Prince’s Hot Chicken — Nashville
When it comes to chicken, some like it hot. Prince’s Hot Chicken has been serving fried chicken with a crunchy, cayenne pepper crust for 60 years. The original location is tucked away in a back street, but those determined to get their fix always manage to find it. People from all walks of life munch fried chicken at this no-frills eatery: old timers that have been customers for decades, college students, even young families with children. Choose from mild to set-your-face-on-fire spicy.
123 Ewing Drive, #3, Nashville, 615-226-9442, and 5814 Nolensville Road, Suite 110, Nashville, 615-810-9388, princeshotchicken.com.
Restaurant Iris — Memphis
Chef Kelly English dazzles diners at this award-winning restaurant located in an elegant renovated home. Given English’s Louisiana roots, it’s not surprising the menu features French-Creole-inspired dishes made with local and seasonal ingredients. Customer favorites include seared Gulf redfish Pontchartrain with crawfish served on a bed of green onion risotto and shrimp and grits with andouille sausage.
2146 Monroe Ave., Memphis. 901-590-2828, restaurantiris.com, @RestaurantIris.
The Stock and Barrel — Knoxville
It almost seems wrong to call this upscale eatery a burger joint. Burgers may be the common man’s food, but the Stock and Barrel blings out its patties with an imaginative array of toppings. The menu of 20 gourmet burgers includes standards, such as the classic bacon burger, as well as more innovative offerings. Truly adventurous diners order the Elvis burger topped with peanut butter and fried bananas. The beef is sourced from Mitchell Family Farms in Blaine, Tenn., and the bacon comes from Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams. Wash it all down with a drink from the lengthy bourbon list.
35 Market Square, Knoxville. 865-766-2075, thestockandbarrel.com, @KnoxStockBarrel.
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