave, don't forget to check out the surprise Floral and Gift Boutique in the back!
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| The back of the shop where you place your order |
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| The front of the shop which now has additional seating |
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| One of my favorite tables with the old photos of Ashland |
Chicory Witch is a shop with magical goods and handmade items from local artists. They have items such as candles, tshirts, incense, crystals, books, jewelry, apothecary goods, etc... While the location is very small and the options are limited, I like the quirkiness of this shop. I enjoyed the art supplies and stationary and everything with cats on it, but also a lot of the fun, handmade items that made me stop and say, "What is this?"
We popped into Whoopsie Daisy Boutique, which is a super cute shop for babies and kids with toys, crafts, clothing, and accessories. They have some really fun and unique things! I would've loved to browse and buy some things that the child in me would've wanted, but other people in my group wanted to move along to see other shops before they started closing.
The Farm & Home Hardware store is a hidden gem. It's large, so maybe not quite so hidden, but I had never been here before. I could spend an entire day in here. One side of the store has women's clothing, jewelry, gifts, and toys. Then you have kitchenware, paint, outdoor furniture, grills, gardening supplies, and lawn care. Not to mention the section with various options of boots, mens clothing, everything Yeti has to offer, and I'm sure that isn't all of it. Make a restaurant or cafe in the back, and there would be no reason to ever leave. This was honestly one of my highlights of the day and I WILL be back.
Shearer Creations & Boutique is one of the women's clothing stores downtown. It is decorated very simply, yet beautifully. The owner greeted us and was super kind and friendly. The clothing here is more trendy and basic (as far as colors), and I liked how easy it was to navigate and put an outfit together. The items are very reasonably priced compared to other clothing boutiques I've been to. It's worth noting that as of when we went, there are no plus sizes and some styles only go to a L or XL. That may or may not change in the future since she's only been open for a year, but I love the aesthetic of the store and will start making trips to shop.
Another new women's clothing boutique that I loved was Opal and Olive. I adore how this is decorated. I walked in and gasped, "It's so pretty in here!" There are a variety of styles and colors, and I wanted so many of them! Plus, they also carry sizes S-3X. Price-wise was average. Not as low as Shearer Creations & Boutique, but not as high as other boutiques. No one is asking $100 for a sweater here. There are also some fun pet items, jewelry, and accessories as well. I left texting my friend that we need to start making shopping trips to these boutiques.
We had dinner at South Street Grille. This restaurant leans heavily on barbecue flavors, which isn't particular one of my favorites. We tried the Meat Candy per reviews, which are smoked pork belly burnt ends. They did have great flavor and were sweet and salty, but there were some chewy pieces. The Mary Poppers were perfectly spicy, and I loved the cheddar oozing out of the jalapeno. They had a slight char flavor and the ranch dipping sauce balances the whole thing. However, they were very salty due to being wrapped in bacon. The side salad was a basic one, and their house ranch was decent. My favorite item was actually the veggie pasta. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the veggies were tender and flavorful. I couldn't stop eating it. I didn't get to try any this time, but I hear their ice cream pies are great.
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| Meat Candy |
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| Mary Poppers |
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| Side Salad |
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| Veggie Pasta |
I enjoy a trip down memory lane and any excuse to visit my alma mater. While the build up near the highway is a disappointment, I love the preservation of downtown Ashland and the small shops. I've started making a point to cut down on spending money on chain stores and restaurants, and start supporting small businesses. I love seeing people live out their dreams and I want to be a part of it. We had plenty of little fun surprises while walking around, met some great people, and found some places we will definitely be returning to. And hey, if nothing else, it gives an excuse to stop at Grandpa's Cheesebarn and Sweetie's Chocolates.
Have you been to downtown Ashland? What shops or restaurants do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments!
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