Restaurant Iris to be Featured on Food Network
March 2, 2010 | 4 Comments
Our menu staple, the “Surf and Turf,” will be featured on Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” on Friday, March 5 at 9 pm CST.
The “Guilty Pleasures” segment is hosted by Memphis native Claire Robinson and features me preparing (and Claire enjoying!) this decadent dish.
Our Surf and Turf is a grilled New York strip stuffed with fried oysters and bleu cheese over a sautee of Yukon potatoes, Allen Benton’s bacon and thyme. Topped with bordelaise, hollandaise, and fried sage.
Tune in or set your DVR… you don’t want to miss this!
Restaurant Iris to Host Wine Dinner with Titus Vineyards
February 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
James Beard Award Nominee and Food & Wine Best New Chef Kelly English invites you to Restaurant Iris’ first wine dinner of the Spring, to be held March 4th at 6:30pm.
Chef English will be preparing four luxurious courses to pair with the bold yet elegant wines from Titus’ family owned estate.
$75 per person.
Seating is limited. To reserve your spot, call 901-590-2828.
Restaurant Iris Announces 2010 Mardi Gras Menu
February 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which started on Ash Wednesday.
3 courses • $30 per person
First Course
Red Beans and Rice
or
Duck and Andouille Gumbo
Second Course
Fried Chicken with Beet Greens
or
“Ms. Stella’s” Roast Beef Poboy
Third Course
House made King Cake
Restaurant Iris to Host Wine Dinner on March 4
February 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Restaurant Iris will host a wine dinner Thursday, March 4 at 6:30 pm, featuring Titus Winery. The dinner will include a four-course meal from Chef Kelly English.
Cost: $75 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required, so please call 901-590-2828 to secure your spot.
Restaurant Iris Earns Top Honors in Memphis Magazine Reader’s Poll
February 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Memphis Magazine asked, and the readers have spoken. When it comes to fine dining in Memphis, Restaurant Iris takes the cake. In a recent reader’s poll, the four-star eatery was voted “Best Restaurant”, “Best Chef”, and “Best Service.” The restaurant also earned third place honors for “Best Brunch” and “Best French,” and received an Award of Excellence for atmosphere.
“English’s take on traditional Southern food -French-Creole cuisine in particular-boasts pairings that mesh so well it’s astounding,” said Amy Lawrence of Memphis Magazine. “Consistently, Iris is a place everybody wants to visit, and after that, an experience everyone’s dying to discuss.”
This is not the first time Restaurant Iris has been recognized for excellence in the culinary world. In 2009, Chef Kelly English was voted “Best New Chef” by Food and Wine Magazine.
Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Chef English draws from his first-hand knowledge of Cajun and Creole cuisine to create a menu that has made Restaurant Iris a premiere destination in Memphis. After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and training under famed Chef John Besh, English opened Restaurant Iris in April of 2008. Since then, the eatery has earned numerous awards, the latest being those from the Memphis Magazine reader’s poll.
With a menu that changes to accommodate the freshest of local and seasonal ingredients, Restaurant Iris is sure to keep attracting attention as one of Memphis’s best and most noteworthy restaurants.
Call us at 901.590.2828 to make your reservations now.
Restaurant Iris Honored by Wherethelocalseat.com
January 5, 2010 | Leave a Comment
WHERE THE LOCALS EAT
Category Winner
Restaurant Iris has been selected as the “Best Contemporary Eatery in Memphis” by WhereTheLocalsEat.com. The site also selected Restaurant Iris as part of the ‘Top 100’ Restaurants in Memphis.”
A guide to the best restaurants in America, WhereTheLocalsEat.com spotlights local restaurants that contribute to the dining culture of a city.
Congratulations Chef Kelly and the Restaurant Iris staff!
We’re Harvesting the Holidays at the Memphis Farmers Market Pavilion
December 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Saturday December 5th, 10 to 3
For one day only, the Memphis Farmers Market will open for business with seasonal produce, holiday baked goods, arts & crafts, and other locally produced stocking stuffers.
Now you don’t have to wait until next April for the Memphis Farmers Market to open! 40+ MFM vendors will be at the Central Station Pavilion with fresh winter produce, holiday baked goods, arts and crafts, and other locally produced stocking stuffers. Pick up a copy of the new MFM cookbook and other market merchandise. And don’t miss the market cafe for warm and delicious treats while you shop.
