Amelia Gene’s brings unique fine dining to Downtown (including a can't-miss cheese cart!)

Downtown Memphis has a new restaurant: Amelia Gene’s opens Oct. 22 at 255 S. Front St.

This fine dining restaurant is the latest concept from Carlisle Restaurant Group, a Memphis-based company that also owns Fancy’s Fish House. Amelia Gene’s is located adjacent to the Caption by Hyatt hotel at 255 S. Front St., and is the latest addition to the One Beale development in Downtown Memphis.

The restaurant is named for Chance Carlisle’s 5-year-old daughter.

“I think both she and now this restaurant represent our future. I often think about Downtown and what we want our kids to see and experience when they come back to Memphis,” said Carlisle, chief executive officer at Carlisle Restaurant Group. “This is an example of what I think the next generation would be proud of.”

'Proper Bites,' upscale fare and a can’t-miss cheese cart

Leading the kitchen is Nate Henssler, Carlisle’s managing partner and executive chef.

Henssler was recruited to Memphis last fall by Carlisle Restaurant Group after two decades of leading kitchens in Chicago and Las Vegas.

Expect contemporary, globally inspired dishes that are artfully prepared. Henssler said he is offering a dining experience and menu unlike any other in town, and more like a fine dining experience you might have in larger cities like New York or Chicago.

Start with a small plate from the “Proper Bites” section of the menu. Offerings include a Foie Gras Macaron (a pink peppercorn macaron with a foie gras filling) or a Beignet filled with a Sweet Onion Cream and topped with a generous dollop of Kaluga Caviar.

Because the restaurant also has an in-house bread baker, a bread plate is a featured appetizer. Bread maker Cherie Canelas, whose cult-like following of her brioche doughnuts and sourdough breads under Artesanal De Tela led her to meet Henssler, will offer a rotating bread course. For the opening menu, Canelas has created a Saffron and Charcoal all-naturally fermented sourdough that is paired with cardamom honey butter, hummus and house-made pickles.

Larger shareable starter plates include a Charred Octopus Salad with Mustard Greens and a Salted Lemon Dressing and Bone Marrow served with house-made Seeded Rye and Stone Fruit Preserves.

Henssler said he has always loved making pasta, so he has included a menu section dedicated to house-made pasta dishes like Tortellini stuffed with Maine Uni and a Ravioli made with Green Hill double-cream cheese, Guanciale, Nasturtium and Shiitake Mushrooms.

Entrees range from a Half Rohan Duck from Pennsylvania that is served as a rare-cooked breast with a crispy skin and a leg that has been confited until tender with a rich sauce made from the duck bones to an Elk Short Rib cooked in a spicy Indian-inspired tomato sauce and served over creamy Anson Mills Grits with crispy leeks and pickled mangoes.

A can’t-miss cheese cart is an element that Henssler said he has always wanted to include at a restaurant. He traveled to New York for inspiration and has designed a cheese cart that features six to 10 domestic craft cheeses.

MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: Kelly English returns to the kitchen at Restaurant Iris: 'I am getting back to my roots'

From foundry to fine dining restaurant

Carlisle Restaurant Group has transformed the historic William C. Ellis & Sons Machine Shop into an elegant dining and bar environment designed by the Johnson Studio at Cooper Carey.

“It’s really a transformational moment. It’s paying homage to the fact that this 110-year-old building was with the Ellis family for six generations," Carlisle said. "We’re excited to breathe new life into the space."

Original historic details of the building — such as steel beams and a large crane — were incorporated into the design that balances the original use of the space with warm and rich accents such as velvet curtains and leather banquettes to create an intimate and elegant dining experience.

The centerpiece of the restaurant is a crystal art installation that sparkles and glows like the embers of the metal workers who once worked in the historic building.

Memphis-bred head Chef Jonathan Lazo and General Manager Nathan Ellis round out the management team.

The restaurant will be open from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

NEW MEMPHIS RESTAURANTS: 'If Huey's and Houston's had a baby': The Public Bistro opens in Cooper-Young

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

If you want to keep up with the tastiest news in the Bluff City — like the story above, sign up for our Eat Drink Memphis weekly newsletter for a hearty serving of stories on everything from restaurants to recipes. You can sign up here.

Amelia Gene’s

Where: 255 S. Front St.

Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Online: ameliagenes.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Amelia Gene’s opens in Memphis: What to expect at new restaurant