The 19 Essential Memphis Restaurants

"At Iris, chef Kelly English has endeavored to bring a modern take on a New Orleans-style restaurant to East Memphis. Equal parts Crescent City native and Memphis booster, English has earned tons of local and national acclaim. He first opened Iris off Overton Square in Memphis’s Midtown neighborhood in 2008, before moving his venerable fine-dining concept to a larger space (formerly home to Grove Grill) in 2022. With a sophisticated atmosphere, this spot is especially great for couples, who can share items like crab au gratin and fried oysters before digging into main courses of grilled Scottish salmon or steak iris (a New York strip with honey-roasted carrots and fried oysters)." - Andy Meek