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We Bay Area-ites tend to zip through Auburn on our way to Tahoe or points north, stopping to grab a quick bite, perhaps, or marvel at the city’s iconic courthouse dome gleaming in the autumn sunlight. But this charming Gold Rush-era city has so many modern, cosmopolitan charms, it should be a destination of its own.
The heart of the city began as a Gold Rush mining town — California’s oldest, actually. Even today, Old Town exerts a powerful sense of the past. A vintage pump engine resides inside the crimson-striped old firehouse, and historic buildings dot the lanes. But a stroll through this old quarter yields plenty of surprises, from cool little boutiques to a creekside eatery, cult-fave brewery and a hip new espresso-craft beer bar, dubbed The Pour Choice.
Here’s just a sampling of spots to explore.
1 Eat & Drink: Trendy taps
Billed as a craft coffee and tap room, Auburn’s year-old Pour Choice is part of the new espresso-beer bar trend, the type of place where you can get a Hazy IPA, a glass of rosé or a caffeinated buzz — Verve lavender latte, anyone? — in the heart of Old Town. Pair that with avocado toast ($7) or a charcuterie platter ($14-$24), or dip into the just-introduced fall menu, which includes a terrific Thai squash soup and a riff on the grilled cheese theme that tucks Gouda, chevre and bacon between slices of ciabatta.
This sleek, narrow spot is lined with glossy black subway tile and illuminated with bulbous Edison lights. Black and white French cafe furniture is tucked along the walls on the main floor and upstairs. And a terrace, strung with cafe lights and emblazoned with a witty motto — “Good people, pour choices” — offers an al fresco option for warm weather. It’s kid-friendly, too.
Details: Open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, until midnight Friday-Saturday and 12:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays at 177 Sacramento St., Auburn; thepourchoice.com.
2 PLAY: Go boutique-ing
Old Town’s lanes and alleys are lined with dozens of antique stores, gift shops and jewelry boutiques. You could spend an entire day just shop hopping. But it was the winsome windows of Porch Swing Pickings, which stocks handmade and upcycled vintage gifts, kitchen items and home decor, that had us plastered against the glass, waiting for the doors to open at 10 a.m. Inside, whimsical signs, soft plaid pumpkins and painted wooden ghosts demanded to be taken home at once.
(Psst, if you have little ones, be sure to check out the Gosh n Golly children’s and infant boutique next door, too.)
Details: Porch Swing Pickings is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday at 345 Commercial St.; www.porchswingpickings.com.
3 EAT: Creekside bites
With its woodsy setting and babbling creek, Auburn’s Brookside Grill seems like a hidden treasure, a secret spot that feels like an airy treehouse — one with terrific, giant bacon burgers and housemade lemonade.
The restaurant’s decks sit on either side of the creek, linked by a small wooden bridge. Bright yellow umbrellas provide shade for the cheery tables and crimson-cushioned chairs. And that great stack of napkins that arrives along with your towering, cheese-draped burger ($14)? You’re going to need it for all that drippy deliciousness. The BLAT ($13.75), avocado joins the usual BLT suspects on toasted sourdough, is wonderful, too.
Details: Open for lunch daily and for breakfast/brunch on weekends at 111 Sacramento St.; www.brookside-grill.com.
4 PLAY: Gold nuggets and holograms
That bronze dome you glimpse from the highway is more than a lovely landmark. It sits atop the city’s historic courthouse, where the Placer County Museum’s interesting exhibits line the first floor. Inside, a holographic gold miner pans for gold — sway a bit for the full effect — and a safe holds the Placer County Gold Collection, 48 samples of unrefined gold in all its strange, glittering wonder.
The displays cover several centuries of history, from the early Nisenan inhabitants to 20th century life, including a playful exhibit that wonders “What Killed the American Hat?” (Despite her penchant for pillbox hats, Jackie Kennedy is considered a suspect.) And if you’re a Thomas Kinkade fan, check out his “Auburn Centennial” painting in the lobby.
Don’t miss taking a peek at the women’s prison on the ground floor, under a portico. Push the button to illuminate what looks to have been very unpleasant lodgings.
Details: Free. Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 101 Maple St.; www.placer.ca.gov.
5 PLAY: Historic walks
Time your trip just right and you’ll hit the courthouse on a Saturday morning, when docents lead free hour-long walking tours of Old Town. Rendezvous at the courthouse at 10 a.m., then stroll down the lanes as you learn about the town’s history, that scarlet-striped firehouse, the miners’ hospital built in 1855 and more.
You’ll also get the backstory on the 45-ton concrete gold miner that stands at the entrance to Old Town. It’s Claude Chana, whose discovery of gold here, just months after the Sutter’s Mill find, was commemorated by local dentist and sculptor Ken Fox in the 1970s.
6 EAT & SIP: Old school taps
From its Fool’s Gold pale ale to the Gold Digger IPA — billed as “a nugget James Marshall missed” — the taps at the venerable Auburn Alehouse issue a siren call. This is the place to grab a bite, too. Lines linger outside, as hungry, thirsty visitors wait for a table inside the brick-walled gastropub or out on the twinkle-lit patio. And the menu options range from fish tacos ($12), filled with battered cod and Asian slaw, to burgers ($12-$13) in both beefy and jalapeno-black bean versions.
The Alehouse digs are historic: This is the American Block Building, built in 1856, after a catastrophic fire swept through town and destroyed 80 buildings. Ponder those brick walls as you wait for your table — a wait is inevitable — or use the time to stroll through town. Your phone will ping when your table’s ready.
Details: Open for lunch and dinner daily, as well as weekend brunch at 289 Washington St.; http://auburnalehouse.com
7 PLAY: Arty pursuits
And what better way to while away that wait than by stepping into the Old Town Gallery, an artists’ cooperative tucked in the old livery stable just a few doors down? Some 60 local artists display and sell their work here, from painter Victoria Brooks to whimsical gourd artist Jenn Norpchen. The airy gallery is a great spot to browse, shop for gifts and discover artists.
Details: Open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; until 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday at 218 Washington St.; www.auburnoldtowngallery.com.