In a bustling restaurant district in Far North Dallas, across the street from Shelton School, a local jazz club makes for a hidden musical getaway. Originally, it was conceived as a restaurant by day and a jazz club by night. Today, The Kitchen Cafe is now open only in the evenings with music as the heartbeat among an eclectic crowd.
On any given night, guests can look forward to local performers gracing the stage, delivering passionate sounds by way of vocals and live instrumentation. Dimly lit spaces with soft-seated tables make for a relaxing space for talking with friends while enjoying performances, while eating comfort dishes like tortilla soup, maple ginger salmon and a pot roast, the last of which is absolutely divine. Jazz bands, singer-songwriters and a cappella vocalists have all gotten their turn at sharing their original works and covers.
Years before The Kitchen Cafe became an underground venue for singers, songwriters and instrumentalists, owners Tony Hakim and his wife Lisa Reichenbach were bound together through the power of music. Hakim, who is a guitarist and a singer, was performing at a restaurant for a birthday dinner that Reichenbach happened to be attending.
“During a break, He came over to meet everybody at the table and wish the birthday lady Happy birthday,” Reichenbach recalls…