Dining Beyond the Chains

The Hollow

This incongruous little spot plants the flag for modern Franco-American cuisine in the heart of an old-fashioned Texas town square. Just a little over a year old, the Hollow pairs white tablecloth dining with a cheeky insouciance that manifests itself in menu descriptors like "floofy pancakes" ($10), "John Cou­gar Mellenpork" ($26), and dishes containing "pickled things" and "love and roquettes." They can get away with the cutesy ethos because chef Jacob Hilbert is nailing it on the execution. On a recent brunch visit, we were very impressed by the cured gravlax with crab cake ($14), the seared scallops atop decadent, creamy polenta ($16), and the mussels and cream "liaisoned" with eggs and fresh herbs ($13). The service was polite, professional, and nonintrusive, and the space married elegance with small-town shabby chic – no small aesthetic feat. This little upstart brasserie is definitely worth the 30-minute drive north.