---

Kindal's is open and they are Bringing soul to Big D

10333 Technology Blvd; 214.352.7685

Dallas has many pluses, but she does lack a few cornerstones, like legit public transit, or a major new sports stadium, or the joy of seeing the city covered in winter snow. How 'bout a beach? Here to shore up our woeful jazz scene, Kindal's.

Soft open today in the former Che, Kindal's is a jazz-, r&b-, and soul-minded supper club, accessible via dual doorways, one for the reserved-seat ground floor, the other for gen-admission balcony; inside you'll find a triple box seat-topped main stage and 22 performance-screening monitors, plus a phalanx of cubbies and bars, a semi-open kitchen, and entree to a lattice & water fountain-walled patio, covered for the time being, as Dallas apparently now has seasons.

The menu, conceived by an ex-Mansion/Tei Tei/Kavala chef, starts with Deep South staples like oyster/shrimp/crab-topped Blackened Snapper Opelousas and Low Country Shrimp w/ creamy jalapeno cheese grits, but gets freaky with a home-cooking/Asian fusion dubbed "Soul-Shi", e.g., honey-glazed fried chicken w/ cinnamon waffles, a wood-fired T-bone w/ "New Delhi" creamed corn, and a black-eyed pea tuna roll, which sushi purists will deem seriously elephunked up.

The seven full bars push white/red/sparkling, bottled beers, and signature cocktails like the Hurricane-like "NOLA Punch"; there's also a roving Cognac cart, a convenience you will XOXO.

Kindal's will feature national acts (Lalah Hathaway; this weekend's VIP grand opener Chico DeBarge), but many slots'll be filled by N TX jazz cats (Freddie Jones) and R&B cover bands (Road Crew, All Funk Radio Show); eventually they'll have music seven days a week, including a 10am-3pm Sunday gospel brunch -- a good idea, 'cause after 12 punishing inches, God's clearly moved to Arlington.

Today's the soft opening, but the restaurant aspect fully debuts mid-March. Introduce your computer to http://www.Kindals.com