Activities
- 11am – 1pm – Pictures with Farmer Santa
- 10am – 3pm – L’Ecole Culinare will be on hand all day with gingerbread houses
- 10am-3pm – Market favorite Hooper Troopers will be hooping it up all day
Special Holiday Products
Tis the season… and here is your opportunity to wrap up your holiday gift list. Over 40 of your favorite MFM vendors will be on hand for you to shop from a wide variety of gift ideas like handmade pottery, Re-Hy Bottles, backyard birdhouses, handcrafted wooden bowls and salad hands, soothing herbal and goat milk soaps, amazing alpaca fiber products and ultra cool steel art.
You will find cool weather crops; mustard greens, turnip greens, arugula, spinach, kale, lettuces, mesclun mix, radishes, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes (tubers that resemble water chestnuts and can be used in salads and stir fries).
Local meat producers will be out in full force so this is a great time to stock up for the long cold winter or buy grilling gifts for the “hard to shop for” dads out there. It’s convenient to have a nice roast, stew meat or even a steak from Neola Farms or Donnell Century Farm in your freezer. Grab some bacon, sausage or chops from Barnes Farm or Newman Farm. West Wind will be there also with a wide assortment of organic meats…stock up!
If you haven’t already done so, gather your winter staples. Local honey from Peace Bee Farms or the Hughes Apiary is a real sweet treat. How many pecans do you use at Christmas time? Lots! This year get them from Delta Pecan.
Look for fresh baked breads to serve with locally made jams and jellies.
Think about December and how busy the evenings can get… No Time 2 Cook and Otty’s will have frozen entrees and sides ready to heat and eat…nice gift idea, too. 20/20 Diner will have freshly made soups and sides, great for those chilly nights that you just want to curl up in a blanket and not cook. Top a meal off with a sweet delight from Big Ono Bake Shop or Mary’s Kitchen and you are set…
Don’t miss locally roasted McCarter Coffee, yet another great gift idea and nice to just have all the time.
Patio Renovations Underway at Restaurant Iris
September 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
With fall weather quickly approaching, we have begun renovations on our patio area. The renovations will include approximately 12-15 additional outdoor dining seats, a seating area and beautiful landscaping. Mark Comes and his team from Greg Touliatos and Associates are working to create a serene, intimate outdoor dining experience for our guests. Renovations are expected to take three weeks- just in time for perfect fall weather. Follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook for renovation updates!
Chef Kelly English to Participate in Ballet Memphis Fundraiser
August 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Martha Foose, the 2009 James Beard award winner for Best American Cookbook, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea. Martha was the dessert chef for 2007 and 2008 Connections: Food events
The Chefs
First Course / Appetizers: Karen B. Carrier of The Beauty Shop / Do Sushi / Noodle Doodle Do / Mollie Fontaine Lounge and Tim Barker of the Beauty Shop Restaurant. Karen and Tim have been making Memphians “Eat Good, Look Good” at their eclectic Midtown establishment. Karen has been written up in more Food magazines that one can count, and with her creative background, she always has a new story to share with each one.
Second Course: Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman from Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. From their restaurant on Brookhaven Circle, Andy and Michael have been giving Memphis “a fresh perspective on traditional Italian.” The chefs are big supporters of the Memphis Farmers Market, participate in the Farmers Market Dinner series and are participants with the nonprofit Project Green Fork, a collaboration of Memphis-owned restaurants that work hard to reduce their environmental impact.
Entrée: Kelly English of Restaurant Iris, recently named by Food & Wine as one of the “top new chefs” in America for 2009. Kelly’s restaurant was recently named by Memphis Magazine readers this year as Memphis’ Best New Restaurant, Most Romantic Restaurant and Best Service. Since coming to Memphis, this top chef has been busy promoting the use of locally grown ingredients through the Memphis Farmers Market, and is often found cooking demos at the weekly Saturday event.
Dessert: Jenny Dempsey of the Mollie Fontaine Lounge. Jenny has helped make Mollie Fontaine’s the late night hot spot with her fabulous creations. Nestled in the heart of Victorian Village, Mollie’s (as she’s known to her friends) is open each night and stays open, “until the spirits go to sleep.”
Restaurant Iris featured in Delta Sky Magazine
August 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment
Chef Kelly English’s Tomato and Mozzarella Mille Feuille is sure to make Delta Sky Magazine reader’s mouth water from 35,000 feet! Restaurant Iris was featured as Delta Sky Magazine’s “Featured Restaurant” of the month. Here’s what Delta Magazine had to say about Restaurant Iris:
“If you are looking to impress your friends, coworkers or date, bring them to this cozy little eatery inside an old midtown home. There is a steady focus on simple and delicious food, with dishes created by Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chef” of 2009, Kelly English. The brand new restaurant received excellent reviews since it opened just a year ago and is a must if you are anywhere near Memphis.”