Restaurant Iris’ new location is probably the most anticipated restaurant opening of the last year. The restaurant at 4550 Poplar Avenue, where the old The Grove Grill was located, is stunning. The main dining room includes serpentine booths and Italian glass-balloon-looking fixtures that add to the energy. Executive chef Russell Casey describes the fare as “classic New Orleans” with some Iris staples. Additional murals, private dining spaces, and even more serpentine booths make the new Iris an exciting place to dine.
Tonica, another elegant/tasty addition, is at 1545 Overton Park. It’s two doors down from Ecco, which, along with Libro, is one of the bar/restaurants from Sabine Bachmann and her sons, chefs Armando and Mario Gagliano and general manager John-Paul Gagliano. The food, Armando says, has “a Spanish influence with a little bit of Italian-Mediterranean twist.” The decor is “as close to a Mediterranean Spanish style” as they can get, John-Paul says.
South Point Kitchen at Downtown’s South Point Grocery at 136 Webster Avenue serves sandwiches, most of them created by chef/musician/comedian Josh McLane. They include HEELS, named after his band that consists of himself and Brennan Whalen. It’s made of spicy peanut butter, jalapeño strawberry jam, bacon, and provolone cheese.
Jimmy “Sushi Jimmi” Sinh introduced his Poke Paradise food truck, which will officially hit the road in 2023. He now is booking the food truck for events. Recently, he has been busy doing pop-ups, special orders, private dinners, and other catering events. Poke is diced fresh fish, usually served with soy sauce and onion.
Tops Bar-B-Q is known for its great hamburgers. But during the year, Tops introduced new food items. Smoked BBQ Bologna, which launched in April, was the first new Tops item in 10 years. “We score it and season it with our rib rub and then we smoke it,” says Tops Operations LLC vice president Hunter Brown. “After smoking it, we grill each one to order.” They then put it on a bun and add their “famous slaw and our signature Tops barbecue sauce.”
Then in November, Tops introduced its Fire-Braised Chicken Sandwich with Memphis white sauce. It’s chicken seared over fire and then topped with the sauce, says Tops CEO Randy Hough. — Michael Donahue
New Wing Order, one of Memphis’ most popular food trucks over the past couple years, found a roost on Beale Street earlier this year. The truck continues to operate, but owners Cole Forrest and Jesse McDonald set up their first brick-and-mortar shop inside Ghost River Brewing Co. Now, brewery-goers can sip on their favorites ales while munching on Memphis Buffalo, Ja’s Sweet Heat, or any of the other delectable sauces. “Having this space really allowed us to increase our capacity,” says Forrest. Adds McDonald, “We get to experiment with a lot of new menu items now, too.”
The former Pontotoc Lounge space is open once again, but with a whole new concept that draws upon OG Memphis’ roots as an Egyptian city. Called IBIS, the new bar and lounge by Jeremy and Matthew Thacker-Rhodes promises plenty of craft cocktails and fine dining in a chic space on Main Street. Think lobster rolls, lamb meatballs, and plenty of other colorful mixed drinks that will wet your whistle (I recommend the tequila- and grapefruit-based “Por Que”). Look forward to gospel and mimosa Sundays, drag shows, live music, and plenty of other live programming in the upstairs lounge.
Carlisle Restaurant Group launched the first unique dining concept planned for the One Beale project. Fancy’s Fish House opened back in April in The Landing Residences, offering a wide variety of fresh and raw seafood to Downtown diners. But the menu recently underwent a complete makeover thanks to new chef Nate Henssler, who has quickly put his stamp on things. A raw bar serves everything from East and West Coast oysters to ahi tuna tartare, and there’s a gargantuan seafood tower that combines all the raw bar options for a full seafood bounty. Meanwhile, Henssler focuses on simple flavors and techniques to elevate his à la carte fish dishes (the miso-marinated cod is a must-try). There are some other surprises, like a delicious steak frites entree or the rosemary roasted half chicken. Some interesting cocktails, like a chai old fashioned or frozen pineapple margarita, round out a compelling riverside experience. — Samuel X. Cicci
