Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
“We had to open,” says Kelly English, referring to Restaurant Iris, the cafe he opened in Memphis with “literally 50 cents” in his pocket. Numerous awards and a Food & Wine “Best New Chefs” distinction later, Iris is in full bloom, and the affable, young chef got asked to perform some magic: open a casino steakhouse in a town that, well, doesn’t easily embrace them. This month, the Louisiana-tinged Kelly English Steakhouse is slated to open at Harrah’s St. Louis. English told SLM that “Southern boys are full of surprises,” and he shared more than a few.
What was your first impression of St. Louis?
When I first visited, I had one of the best meals of my life at Niche. And what a great guy [Gerard] Craft is. It’s like the music scene in the 1960s... Chefs here are celebrating what the other chefs are doing. In the old days, it was xenophobia... not anymore, and especially not here.
Two years ago, you were a Food & Wine “Best New Chef”, a high honor. How did that experience change you?
Few of the chefs honored with that award have had any recognition at all, so it’s a real coming-out party and a real eye-opener, being suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. I kept telling them, “Hey, I’m just a dude from Memphis.”
You were born in Louisiana. I would assume that’s an advantage for anyone considering the restaurant business.
My family were Louisiana nomads, moving from Baton Rouge to Lafayette to New Orleans. Retrospectively, by living in all these places I really got to experience the Cajun and Creole nuances. Most people—and chefs—have a passing knowledge, but I was able to actually study it. I was lucky to have been raised in such a food-centric environment...down there, you become a man not when you can build a house, but when you can make a roux.
What dish is common to both?
As you move out of Lafayette, you never notice how gumbo changes, but once you reach New Orleans, you realize it's changed almost completely. It now has tomatoes, it's thicker and richer, and you never know where the change occurred.
Is file powder a standard ingredient in gumbo or not?
Our family sprinkled it on at the table, other folks don't think it belongs in gumbo at all.
Was your family in the business?
My father was a lawyer, and the day I told him I wanted to switch majors from law to hotel/restaurant management, he told me he was relieved that I was not going to follow in his footsteps.
Do you have a chef mentor?
Hands down it was John Besh at August restaurant, who taught me the importance of doing anything for a guest. Anything. He'd cook an omelet during a 7 course tasting if necessary. He'd say "We have eggs, what's the problem?" Now it might be a $25 omelet...
Did you follow that lead?
Absolutely... I'll do anything. It's a comforting feeling for the guest and the right feeling for me. Chefs inflicting their will on their guests is not relevant anymore.
How did you end up in Memphis?
After Katrina, I was helping John back in New Orleans. I wanted to be part of the rebuilding. We opened two more restaurants there, Lüke and La Provence, and on a weekend off, we went to Memphis. At Sunday brunch, out of the blue, the restaurant owner asked if I knew of anyone wanting to buy his other restaurant. We took a look, and I noticed a large, stained glass fleur de lis, and that was it.
Kind of an expensive brunch...
When we went back outside and there was a rainbow. Done.
Wow, how many signs do you need?
Plus, the owner was willing to finance it, as I had little money. After several delays that sapped the little money I did have, we were ready to open Restaurant Iris on April 1, but I couldn't open a business--especially a restaurant-- on April Fool's Day. I remember having literally fifty cents in my pocket, on April 2, the day we opened.
What kind of place is Iris?
A 45-seat French Creole restaurant located in an old Victorian home in Memphis. Fortunately, that style cooking has so many influences--French, Spanish, a lot of African, plus German, Italian, Vietnamese, Mexican--so we really are able to globetrot there quite a bit.
Did it take off slowly or immediately?
We were lucky it was small--45 seats can make "slowly" look like "immediately." Then we got a rare 4-star review and that took care of the rest. The following February, Food & Wine called, told me that I'd won the award, but that I could not tell anyone. And I said, "even my mom?"
Moms are terrible at keeping secrets...
Food & Wine was a game changer for me...area codes in the reservation book I'd never seen before. Already high expectations just got higher. Making people happy was now more difficult.
Will you maintain ownership at Iris? People worry when a chef divides his time.
I wouldn't have taken on something new without having total confidence in Iris' staff. I plan to divide my time...just not yet sure of the split. But if need be, I can work lunch and be at the other place for dinner.
