Erling Jensen: The Restaurant

Will Hickman is the new chef de cuisine at Erling Jensen: The Restaurant.

Hickman, 34, is a former sous chef and, from 2016 to 2018, was chef de cuisine at the restaurant at 1044 South Yates Road. He left in 2018 and worked in worked in Boston at Bar Boulud, owned by noted chef Daniel Boulud.

A native Memphian, Hickman is happy to be back cooking at Erling Jensen’s. “I’m very, very excited about it,” he says. “It’s something you can experiment with, but you also have to keep things grounded. So, we can experiment with new flavor profiles and new methods of cooking because there’s the interest there. The people coming there are coming there for the food. They want to experiment with something new, something good, but they still want their meat and potatoes. And we have the best mashed potatoes in town.”

And, to whet foody appetites, Hickman says, “I’ve got some interesting things coming up.”

He says that he and his sous chef, Juan Chagolla, have “a lot of ideas” and will bring in different flavor profiles “from around the world.”

Jensen is happy to have Hickman back. “He’s paying attention to details,” Jensen says. “He can read my brain before I say anything. And that’s a big thing.”

I got a sneak peak at the decor and tasted some of the food at the new Erling Jensen Small Bites, the elegant-but-casual restaurant that opens October 18th at the DoubleTree by Hilton Memphis.

Jenson, chef/owner of Erling Jensen: The Restaurant, lent his expertise and name to the restaurant in DoubleTree, which is owned and operated by Cooper Hotels. He also gave them recipes to some of his signature dishes.

Jensen is “the founder” of his restaurant at 1044 South Yates Road, and “inspirer” for the DoubleTree restaurant in the hotel at 5069 Sanderlin Avenue, says Cooper Hotels CEO Pace Cooper.

Pace Cooper and Erling Jensen at Erling Jensen Small Bites (Credit: Michael Donahue)

They wanted to create a more casual atmosphere at the restaurant, which seats 119 people, Cooper says. “Fresh, airy, very clean, and comfortable,” he says.

A “fun, casual” restaurant with a “concentration on shared plates,” Cooper says. “It’s not as ‘gourmet’ and formal as Erling Jensen: The Restaurant,” Cooper says, but the food will “match up to Erling’s standards.”

Erling Jensen Small Bites (Credit: Michael Donahue)

As for the decor, think “active” and “moving around,” he says. The restaurant will feature Topgolf Swing Suites. “The only one in Memphis,” he says.

The two Topgolf simulator bays, which can accommodate up to six people, will include Baseball Pitching, Carnival Classic, Hockey Shots, and Zombie Dodgeball.

Golf is the theme of the restaurant, which includes a golf cart to greet guests at the reception desk and golf clubs in golf bags as part of the decor because of Topgolf. “That’s just a concept that’s been so successful everywhere, so we wanted to replicate that experience in Memphis.”

Erling Jensen: The Restaurant signature items will include, for instance, his rack of lamb, but “smaller, shareable” at Small Bites, Jensen says. “Smaller orders.”

What about adding Jensen’s famous crawfish bisque? “I’m thinking about it,” he says.

Jensen also added some new dishes to the Small Bites menu, including his “Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.”

The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Also adding their culinary creations to the menu are Jared Wells, Erling Jensen Small Bites executive chef; and Andy Laubscher, Cooper Hotels corporate director of operations. Jensen will visit “frequently,” Cooper says.

Erlng Jensen, Jared Wells, and Andy Laubscher at Erling Jensen Small Bites (Credit: Michael Donahue)

The full bar will include signature drinks, including “Mississippi Sunset,” “Juniper Fusion,” and “Chocolate Dream.”

“Chocolate Dream” at Erling Jensen Small Bites (Credit: Michael Donahue)

“Mississippi Sunset” and “Juniper Fusion” at Erling Jensen Small Bites (Credit: Michael Donahue)

I didn’t try everything, but I had a couple of the MudSlide dessert shooters. And I could devour two more right now.

When people think Erling Jensen Small Bites, Cooper says he wants them to think that “world class chef experience that Erling has created in Memphis, but in a casual, fun, and action-packed atmosphere.”