Pete and Sam's East Memphis Park Avenue room has run red-sauce Italian for the Bomarito family since 1948. White tablecloths, vinyl booths and a steady clientele.
Signature dishes: Spaghetti and meatballs, Pizza bianca
Must order: Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, a pitcher of house red.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Sunday for dinner; closed Mondays. Reservations advised on Friday and Saturday.
Address: 3886 Park Ave, Memphis, TN 38111
Mosa Asian Bistro on White Station Road in East Memphis runs a Chinese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese menu from a strip-mall favoured by chefs on their nights off.
Signature: Beef pho, Spicy Korean noodles
Order: Beef pho and spicy Korean noodles.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seat; the room fills with regulars after 18:00. Closed Mondays.
Hen House on South Mendenhall in East Memphis runs country fried chicken, chicken and waffles and Southern comfort dishes from a converted house with a side patio.
Signature: Country fried chicken, Chicken and waffles
Order: Country fried chicken plate with biscuits and gravy.
Tip: Open daily; the small patio fills first on warm days and the wait can be 45 minutes at brunch.
Coletta's is Memphis's oldest restaurant on South Parkway since 1923, Elvis Presley's South Parkway haunt and the home of Memphis BBQ pizza topped with pork.
Signature: BBQ pizza, Spaghetti
Order: BBQ pizza with the side spaghetti.
Tip: Ask for the Elvis Room dining area. Closed Sundays and Mondays. The Appling Road location runs the same menu.
Young Avenue Deli has anchored the Cooper-Young Memphis corner since 1995 with cold beer, deli sandwiches and the city's deepest tap lists, plus live music.
Signature: Deli Club, Philly cheesesteak
Order: Deli Club on sourdough with a cold pint of Wiseacre Tiny Bomb.
Tip: Counter service for food, table service for drinks. The patio fills first on game days.
Babalu in Overton Square Memphis runs Southern cooking with Latin flair from a Madison Avenue patio, with tableside guacamole, tacos and craft cocktails since 2014.
Signature: Tableside guacamole, Tacos
Order: Tableside guacamole, then the carnitas tacos.
Tip: The patio is the seat in spring; Sunday brunch is the easier seat than weekend dinner.
Mosa Asian Bistro on White Station Road in East Memphis runs a Chinese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese menu from a strip-mall favoured by chefs on their nights off.
Signature: Beef pho, Spicy Korean noodles
Order: Beef pho and spicy Korean noodles.
Tip: Lunch is the easier seat; the room fills with regulars after 18:00. Closed Mondays.
Sage Restaurant is a soul fusion room on South Main in Memphis from Chef Eli Townsend, with globally influenced Southern comfort food and a downtown rooftop bar.
Signature: Chicken and waffles, Catfish
Order: Chicken and waffles; the catfish if it is on the night's menu.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday dinner; the rooftop opens earlier than the dining room on weekends.
Hen House on South Mendenhall in East Memphis runs country fried chicken, chicken and waffles and Southern comfort dishes from a converted house with a side patio.
Signature: Country fried chicken, Chicken and waffles
Order: Country fried chicken plate with biscuits and gravy.
Tip: Open daily; the small patio fills first on warm days and the wait can be 45 minutes at brunch.
