Adding a touch of class to the historic downtown Columbia's charming atmosphere, Square Market & Café has been serving up a unique cuisine, especially for Columbia.  Fresh panini clubs, homemade tomato artichoke soup, and Tennessee Hot Browns are among the favorites served up daily for lunch.  The salads are awesome, too, as they serve Roasted Pear Salad with homemade dressing and Baked Salmon Salad – both to die for!

Hospitality comes naturally to the owners, Debra Mann and Liz Lovell.  Deb and her husband, Charlie, are on the social schedule for the midsouth, I do believe, if there is such a thing.  They go to parties all over the area, many at the governors mansion, and they do their own share of entertaining.  It is not unusual for them to have two or three hundred of their closest friends over for dinner and music – live music, too.   Many times Debra will get up and perform with the musicians, quite the singer herself.  Debra has a knack for creative cooking and loves to come up with different recipes, mostly using fresh herbs, which she grows in her greenhouse on their 1000- acre farm.  She has an extensive library of cookbooks and spends a lot of her free time perusing them for wonderful recipes and creative garnishments, which she shares with the chefs – Josh & James - at Square Market.

Liz Lovell, on the other hand, leaves the cooking to Debra, and enjoys much more of the business end, and helping create the warm and cozy atmosphere that has made Square Market the talk of the town.  Liz also boasts proudly that her great-great grandfather was R.C. Brinkley of Memphis, Tennessee, who happened to build The Peabody Hotel.  "Maybe someway I got the love of meeting and greeting from him – you never know," quips Liz.  

The idea for such an upscale dining venue in downtown Columbia came about when Charlie Mann, Debra's husband, suggested to Liz that he had an empty building on the square, right across from the courthouse and did she have any thoughts on what might be a needed business that could go there.  Well, the rest is history, and many business professionals flock daily to enjoy the outstanding food that comes out of the small kitchen there in downtown Columbia.  As a matter of fact, when the concept of Square Market was in the making, Liz's husband, Judge George "Buzz" Lovell insisted on putting a "Square Steamer" on the menu fashioned after the steamers that were served at his favorite college haunt while at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, "Sam & Andy's."  It has quickly become a favorite at Square Market, too.

Square Market is the place for office lunches, birthday parties, private parties and catering events for area offices.  They offer an awesome dinner menu with great selections, including baked salmon and pasta dishes, as well as steaks and fresh fish.  "We even dim the lights and put candles on the tables, and really set the mood for an enjoyable and relaxing dinner," says Liz.  "We recently had a customer come in for the first time and her comment about the décor was that it looked like she just walked into a magazine and I think that really sums it up perfectly."

The fourth Thursday of each month, they hold a special Songwriters Night, thanks to the help from their new friend, Phil Everly, who put them in touch with the right people to get Songwriters Night off and going.  They have had such wonderful entertainers as John Knowles, John Ford Coley, Byron Hill, Wynn Varble, and Alex Harvey, just to name a very few.  Reservations are required for that evening as their seating is limited to around fifty.

Square Market & Café restaurant is easy to find, just off of Highway 31.  When you get into downtown Columbia, you can't miss the beautiful courthouse and then just circle the square (hence the name Square Market & Café) and look for the red and white awning with the little wrought iron fence across the storefront.  The quaint porch area is just perfect for one to sit, eat, people watch, and perhaps enjoy an iced cold beer or a glass of wine from the extensive wine list.  Whatever brings you to Columbia, you won't want to miss out on the experience of dining with the friendly folks at Square Market restaurant.  You will feel like you have made a family of new friends when you leave, and you will probably find an excuse to travel back with a car full on your next trip.

If you are interested in having a menu or talking to Debra and Liz about parties, they can usually be found right on sight or can be called at (931) 840-3636.