If you find yourself in Memphis with a craving for great food, make your way to Jarrett's, where the living is easy and the cooking is mighty fine. Since 1994, local foodies have been crowding the tables, hungering for a taste of Rick Farmer's gorgeous regional American cuisine, lightly accented with the flavors of France and Asia. But don't be fooled: despite the relaxed ambiance, there's nothing laid-back about Farmer's cooking. At Jarrett's, you can feast on smoked Tennessee trout ravioli with Arkansas caviar and fresh marjoram ("rich and powerful," according to Frederic Koeppel of The Commercial Appeal); crispy smoked- quail spring rolls drizzled with scallion oil and plum wine ("delicious," Koeppel declared); and prime fillet of beef with mushroom and black truffle-Madeira sauce ("one of the best," Kay H. Womack wrote in Memphis magazine). Sounds as if Farmer has charmed the entire city with his sophisticated country fare, and happily, for those hungry for more of it, Farmer opened a new place, Cooper Street Bar and Grill, in January.

Farmer began cooking professionally in his teens. He skipped culinary school and headed straight for the real world-helping friends open a restaurant in Nashville, Natchez Trace, right after high school. Farmer left three years later and headed to San Francisco, where he worked in several upscale bistros, then to New York, where he served as the grill chef for Louis Lanza's eatery, Memphis. A coveted gig at The Water Club followed. Next, Farmer made his way to France, where he spent 14 months at the Michelin one-star Rôtisserie du Chambertin. Farmer was working at Restaurant Marco in Biarritz when he went on holiday to Memphis, fell in love with his future wife, Barbara, and decided to make the move to Elvis country. Jobs at a string of top Memphis restaurants followed, including one at José Gutierrez's celebrated Chez Philippe. In 1994 Farmer and his wife opened Jarrett's. Memphis magazine declared it the region's "Best New Restaurant," and in no time, Farmer's venture had become a treasured local institution.