 | Head to Chase Hall for an old camera “it’s a great decorative gift for a photography enthusiast. (Below) Auntie Abigail’s Antiques is the place to find kitsch and nostalgia items. |
McKinney on the Square
A modernista checks out the shopping scene in McKinney “and gives it a gold star.
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For those of you who know my modernist bent, let’s say that my first D Home assignment “a shopping review of McKinney “had this cub reporter curious. I had a vision of an old town square with a few shops filled with antiques and a lot of empty storefronts. What I found instead was a beehive “and I’m not talkin hair here, hon. I’m talking serious retailing, high on charm and discovery, in a vibrant, compressed collection of more than 100 shops, most chockablock with both old and new take-home tangibles from around the globe or a recent local estate sale.
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| Merchants in McKinney’s square are a happy and friendly lot. Just ask Cheryl Riley. (Right) Tokolisa has an extensive selection of Indonesian furniture and artifacts, such as this intricately carved entry wall that once stood outside an Indonesian home. |
When I set out on my first trip to McKinney, like an actor seeking to immerse myself in the character, I dialed up a country-and-western radio station and tapped my fingers to the rhythm of Cadillac Tears as I cruised along under an expansive sky, on my way to a fresh appreciation for what lies beyond our city limits.
The very first shopkeeper I encountered in McKinney was Kimberly Calhoun, the owner of Petals & Vine. Kimberly is Greek, so she sprinkles rose petals in front of her door each morning “a ritual of the ages” and pronounces a blessing on the store and all of the day’s customers. Kimberly describes her stock as antiques and eclectic accents for the human sanctuary. I found it to be a delightful mix of reproduction and antique furniture items. I particularly liked an iron plate rack with four decorative plates for $208 “I’m sure it’s settled nicely into a new castle in Frisco by now.
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My next stop was a colorful, cartoon-like shop exhibiting 1950s kitsch memorabilia. The well-edited collection is the work of Susie Fauver of Auntie Abigail’s Antiques. There I discovered an old, electric, vibrating metallic football field with gyrating players that reminded me of my own childhood. Ah, the memories.
A newcomer to McKinney’s square in the shop just next door to Auntie Abigails “is Vicki Woods Homepieces. Vicki migrated from Odessa to Plano to open her first shop, and now finds herself in a narrow jewel box of a space that features an intriguing mix of finds. I spotted a Victorian mourning mirror made of a Bakelite-type material called gutta percha for $59.
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| You’ll find beautiful beaded organza tablecloths and runners at Chase Hall. (Right, top) Need a gift on the go? Pick up one of C.J. Riley & Company’s boxed and bowed teddy bears. (Right, bottom) Pace yourself; all that shopping is sure to give you an appetite. You can find everything from tea rooms to home-cooking to old-fashioned soda-fountain fare, right on the square. |
Just down the way, Lissa Rogers Chase Hall has an elegant approach to antiques and accessories. I was pleased to learn that when Lissa and her team were building the space, they uncovered an old sign, circa 1888, painted on their inside wall, which at one time was the outside wall of the grocery store next door. They cleaned it and left it as a daily testament to their love of all things old. As for the shopping at Chase Hall, among Lissa’s wares I found an 1860s card table made of Amboyna wood for $2,000. A matching pair of chairs were tagged $250.
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Visiting One of a Kind felt like entering a haunted house “in a good way. It was loaded with unique, old, rusty, and/or chipped offerings, from old Santos pieces to architectural elements. Just don’t step on the dog when he’s having his nap.
One of the last things I expected to find in McKinney was a collection of antiques from India and Indonesia. So imagine my surprise (and delight) when I stumbled upon the large ceramic urns, ritual drums, and carved furniture at Tokolisa and the intriguing collection of ornate, hand-painted Hindu temples from the 1910s at Alternative Furnishings. Mixed in with the Asian influences are reproductions from Mexico that surprised my eye—especially the retablo paintings that appeared so old. And then you see the price: $80 “a great find.
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If you want to take your McKinney experience to a whole new level, step into the zany, wall-to-wall chaos made orderly by Cheryl Riley and her co-conspirators in the merry campground called C.J. Riley & Company. A mirror frame constructed of old ceramic teacups and plates for $300 is just one of the surprises hiding around each corner.
It’s not easy to scour thousands and thousands of items without some sort of juxtaposition “aka the segue factor. Antique malls, in general, have difficulty with this approach, since they are usually composed of scores of individual, unmanned stalls. While there are several of these large-format malls in McKinney, and they are fun to explore, my vote goes to two favorites: The Antique Collection, with its clean, well-lit approach, and Estate Antique Mall, where I found an elegant bamboo-over-porcelain striped vase for $35 and a beautiful black-and-white Spode bowl for $25.
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| Kimberly Calhoun scatters rose petals in front of her McKinney store, Petals & Vine, each morning. |
I discovered scores of other interesting stores during my trips—too many to exhibit here—but I can’t leave you without a few more recommendations. The Book Gallery is a great shop for old and rare books. Shopping for baby or a mother-to-be? Head for Baby Abode and The Crib Gallery. Just a Little Western has a fun”you guessed it “Western collection of goods, and Orisons, though primarily stocked with apparel and jewelry, has some ethnic masks to offer.
So it’s safe to say that I’m a new convert to McKinney, with its purified, enjoyable density of dedicated merchandising, minus the big-box retailers and developers. Now that you have my recipe for adventure, put on some jeans, hide that cell phone, and journey north to a world of friendly smiles and 15 miles an hour. It’s Texas out there “breathe deep the scent of moist, black dirt. You’re so close.
Where to Eat
Grab a seat in Herby’s Soda Fountain, where they play 1950s tunes on the Wurlitzer while your soft drink is fizzed with real carbonated soda. If you’re up to the extra calories, ask them to make you a Blue Bell ice cream float.
Looking for lunch? There are several options right on the square. For Texas twang, you want Prison Bars & Grill, a registered Texas landmark housed in an old 19th-century prison. China Gate offers a huge, 80-item Chinese buffet, all fresh and steaming, for an amazingly affordable $6.29. Locals rave about the Sweet Tomato Garden Cafe, which falls into the down-home cooking category. For more comfort food choices, join the crowd in The Pantry, or take the quieter mode of The Opera House “try the chicken tetrazzini, my personal favorite. Owner Jeanne Kretz says she specializes in Junior League cooking. She bought the 1880s building in 1980, and it’s got quite a history. Ask Jeanne for all the details.
For your evening meal, your two best choices are Goodhues Wood Fired Grill, a source of local pride, and Mama Emilia’s, an Italian classic with an elegant interior reminiscent of 1920s Chicago. Both are worth the drive north, regardless of your shopping plans.
