Erling Jensen's eponymous East Memphis fine-dining room runs Danish-trained, French-leaning tasting plates from a Yates Road bungalow. Open in Memphis since 1996.
Must order: Rack of lamb with the daily seasonal tasting starter.
Tip: Reserve on Tock; the bar takes walk-ins. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Address: 1044 S Yates Rd, Memphis, TN 38119
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 and Mondays. The bar takes walk-ins; the dining room books on Resy two weeks out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dory is Dave and Amanda Krog's intimate Brookhaven Circle Memphis room, formerly tasting-only, now running a la carte New American with weekly chef's-counter seats.
Order: Whatever the chef sends as the catch of the day.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday dinner only; reservations on the site fill weeks ahead for Saturdays.
