Chef And Song

Liz Mikel at Opening Bell Coffee, Southside on Lamar in Dallas. (Photo by Ron Thompson.) efore I started recording my conversation with Liz Mikel, we talked about her late friend, pianist Buddy Shanahan. His memory brought with it emotion. I asked if it upset her to talk about him. She looked at me flatly and responded with her eyes still flooded, “I’m talking about him, aren’t I?” And in that moment, I knew Liz Mikel doesn’t say anything she doesn’t mean. Her mother was a PhD and sang opera. Her father promoted East Texas clubs on the “Chitlin’ Circuit”. Liz’s encyclopedic knowledge of artists who shape American culture comes from growing up around and knowing them. She has one of Dallas’ favorite local-girl-done-good career stories spanning neighborhood stages and regional theaters, Broadway and Hollywood. We didn’t talk much about the entertainment business. We did talk about the days when people called her Elizabeth, though. Days when her mother encouraged her to follow her passion, when others thought