Best Dining Bets

Best Spot for a Romantic Dinner: If you feel like playing prince or princess for a night, there's no more romantic place to do so than amid the palatial surroundings of Chez Philippe, 149 Union Ave. (tel. 901/529-4188), at the opulent Peabody hotel.

Best Spot for a Celebration: Amusing decor and food as creative as the atmosphere make Automatic Slim's Tonga Club, 83 S. Second St. (tel. 901/525-7948), a good spot for a casual celebration.

Best Decor: Dine from the comfort of refurbished hair dryer chairs at Beauty Shop, 966 S. Cooper (tel. 901/272-7111). Or just sit at the banquette and tables and soak up the chic blush-and-cream-colored decor and retro block-glass booth dividers.

Best Wine List: Melange, in the Cooper Young historic district of Midtown, 948 S. Cooper, tel. 901/276-0002), has one of the best wine selections in Memphis.

Best Value: The abbreviated bistro menu served at La Tourelle Restaurant, 2146 Monroe Ave. (tel. 901/726-5771), provides a chance to sample this restaurant's excellent food, but you don't have to eat as many courses and you spend a lot less money.

Best for Kids: At the Buntyn Restaurant, Park Avenue at Mt. Moriah (tel. 901/458-8776), the folks really like kids, and the kids really like the old-fashioned meat-and-potatoes cooking.

Best Continental Cuisine: The decor is a cross between classic French-country-inn and baronial mansion at Paulette's, 2110 Madison Ave. (tel. 901/726-5128). The menu combines American and Hungarian influences with continental; you will find the likes of filet mignon and veal tenderloin accented with wine and herb sauces.

Best French Cuisine: Because both have such good reputations, I couldn't choose one above the other, so I'll leave the decision up to you. The cuisine at Le Petit Bistro, 5007 Black Rd. (tel. 901/767-7840), is contemporary French, served in a casual bistro atmosphere, while at La Tourelle, 2146 Monroe Ave. (tel. 901/726-5771), both classic and contemporary dishes are served in an elegant setting.

Best View: Joe's Crab Shack, 263 Wagner Place (tel. 901/526-1966;), a casual chain restaurant, is located in a converted warehouse overlooking the Mississippi River. Both the views and the menus conjure up images of the Gulf Coast.

Best Barbecued Ribs: The legendary Rendezvous, 52 S. Second St. (tel. 901/523-2746), has, hands-down, the best ribs in Memphis. Accompany these with red beans and rice and some mustard slaw, toss in a bit of attitude from the waiters, and you have the makings of a very memorable Memphis meal.

Best Japanese Cuisine: Sekisui of Japan, Humphreys Center, 50 Humphreys Blvd. (tel. 901/747-0001; and two other locations), serves consistently good tempura, teriyaki, kushiyaki, yakizakana, and platters of the freshest sushi.

Best Steaks: The steaks at Folk's Folly Prime Steak House, 551 S. Mendenhall Rd. (tel. 901/762-8200), are such a Memphis institution that the restaurant has its own butcher shop; restaurant patrons can also buy some of the best meat available for cooking at home.

Best Late-Night Dining: When the urge to eat strikes late at night, you can nosh tapas with your martinis at Melange, 948 S. Cooper St. (tel. 901/276-0002), which stays open until 2am; or suck down some saucy ribs at the Rendezvous, 52 S. Second St. (tel. 901/523-2746), which stays open until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Best Brunch: Sunday brunch at The Peabody Memphis hotel is an elegant affair, held at the Skyway on the roof level of the hotel between 10:30am and 2pm.

Best Barbecue: When in Memphis, you have to eat as much barbecue as you can get your hands (and mouth) on. Corky's Bar-B-Q, 5259 Poplar Ave. (tel. 901/685-9744), makes it easy with a drive-up window.