The Dark Room rolls out summer menu and new class of Music Artists in Residence

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Chicken - Lemon-brined leg quarter grilled and sauced, served with chive mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans, and squash

“Come for the music. Come back for the food,” is the communal refrain of the team at The Dark Room, located in the Grand Center Arts District.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Bread pudding with whiskey sauce, a signature dessert at The Dark Room.

Opened in 2017, the restaurant is the culinary gateway to the The Grandel, the multi-use arts facility owned and operated by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation.

To coincide with the ongoing live jazz program at The Dark Room and Grand Center’s unofficial theater season (which runs from September through May), the restaurant has introduced a new menu that’s “easy-going, scratch-prepped, fast to table, and memorable,” according to food-and-beverage consultant Gene Bailey, who wants people to say, “We heard some great music and had the best bread pudding.”

Bailey (brother to restaurateur Dave Bailey) explains that the prior menu was “too full-on restaurant” and that “fire times were too long” So it was streamlined to be both quick (for pre-show meals) and leisurely (for guests wanting to dine while listening to live jazz).  

Part of the dilemma was the kitchen equipment and layout, says Bailey. As a result, the induction burners were supplemented by a hood, fryer, grill, and salamander broiler—“the proper tools to do a proper job,” he says. He also added two hospitality professionals, general manager Kelly Stout (Retreat Gastropub, Yellowbelly, Olio) and bar manager Armando Rendon (a long timer at Baileys Restaurants).

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Courtesy The Dark Room

Bailey says the restaurant hosts an array of patrons—those enjoying pre-, post-, and during-show meals; guests wanting to grab a drink and check out the art installations; artists in residence; and restaurant industry folks who are interested in a late-night nosh—so the menu needed to reflect that range.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Fried Mozzerella sticks with house tomato and herb sauce

Before she left The Dark Room, executive chef Samantha Pretto developed an easy-to-navigate menu that Bailey and kitchen manager Richard Lane refined. The dinner menu is divided into several categories: Snack & Share, Fried Baskets (each item made with a different breading or batter), Entrees, Soups & Salads, Sandwiches, and Desserts.

Given The Dark Room’s jazz underpinnings, some of the items were rooted in the heyday of jazz—dishes found in small Italian eateries, Jewish delis, old-time diners, and Southern “meat and three” joints, says Bailey.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Long known for its weekend brunches, The Dark Room serves a separate menu from 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The “beats and brunch” program, featuring live jazz music, is being extended to Saturdays as well.

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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts

Baked Avocado with poached eggs, crispy prosciutto, and Manchego cheese

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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts

Smoked Salmon Benedict with roasted tomato and shallot vinaigrette

Bailey believes that each of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s food-and-beverage venues should be able to stand alone, so expect tweaks to Sophie’s, the artist’s lounge and cocktail club on the second floor of .ZACK, the 40,000-square-foot multi-use arts venue that boasts a rooftop garden that supplies the venues with herbs and vegetables. (The building's also home to chef David Kirkland’s Turn restaurant.) 

And coming next month to Midtown is The High Low, featuring a library/café, exhibit and performance space, and writers' suites, as well as food from acclaimed chef Rob Connoley, who will provide fast casual fare similar to what was served at his acclaimed Squatters Café. Blueprint Coffee will also spearhead The High Low’s beverage program.

Photo by George Mahe

At the bar, Rendon has pared down the prior sommelier-grade wine list and streamlined the cocktail offerings as well (10 classics, four specialty), with service speed being the driver. Wines are line-priced for simplicity ($9 glass/$36 bottle) and a cellar list still exists as well, but casual wine drinkers aren’t forced to navigate it.

Part of The Dark Room’s mission is the ongoing Music Artists in Residence program, which includes the opportunity to perform at Kranzberg Arts Foundation venues, as well as marketing support and recording opportunities at Clayton Studios and Gaslight Studios, plus pro bono professional services. Andrew Warshauer, director of marketing and communication at The Kranzberg Arts Foundation recently announced its new class, including Andrew Stephen, Ben Wheeler, Brady Lewis, Brianna "Be.Be" Brown, Carlos Brown Jr., Janet Evra, Kaleb Kirby, Katarra, Mark Harris II, and Ryan Marquez.

Bailey says The Dark Room exists “to feed the patrons of the arts and to make patrons of the arts out of casual diners,” with a menu that he describes as “food for the people and for the art." But for us, the kicker is “free jazz is a great reason not to cook at home.”