How will your Louisiana influence carry over into Kelly English Steakhouse?
You will see shrimp and grits, sauteed redfish with crawfish butter, many items like that. Creole is burned into my soul and it will sneak out wherever I am. The Midnight Snack is my favorite thing to eat at home: toasted brioche, warm shrimp remoulade, and a poached egg on top. That's it.
Will you serve New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp?
There ain't nothin' better than good BBQ shrimp. When I was young, my father gave me that recipe: too much pepper, too much butter, too much lemon, too much worchestershire, too much parsley, oh and some shrimp.
Do people in the South eat blackened fish anymore?
Only tourists. Outsiders think that Cajun and/or Creole means blackened. Growing up, I never saw anything blackened until Paul Prudhomme blackened that fish.
Will there be any crossover dishes from Iris?
A few. We will duplicate our surf and turf, on the Food Network for "The Best Thing I Ever Ate": a 14-ounce NY Strip, stuffed with bleu cheese and fried oysters, with hollandaise, potato hash, and the best bacon I've ever had.
Do you make that bacon?
It comes from Alan Benton in Maryville, Tennessee [English pronounced it MERR-vill]. His bacon will kick you in the face. I use nothing but. I know I can't make bacon that well.
What makes it better?
I don't know. Soul? I believe there's a one year waiting list to get some. Go to bentonshams.com.
How do you get non-gambling, conservative-but-carniverous locals to come to a casino for a steak dinner?
We will have items that the-I hate to use this term—foodies, will call explosive; we will have traditional, steak-based options; we will have established items that I know already work. We were successful in attracting non gamblers in Tunica, so I'm pretty sure I know what they want. My goal here is to lure in the atypical customer.
Will you let customers dictate what you serve?
Ultimately, you have to. You serve, you educate, you listen, you adjust. Like I said, there's nothing I won't do for the guest.
What motivates you day in and day out?
When people tell me I can't do something, it forces me to prove that I can. I did it at Iris. When I launched that, no one believed in me but me.
How large is Kelly English Steakhouse?
Forty percent larger than the one it replaced: 214 seats.
That's a little different than 45...
Yes and no; 45 seats can feel just as busy because of staffing levels and the structure of the menu. That part does not worry me.
What’s your favorite cut of steak?
I like a good rib-eye, but I'm not as concerned with what the steer was fed as I am with whether it was properly cared for... and happy. Today, the focus isn't so much on Prime and Choice, but on conditions. That's what people--especially chefs--are more dialed into these days. It's all about positive karmatic flow.
Do tell...
So a lot of our proteins will come from small farms—they have the best products, can't satisfy big demand, and so are perfect for us.
First Iris, now Kelly English Steakhouse. Why put your name on this one?
Harrah's was comfortable having already worked with me in Tunica. Here we felt the restaurant's name needed to be an indentifier. It was not borne out of ego.
What's the secret to a really good steak?
A good cut of meat, salt and pepper is all you really need. Then cook it properly. We will use a Creole seasoning on some items, however.
What’s the hardest Creole dish to get right? Whatever one your Creole grandma did well. No one—no chef—can compete with that. No one will ever make a better peanut butter pie than my grandma.
The roots of tradition run deep.
I prefer to think of myself as a forward-thinking traditionalist. You can put a pair of fancy pants on that steak, but in the end, my goal is to attempt to serve something that grandma would have appreciated.
Will the side dishes be Southern-leaning?
Yes, we'll have my mother's spinach madeline, an alternative to creamed spinach; dirty rice, one of my favorite things on earth to cook; after that, there'll be a lot of changing, seasonal sides.
How often will the menu change?
Between four and eight changes per year.
What's one underrated Southern food?
Chicken livers. They're in many items but no one wants to talk about them. It's like anchovy paste...people hate anchovies but they love that Caesar dressing!
Was there ever a time you wanted to chuck it all and go sell women’s shoes?
In the early days of Iris I could be found in the walk-in curled into the fetal position. I adjusted.
Ever been told you resemble Steven Furst, "Flounder" from Animal House?
Yes, and I may just put flounder on the menu. But we'll never have it, just like Sal and Judy's did with their Chicken Cacciatora...it's listed on the menu and they're always out.
