Experience the rebirth of African American cuisine with Cajun influence

In West Africa, the Sankofa is a symbol of a bird that represents the importance of learning from the past and the appreciating the potential of the future. With this in mind, Sankofa owner Damond Fields is relocating his popular Cajun Soul restaurant to Addison.

The new location is at 4021 Beltline Road in Addison.  While Fields enjoyed the restaurant’s previous location on Commerce Street in Dallas, he was ready to make the move to Addison. “The Addison area is great for restaurants and nightlife,” says Fields. “We feel it’s a great fit for our ideals and brand.”

The Sankofa brand has been alive and well for more than 15 years. Fields began his career in the restaurant business 16 years ago with a vegetarian restaurant, which were few and far between in Dallas at the time. Sankofa is the evolution of that concept, which today is an upscale fusion of Cajun and down home Soul, but often with a healthy interpretation.

Fields runs the restaurant with his sister and executive chef Joslynn Fields, who was the personal chef for musician Erykah Badu, a strict vegan, for almost a decade. Fields has also cooked for Common, Andre Benjamin of Outcast, Russell Simmons, Prince, Dave Chapell, Carl Payne of “The Cosby Show” and “Martin,” Terri J. Vaughn from the “Steve Harvey Show” as well as Brady James and Patrick Crayton of the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s no accident that musicians are some of the restaurant’s regular clientele since music is at the heart of Sankofa of Addison’s philosophy. Live music is a regular accompaniment to meals, and the fine tuned atmosphere is reminiscent of the Golden Age of the 80s and 90s when the best of Hip Hop and Neo-Soul reigned.

Most popular menu items include the signature Blackened Tilapia, a Cajun style dish drizzled with onion vinaigrette and served with a vegetable mixed medley, Soulful mashed potatoes and garlic bread. The Cajun pasta, which is served with either grilled chicken or blackened shrimp, is tossed with a cream sauce and sprinkled with cheese.

For the Fields siblings, the inspiration behind Sankofa is also about family. “For me and my sister, our parents supported everything we did. We’re a close knit family, and the memories that are attached to family foods are a huge part of what inspire us,” says Fields. “Every day, we look to bring that same comfort and enjoyment to our guests.”

For more information about Sankofa of Addison, please call 972-239-1707 or visit www.sankofaofaddison.com.