Valentine's treat at B. McNeel's

Too often, the old work schedule doesn't permit us to get out of town for even a few hours.

But that doesn't really matter, because Murfreesboro is the center of an increasing number of great places to go for fine dining, fun nightspots or great shopping.

One of the best is B. McNeel's Restaurant located on Church Street just off the Historic Square. Betty Lou enjoyed a surprise belated Valentine's dinner there Saturday.

"Where are we going Saturday night?" she asked. "Wait, don't tell me I want to guess ... you don't have to tell me which guess is right, just that I got one right. wait, I know, I will write down where I think it is and then show you I was right."

That's Betty Lou, always up for a game. But, Betty Lou always seems to change the rules, like tonight; she was excited and could not wait to see if she had printed the correct address so she started asking questions!

"Five Seasons?" she asked.

That was a good suggestion, but wrong. "The Parthenon" was guess number two. Her two guesses quickly multiplied and by the time we were driving down West College Street, she had guessed correctly.
The exterior of B. McNeel's is so festive and inviting much more so than chain restaurants. Proprietor Barbara Thomas makes sure of that with fresh, tasty food and great service.

We enjoyed a bottle of Fetzers Chardonnay. "They pay attention to detail with everything served at the proper temperature." I know, red goes with steak but Betty Lou likes white, and it was Valentines Day so she got her way.

We had the bruschetta, which was flavorful and very fresh. "I don't know where they find tomatoes that are so wonderful this time of year," she said.

We skipped the salad course in an attempt to save space for dessert.

For the main course, we both selected the Jack Daniels strip steak, which was beautifully prepared. The sliced, tender meat top a layer of roasted potatoes, which soaked up that wonderfully sweet Jack Daniels sauce. The steak was topped by a generous serving of onion straws that were cooked to perfection.

Other favorites include the Creamy Chicken Marsala, Five Pepper Chicken and the Teriyaki Beef Medallions.

Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert, not even the crème brulee, which just might be the best in town.

B. McNeel's is one of Murfreesboro's most intimate and romantic restaurants. During warm weather, its patio draws a nice crowd.

It is located in a building that once housed the telephone company. In later decades it was home of Miller and Loughry Insurance. It has nice brickwork and molding that reflects the structure's age and has a "club-like" feeling, particularly upstairs in what we refer to as the library.

In a day when most restaurants have a first-come, first-served policy, B. McNeel's accepts reservations. They also have a great Sunday brunch for $12.95 for adults that includes made to order pancakes, omelets and eggs benedict.

It's located at 215 N Church St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130, next to the Rutherford County Center for the Arts. Phone: (615) 896-1002

http://www.bmcneels.com/