ItalianChef Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman$$$$$85Book 2 weeks ahead
Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman's Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen in East Memphis runs Italian rooted in Southern ingredients from Brookhaven Circle since 2008.
Order: Maw Maw's potato gnocchi with red sugo.
Tip: Closed Sundays. The bar takes walk-ins; the dining room books on Resy two weeks out.
SicilianChef Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman$$$$$80Book 2 weeks ahead
Catherine and Mary's is Ticer and Hudman's downtown Memphis room pairing Tuscan and Sicilian grandmother cooking with Southern produce in the Chisca on Main.
Order: Whatever pasta they are rolling that night plus the wood-roasted whole fish.
Tip: Walk-in seats at the bar most weeknights; the dining room books on Resy two weeks out.
SteakhouseChef Folk's team$$$$$80Book 1 week ahead
Folk's Folly is Memphis's original prime steakhouse on South Mendenhall since 1977, with USDA prime cuts, white tablecloths and a piano bar in the back.
Order: Filet mignon with the prime ribeye to share at the table.
Tip: The piano bar is the relaxed seat; the main dining room is jacket-friendly. Open seven nights for dinner.
SteakhouseChef Capital Grille team$$$$$95Book 1 week ahead
The Capital Grille's East Memphis Poplar Avenue dining room dry-ages prime steaks 18 to 24 days and hand-cuts them. A reliable Memphis steakhouse choice.
Order: Bone-in dry-aged ribeye with the lobster mac.
Tip: Reserve on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins and runs a full menu.
New AmericanChef Wally Joe and Andrew Adams$$$$$85Book 1 week ahead
Acre Restaurant in East Memphis on Perkins runs seasonal New American cooking from chefs Wally Joe and Andrew Adams, plus one of the city's best wine lists.
Order: Whatever the seasonal tasting menu is featuring; the wine pairing is worth it.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. The patio under string lights is the best seat in spring.
Tasting menuChef Kelly English$$$$$85Daily 11:00-21:00Book 2 weeks ahead
Chef Kelly English's Restaurant Iris in East Memphis moved to Laurelwood on Poplar Avenue in 2022 with a tighter menu of New Orleans Creole on Mississippi.
Order: Crawfish and grits; the four-course tasting menu at dinner.
Tip: Lunch service since the 2022 move; the four-course tasting at dinner is the steady bet.