Surprisingly, there hasn't been much on the menu for restaurant news.
Two local favorites have closed their doors and handful of new restaurants have opened over the last month.
Over the weekend, Jason and Jodie Bailey, the owners of Cali's Coffee & Creamery in Smyrna, announced the restaurant was closing immediately and permanently.
"We must do this in order to better focus on Jason’s health. With being a business owner comes a lot of things and unfortunately one of them is stress. After thinking it through we have decided that the time has come in which we put the focus back into his well-being," the Baileys posted on Facebook.
The coffee shop/meat-and-three was located at 901 Rock Springs Rd. in Smyrna.
After being open for a little more than a year, Taco Garage closed on Friday, Feb. 22.
The restaurant opened December 2017 in the building that once housed Pei Wei at a time when about 50 other taco shops opened in Murfreesboro's already crowded market. Competitor Fuzzy's Tacos has already closed. Who's next?
But never fear, dear reader, if you preferred Taco Garage over Blue Coast, Oscar's (SoCali), Moe's, Chipotle or the taco truck on the corner of John Rice and Old Fort Parkway (and I'm sure I've left someone out), you can go to the Taco Garage in the Murfreesboro of Alabama, a.k.a., Florence.
That's right there's a Taco Garage at 2091 Mall Road in Florence if anyone wants to road trip.
On a brighter note, Murfreesboro has only a handful of new restaurants announced or opened over the last month.
First, the Boro’s seventh Waffle House has been announced, destination Joe B. Jackson Parkway. The diner (Unit #2326) is currently hiring at www.MyWaffleHouse.com.
Second, after aiming to open every month since October, Nick Newton’s & Spinelli’s Pizzeria Murfreesboro has finally passed its codes inspection and opened for business on West Main Street (in the space formerly known as Tempt).
The dual-concept will serve menus from both Tullahoma-based restaurants in the same space.
Third, it seems like Rutherford County has a case of Crab Fever. The former Shoney's on Lowery St. in Smyrna also has a Crab Fever banner, similar to the one at Stones River Mall.
The California-based restaurant serves low-country boil staples like shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, corn on the cob, potatoes and sausage alongside a raw bar, crab legs, oysters, sliders, salads and desserts.
Fourth, Metro Diner is now offering an array of breakfast, lunch and dinner options on its new catering menu (pictured above).
From classics like Shrimp & Grits, Biscuits & Gravy, signature Fried Chicken, to breakfast and lunch sandwich platters, salads, sides and hot and cold beverage options - Metro Diner can customize a menu to fit any catering needs.
Now through March 31, enjoy $25 off your first Metro Diner catering order of $100 or more when you place it online, weekdays only, using the promo code WINTER2019. To place your order, visit metrodiner.com/catering/
Finally, another banner has sprung up at the former Your Pie location on Medical Center Parkway. This one is promoting Brothers Noodle Bar. Now that’s a concept I can support.
Michelle Willard is a freelance journalist who fills her days with social media marketing, politics, her blog Middle Tennessee Mysteries, and taking complaints. You can complain to her on Twitter @MichWillard or by email michelle(at)murfreesborovoice.com.
