Deep Ellum Dining
Deep Ellum restaurant trades out barbecue for veg-friendly soul food
A new restaurant whose menu is deep with vegan and vegetarian options has debuted in a former barbecue spot in Deep Ellum. Kemet Kitchen recently opened at the corner of Commerce and Walton streets, in the former Mama Faye's space. It's a family-owned restaurant serving organic non-GMO dishes with produce from local farmers.
The menu is healthy Southern and comfort food, served in a casual-cool environment where the background music includes jazz greats like John Coltrane.
Kemet is the original name of Egypt, and the theme continues on the menu with a few dishes named after some of Egypt's kings and queens. Head chef Tracey Peterson graduated from Escoffier Culinary School in Austin, and has worked in the restaurant industry for 12 years. Sous-chef Markesha Beasley is a master at vegetarian and raw vegan cuisine.
The menu is a homey mix of vegetarian and comfort food. Starters include chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, and fried sweet potatoes. Four salads include a veggie quinoa, a hot salad with yams and kale, a spinach and pear salad, and a Thai-accented one with cabbage and jackfruit.
Entrée prices range from $11 to $18. The Imhotep is a veggie plate, with bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. King Narmer is "green everything," with spinach, bok choy, kale, and collards. There's red curry chicken, pan-seared cod, steamed salmon, and brown-butter herb chicken.
The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, and brunch, and keeps late-night hours, as well. A spokesperson for the restaurant said that there is also a full bar. "It's a place to have a good meal, good drinks, and a nice atmosphere," she said.
