CREDIT: Michael Donahue

Michael Donahue

Guests got a look at the ‘new’ Restaurant Iris at a soft opening Aug. 17.

Restaurant Iris opened its door to invited guests for a soft opening, Friday, August 17th. They got the first look at the re-imagined Midtown restaurant, which has a new look and a new menu.

Guests encounter a new bar area as they enter the restaurant, which has a sleek, elegant feel. Art depicting chefs at work adorn the walls. A large portrait of chef/owner Kelly English hangs on one wall in the front dining room.

As English said earlier, the restaurant is “

going to feel a little different. A little more modern than you remember it. Less walls in the space. I feel like weโ€™re staying exactly true to ourselves by changing. Itโ€™s going to be the same focus of what weโ€™ve always done: to tell the story of who we are. Just a little more modern approach to it.โ€

Welcome back, Restaurant Iris!

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Michael Donahue began his career in 1975 at the now-defunct Memphis Press-Scimitar and moved to The Commercial Appeal in 1984, where he wrote about food and dining, music, and covered social events until...