Chef Kelly English Invited to Participate in 28th Annual American Wine & Food Festival
August 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Chef Kelly English has been honored with an invitation to participate in the 28th Annual American Wine & Food Festival, benefiting the Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels. The Festival is hosted by the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation and includes world-renowned chefs, vintners and spirit purveyors. This star-studded food Festival takes place September 25, in Los Angeles, and is the most anticipated epicurean event of the year.
The festival features a spectacular spread of delectable dishes, superb libations, fantasy auction items and amazing entertainment in three events – each offering a different level of participation for culinary connoisseurs to contribute to the cause.
American Wine & Food Festival
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Location: Universal Studios Backlot
Staged against the backdrop of movie sets, the signature Saturday night event returns, once again, to Universal Studios Back Lot. As dusk falls, a spectacularly lit movie set provides the stage for a culinary scene like none other: An unrivaled epicurean feast prepared by world-renowned chefs, superb libations including fine wines and smooth spirits, and a silent auction filled with luxury items – all set to swinging sounds of live bands.
About the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation:
Since its inception in 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has supported the American Wine & Food Festival, raising more than $15 million for Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels. This organization serves thousands of meals each day to Los Angeles’ homebound senior and disabled citizens.
As a result of their efforts on behalf of Meals On Wheels, the Austrian-born Wolfgang Puck, renowned for feeding Hollywood glamour at the annual post-Oscar extravaganza, and leading restaurant designer Lazaroff, are also celebrated for their philanthropic spirit.
Chef Kelly English of Restaurant Iris is featured on Men’s Health Blog
July 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Chef Kelly English of Restaurant Iris is featured on Men’s Health Blog!
Guy Grub: Better-Than-Your-Grandma’s Coleslaw
Forget the Miracle Whip-clogged slaw you’re used to—this spin from Memphis chef Kelly English will reinvent your summer cookouts.
It happens every year. Your grandmother or your Great Aunt Edna or whoever arrives dressed to the family picnic in a flower-print pants suit will whip up a batch of her “famous” coleslaw. But, chances are, your relative’s famous slaw is the same as everyone else’s: A head of cabbage mixed with a heaping cup of Miracle Whip, egg, vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, and—if you’re lucky—maybe a little celery seed. The result: A big bowl of pseudo-mayo and soggy cabbage.
Don’t continue the tradition. Honor sweet, crisp cabbage by cutting out the Whip and opting for supporting ingredients that enhance its flavor. Kelly English, executive chef at Restaurant Iris in Memphis, infuses his slaw with Asian add-ons like minced ginger, cilantro, rice wine vinegar, and sambal oelek—an awesome, slightly hot pepper blend. Once you make your first batch, you’ll never look at “famous” coleslaw the same way.
Sorry Aunt Edna.
Highfalutin Cole Slaw
Recipe by Kelly English, executive chef of Restaurant Iris in Memphis, TN
What you’ll need:
1 head of napa cabbage, washed and sliced
1 carrot, washed, peeled, and grated
1 bunch of green onions, washed and sliced
1 red bell pepper, washed and sliced
2 tsp sambal oelek (available at most grocery stores and Asian markets)
1 Tbsp minced ginger
½ cup of torn cilantro leaves
1 lime, zested and juiced
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
9 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste
How to make it:
Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss together.
Vote Now for Restaurant Iris in the “Best In Memphis” Poll
July 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Click here to vote: The Best of Memphis Poll is now available!
Don’t miss your chance to vote for your favorite Memphis restaurant!
We are proud to be nominated for the following categories:
Restaurant Iris
- Best Chef
- Most Romantic Restaurant
- Best Brunch
- Best Wine List
- Best Cajun/Creole
- Best Dessert
- Best Service
- Best Server (write in your selection)
- Best Patio (write in your selection)
- Best Restaurant
Watch out for the results in the Best of Memphis Issue, hitting the streets on September 22nd!
Operation Feed 2010 for the Mid-South Food Bank
July 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Restaurant Iris has teamed up with Sowell Realty and Memphis Playhouse on the Square to stock the shelves of the Mid-South Food Bank.
From now until July 27, patrons at Restaurant Iris will receive a $5 gift card for Sunday Brunch* when they bring one non-perishable food item in to donate to the Operation Feed Food Drive!
The Mid-South Food Bank is by far the single most important source of food, accounting for 76% of the food distributed by pantries, 53% percent of food distributed by soup kitchens and 48% percent of food distributed by shelters.
Did you know…
- 31% of the members of households served by Mid-South Food Bank are children under 18
- 10% of the members of households are elderly
- 83% of clients served by Mid-South Food Bank report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel.
- 26% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care
All statistics drawn from the national study, Hunger in America 2010 which evaluated information on the clients and agencies served by Mid-South Food Bank.
Guests of Restaurant Iris are invited to help those in need by donating non-perishable food items when they arrive to eat at Restaurant Iris. Our staff will collect the food and transport it to the Mid-South Food Bank on July 28. In appreciation for your donation, Restaurant Iris will give each guest who donates a food item a $5 gift card to use during a Sunday Brunch.*
*Limit one gift card per customer, maximum of $10 discount per table. Must be redeemed by December 31, 2010.
New Artwork on Display at Restaurant Iris
July 8, 2010 | Leave a Comment
- Nancy Cheairs (renowned Memphis fine artist)
- Kat Gore (represented by David Lusk Gallery)
- Ken Lecco (Art By Lecco at Cosmic Closet)
- Bonnie Fuchs (Mobile, AL artist represented locally by Market Central)
Nashville Flood Relief Benefit: Seven Chefs. Two Charities. One Great Night.
June 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Restaurant Iris will participate in a Nashville Flood Relief Benefit on Tuesday, July 13 at The Cannery in Nashville, TN.
Join seven of the South’s most exciting chefs for an evening of inventive food and fine wine.
Chefs include:
- John Fleer, Lonesome Valley
- John Currence, City Grocery
- Lee Richardson, Capital Hotel
- Linton Hopkins, Restaurant Eugene
- Kelly English, Restaurant Iris
- Nick Seabergh, Giardina’s
- David Gaus, Washington-based Pastry Chef
6:30 pm: Cocktail Hour/ 7:30 pm: Dinner. Tickets are $155 per person and are 80% tax-deductible.
Advanced tickets may be purchased via this link
Learn more about this event via the Nashville Scene
Restaurant Iris Designer Jackie Glisson Featured in MidSouth Magazine
May 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Reprinted from the May 2010 issue of MidSouth Magazine
The Design of Restaurant Iris
by Margaret B. Atkinson
When describing his work at Restaurant Iris, designer Jackie Glisson is filled with excitement and pride over the rebirth of this Midtown restaurant space, previously home to La Tourelle.
In fact, Glisson is so enthusiastic about the transformation, he refers to it as the “crowning jewel” of his career and frequently stops by to make sure the restaurant experience remains as fresh and unique as opening day.
“It is a beautiful, tasteful space without pretension,” Glisson says of the restaurant. And, thanks to Chef Kelly English’s vision, Glisson has overhauled this unassuming space to add inviting Creole flair to the already culinary rich Overton Park district.
Moving from New Orleans to open Restaurant Iris, English had specific ideas about how his Memphis restaurant would mirror the experience of his childhood spent in southern Louisiana, frequently mentioning the words “inviting” and “comfortable” during his first meetings with Glisson.
From their initial conversations Halloween weekend 2007, it became important for both chef and designer to create a new identity, separate from what former patrons of La Tourelle would expect from a familiar space.
When the renovations began in early February 2008, Glisson opted for a soft color palette, choosing neutral shades with names such as “Toasted Wheat” and “Platinum” from Pratt & Lambert’s paint deck.
And while the new color palette denoted a departure from the restaurant’s previous identity, both were adamant about preserving quirky elements of the Victorian cottage that emphasized the home’s French Quarter appeal.
Like so man Midtown Memphis homes, Glisson says the uneven floors and crooked door casings that lead to each of the four dining rooms only add to the authenticity English desired; he even asked Glisson to add brick pavers to the restaurant’s Copper Room, hallway, and restrooms. “Another authentic New Orleans design element,” says Glisson.
And while a fraction of the the New Orleans character was admittedly manufactured, some elements of the original home seemed sealed by fate – or perhaps a little voodoo magic.
Contractor Mike Hinton’s renovation team discovered a leaded glass fleur-de-lis transom tucked in a hallway, too far away to be seen. “We moved it behind the new bar and backlit it,” says Glisson. “Kelly felt it was one of the reasons he was meant to be in this space. The fleur-de-lis is actually a silhouette of an iris.”
From the rotating artwork displays to the distinctive lighting purchased from local stores, Graham’s Lighting and Worlds Away, Glisson’s down-to-earth attention to detail ensures even the seasoned restaurant regular will continually find new elements to appreciate.
“Without question, his food and menu are the stars of the place,” says Glisson, “but the whole dining experience is designed to address all of your senses.”
Glisson and English are so committed to the New Orleans experience at Restaurant Iris that in addition to Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs for 2009″ and countless local accolades, Restaurant Iris was recognized as the “Best Bet Outside of Louisiana” by Louisiana Life Magazine, a testament to authenticity at its utmost.
Click here to view the PDF of this article
See Highlights from COCHON 555
May 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Weren’t able to make it to support Restaurant Iris at the recent COCHON555 event in Atlanta? Check out this video of highlights from the event, which features interviews of the participating chefs, including Chef Kelly English.
A Toast to Tony
May 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment
On Sunday, May 2, 2010, Restaurant Iris’ own Tony Oliveira was featured in the Commercial Appeal. The article focuses on a very special seven-course dinner and fundraiser organized by Oliveira to benefit osteosarcoma research at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Click here to read “A Toast to Tony”
Restaurant Iris Featured in Taste of the South Magazine
April 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Taste of the South magazine recently featured Restaurant Iris as one of Memphis’ top Tastemakers. Check it out!
