Restaurant Iris

Restaurant Iris to be Featured on Food Network

glmgmaster — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:15:08 +0000

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

glmgmaster — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:44:52 +0000

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.

Chef Kelly English Named Semifinalist for James Beard Foundation Award

glmgmaster — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:07:09 +0000

Chef Kelly English, owner and chef of Restaurant Iris, has been recognized as a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef of the Southeast. The foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Committee selected English as a nominee out of over 21,000 online entries.

Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards honors the finest chefs and restaurants in the country and are often referred to as “The Oscars of Food.” These awards carry on the legacy of James Beard, whom many consider to be the father of American-style gourmet cooking. Those nominated as finalists will be announced on March 22, and winners will be announced at the foundations annual gala on Monday, May 3, 2010 at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York, NY.

This is not the first time Restaurant Iris and Chef English have been recognized for excellence in the culinary world. In 2009, English was voted ‘Best New Chef’ by Food and Wine Magazine. Recently, English was voted ‘Best Chef’ by Memphis Magazine’s Readers Poll, along with several other awards for Restaurant Iris.

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.

Click here to download press release (PDF)

Restaurant Iris Announces 2010 Mardi Gras Menu

glmgmaster — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:56:52 +0000

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

glmgmaster — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:06:39 +0000

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

glmgmaster — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:33:48 +0000

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.

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

glmgmaster — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:04:13 +0000

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!

Patio Renovations at Restaurant Iris are Complete

glmgmaster — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:30:24 +0000

We’ve officially completed our patio renovations! Changes include the addition of approximately 12-15 outdoor dining seats, a seating area and beautiful landscaping. Mark Comes and his team from Greg Touliatos and Associates led the renovation, with direction from Jackie Glisson. We’ve created a serene, intimate outdoor dining experience for our guests to enjoy come spring!

We’re Harvesting the Holidays at the Memphis Farmers Market Pavilion

glmgmaster — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:19:42 +0000

We’re Harvesting the Holidays at the

Memphis Farmers Market Pavilion

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.

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.

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

Look for fresh baked breads to serve with locally made jams and jellies.

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

glmgmaster — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:01:06 +0000

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!