Winchester, Tenn. — An hour’s drive from Chattanooga, the city of Winchester, Tenn., with its town square and vintage brick buildings, seems like a step back in time. An old movie theater, still in business, sits on a corner. Cars park for free along the main streets. An old Hammer’s department store continues to do brisk business.

City leaders are hoping that millions of dollars put into streetscaping and the restoration of buildings will encourage business-minded people to invest in the city and visitors to view Winchester as a place to dine, play and live, city administrator Beth Rhoton said.

The dining options already are multiplying, with San Miguel Coffee Co. and Italian restaurant Arezzo’s offering options beyond vegetable plates and hamburgers.

Merchants in a nine-block area of downtown have formed a nonprofit organization, the Winchester Downtown Program, to improve building facades using money from the state’s Downtown Revitalization Pilot Act of 2005. The city of Winchester will use grant money from the Tennessee Department of Transportation for streetscaping downtown and east of town along Highway 41, Ms. Rhoton said.

“One of our goals was to have fine dining in the corner anchor buildings downtown,” she said. “Arezzo’s and San Miguel’s have done that. But our meat-and-threes, like Oasis and Skip’s, are a staple for us.”

San Miguel Coffee Co.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee draws you in to San Miguel’s; the flavors and comfort will make you stay awhile. The building housed a bank a century ago, and it retains a certain charm with antiquated red brick walls and pressed-tin ceilings in the main dining area.

Not all of the amenities are throwbacks. The restaurant is wireless, enabling customers to relax in comfortable overstuffed chairs and work from their computers, or they can watch the news on a wall-mounted plasma television.

The main dining area is quite large. Cases of cookies and freshly made pastries are situated by the front counter, where orders are placed for cappuccinos and lattes.

“I feel like we’ve educated a lot of people around here,” said Zach Rowe, who owns the coffeehouse with his wife, Lucia. “Our cappuccino is different from what you get at the local gas station. It’s not as sweet, but people are learning to appreciate that. And we’re selling a lot of it. But we couldn’t survive on coffee alone.”

The menu is loaded with flavorful meal options: three daily soups, such as mushroom and brie, lobster bisque and potato-cheddar, as well as wraps, paninis and salads, including the popular strawberry salad with poppyseed vinaigrette.

San Miguel’s sits across the street from the town square and opens early every day except Sunday. A very large room in back with its own big kitchen and separate restrooms is an ideal place for large gatherings such as wedding receptions and family reunions. Complete catering service is available.

THE OASIS

A popular lunch and dinner venue for the past few years, The Oasis is on the main road between Winchester and Cowan, Tenn. Large palm murals decorate the exterior walls. Inside, it’s a very casual place, where locals know they can get some of the best down-home cooking in town.

At lunch, the $5.99 all-you-can-eat buffet is filled with two meats, at least six vegetables and fixings for a salad. There’s also a menu from which you may order burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads, including a blackened chicken Caesar salad or Mike’s Specialty Salad: romaine topped with candied walnuts, bleu cheese crumbles and Granny Smith apples.

The buffet is removed for the dinner rush, when seafood tortellini surfs onto the menu and steaks are hand-cut in the kitchen. Rib-eye is the most popular steak. It comes in 8-, 12- and 18-ounce cuts.

Most people order the 8-ounce, but, said owner Scotty Steele, “quite a few guys order the 18-ounce and eat the whole thing.”

The casual atmosphere contrasts with The Oasis’ impressive menu.

“We have the fast-food chains,” Mr. Steele said. “But it seems like a lot of people want to eat at locally owned restaurants.”

Nearby Shaw and Nissan plants also help business.

“We do a lot of catering for them,” Mr. Steele added.

Skip’s Grill

The cinderblock building housing Skip’s Grill is an inconspicuous structure. But it’s hard to miss once the place opens. Cars fill the parking lot, and at the height of the lunch hour, it can be hard to find a parking space.

“I enjoy the food so much, I come every day,” Winchester resident Thomas Wilhoite said. “Sometimes I get a cheeseburger and fries and sometimes a plate lunch and sometimes chili. The people here are friendly, and the food is good.”

Manager Vickie Goodman, who’s been here 20-plus years, knows most customers by name.

“We have personable service, and the food’s good,” she said.

Open 35 years, Skip’s is known for tasty burgers. It’s obvious the patties are hand-formed. If you don’t see them being made, you can tell by their irregular shape.

Meat-and-three offerings change daily, but some are standard. On Tuesdays, you’ll find salmon patties and baked ham on the menu; every Friday, barbecue and ocean perch are among the specialties.

There’s nothing fancy here. The stools at the counter are a little wobbly. The booth seats are well worn. But the food truly represents the town’s local flavor.

ArezZo’s

The newest restaurant on the town block, Arezzo’s offers something Winchester has never seen: fresh Italian food made to order in an elegant, casual atmosphere. Like its neighbor, San Miguel’s, Arezzo’s gets much of its ambiance from the old brick walls and new appointments added during restoration.

Rum Lime Scampi, Vitello Saltimbocca, Pollo Piccata and Filet di Oscar. The menu stands in stark contrast to the mom-and-pop eateries in town.

Liquor laws allow for full-service bars, and Arezzo’s has a large, beautiful bar area with large windows that showcase the expanse of the town square. The dining area, plus bar seating, accommodates 140 people, making this a dining destination for a few or for a crowd. It is an unexpected find along the Middle Tennessee backroads.

If you go

Here are some suggestion for dining in Winchester. All hours are Central Daylight Time.

* Arezzo’s, 100 First Ave., NW. Phone: (931) 962-8680. Hours:

* Oasis, 586 College St. Phone: (931) 968-1102. Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 4-9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

* San Miguel’s Coffee Co., 18 S. Jefferson St. Phone: (931) 967-9197. Hours: 7:15 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 7:15 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday; 7:15 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.

* Skip’s Grill, 614 David Crockett Highway. Phone: (931) 967-0925. Hours: 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday.