Executive Chef Jacob Hilbert said his goal in opening The Hollow in 2013 was to bring a cuisine to Georgetown that was unique but also specific to the ingredients that are native to the city and the surrounding Hill Country area.

The restaurant closed temporarily last summer but reopened with new ownership and Hilbert still running the kitchen, a change that Hilbert said put The Hollow, located on The Square in downtown Georgetown, in a better position to be the type of restaurant he always intended it to be.

“Over the last year, in terms of the way the restaurant’s operated, we’ve had a lot more freedom to express our original core mission,” he said.

Hilbert’s training and experience is primarily in French cuisine, which carries influence at The Hollow, he said. The restaurant’s menu includes a variety of small plates and main-course dishes featuring roast duck, salmon and Texas wagyu beef.

Although Georgetown is not necessarily a stranger to upscale dining, Hilbert said The Hollow’s entrance into the city came with some challenges in building a customer base. He acknowledged that part of that had to do with the restaurant’s menu prices—entrees generally range from $30-$50. But Hilbert said the process has been successful over the past few years and the restaurant has developed, “a wonderful relationship with the community.”

“The food that we do requires, to a greater extent, more trust from the community,” Hilbert said.

Juan Carlos Flores, who oversees the restaurant’s dining room and serves as sommelier, said he wants The Hollow to be seen by local diners as more than a restaurant to visit just for celebrations or special occasions. He has made efforts over the past year to highlight the restaurant’s vegetarian options as well as its wine and cocktail selections, he said.

Hilbert said The Hollow has also developed a strong connection with local farmers and food suppliers in Williamson and nearby counties.

“That’s the thing I’m most proud of—that The Hollow has been a hub, a real community restaurant hub for a lot of the farmers,” Hilbert said.

MONTHLY Cooking classes

Executive Chef Jacob Hilbert said The Hollow’s monthly cooking classes will return this fall, likely in October. Classes, which cost $50 per person and include a meal, feature interactive demonstrations on how to prepare certain food items, such as risotto, as well as discussion and conversation about the history of cooking ingredients and techniques.

The Hollow

708 S. Austin Ave., Georgetown 512-868-3300 www.thehollowbrasserie.com Hours: Tue.-Sat. 4:30-9 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.