Small-town travel: Tipp City, Ohio, for charm and great food

Dine and shop in small-town Tipp City, Ohio

For a city almost 200 years old, Tipp City, Ohio, feels remarkably fresh and current. Historic Main Street is lined with nostalgic buildings, but the businesses inside are full of modern energy. It’s one of the charming towns perfect for Ohio travel.

It’s a perfect small town getaway for a girl’s day out.

Why Tipp City?

My criteria for a small-town getaway includes charming, walkable streets, great restaurants, interesting shopping and a little culture and history. That’s what I’ve found in Tipp City.

Let’s start with food

I love to find interesting dining experiences with great-tasting food. And Tipp City, Ohio, has a range of experiences, all with great-tasting food.

• Coldwater Cafe: Everything about this cafe is wonderful. You enter into a cozy, welcoming waiting area and bar with a fireplace and charming furnishings. As you walk through the restaurant, once an old bank building, you’re led into the vault to dine. The service is top-notch in my experience, and the food is divine. Save room for dessert — they’re fresh and homemade. Coldwater Cafe

• Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant: At the other end of the dining spectrum is Sam and Ethel’s Restaurant. It’s like stepping back into the 1940s, when this diner opened. The menu is full of delicious home-style meals, including French toast and a tuna melt sandwich. We had a classic breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast.

• Harrison’s: Brick walls and old photos give this restaurant a comfortable, small-town feel. Steaks, chops and burgers are fan favorites, and you’ll find old-school daily specials like barbecue pork chops and cabbage rolls. Harrisons.com
• Tony’s Bada Bing: If you’re looking for a throwback neighborhood bar, step into Tony’s. It’s also on Main Street and is exactly the kind of place you hope exists in small-town America.

Shopping in Tipp City, Ohio

Among the shops along Historic Main Street, you’ll find a world-class boutique, a charming toy store, a fabulous used book store and a wonderful antique mall — all locally owned and operated.

• The Hotel Gallery: Housed in an 1840s historic hotel, this lovely boutique seems to go on forever, with rooms and rooms of locally made pottery, artwork, one-of-a-kind jewelry and clothing. It also sells local honey, food items, candles and boots. They’ve been in business for more than 30 years, and you feel at home as soon as you walk in the door.
• Browse Awhile Books: My husband and I go to a lot of used book stores, and you’d have to look long and hard to find another used book store as extensive and well-organized as Browse Awhile Books. It houses more than 150,000 books on every topic you can imagine — including fiction, mystery, history, science fiction and a fabulous collection of vintage cookbooks.
• Topsy Turvy Toys: Once upon a time, every town had a toy store, but in these days of big-box stores and online shopping, it’s rare to find a carefully curated selection of toys. Topsy Turvy Toys offers just such an experience, with toys for children of all ages, from babies and toddlers to the kid in all of us. Topsy Turvy also has locations in New Bremen, Ohio, and Greenville, Ohio.
• Midwest Memories Antique Mall: Like most antique malls, Midwest Memories is made up of individual booths, so you never know what you’re going to find. Over the years, I’ve scored some of my favorite antiques at this mall. The inventory turns over fairly quickly, and the prices are good.

History of Tipp City

Tipp City was founded in 1840 as Tippecanoe City. It was named for presidential candidate William Henry Harrison, whose nickname was Tippecanoe after he fought at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

The city grew up along the Miami and Erie Canal. You can still see remnants of the dry canal locks at a park east of the city.

More small-town travel in Ohio

I love small towns, and Ohio has so many wonderful ones. Here are some of my favorites:

• Lebanon, Ohio: You’ll find tons of shops and the oldest continuously operating hotel in Ohio .
• Granville, Ohio: Stay at the Granville Inn and enjoy the beautiful New England-style town.
• Yellow Springs, Ohio: Quirky Yellow Springs feels like a trip back to the ’70s.