By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Kristi Brown, owner of COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar, began her culinary journey at the age of 15 when she moved to Seattle with her family in the summer of 1985. Though she had never been to the city before, she embraced the opportunity and a new chapter in her life.
Throughout her life, Brown has lived in a variety of cities, each offering its own unique food culture that deeply influenced her. Her journey began at Renton High School, followed by time at Seattle Central College and Howard University. She later spent time in Detroit before eventually returning to the Central District (CD).
Brown often describes her cuisine as “Seattle Soul,” a term she uses to capture the heart of her culinary journey and the spirit of her community. For her, Seattle Soul is about more than just food—it reflects a lifelong experience of moving between neighborhoods, embracing different cultures, and discovering shared connections.
“Seattle Soul is about my journey from neighborhood to neighborhood, tasting and seeing how we are more alike than different,” she said.
Her understanding of soul food evolved during her time at the Kingfish Café, a beloved local restaurant in Seattle during the 1990s. Inspired by co-workers who traveled through the South to explore traditional soul food culture, Brown began her own culinary exploration.
When she first moved to Seattle, Brown lived off Orcas Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, where she found herself immersed in an Asian community for the first time. It was a transformative experience that opened her palate to new flavors, including Vietnamese cuisine—a food she had never tried before.
Stepping outside her comfort zone, Brown developed a deep love for soups, which ultimately led her to travel to Vietnam.
“It was the best trip I’ve ever had in my life, and I learned so much. When I got off the plane, they had a stand with watermelon, okra, and cabbage, which was funny to me because I didn’t know that people ate okra down there,” said Brown. “To see that, it was crazy to me, because it just takes me back to this idea of how we are more alike than different.”
After many years of gaining experience, knowledge, and refining her culinary skillset, Brown opened That Brown Girl Catering (TBGC!)—a full-service catering company providing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for community events, corporate functions, non-profit meetings, civic organizations, and private parties—in 1999.
After 10 years of operation, she closed the doors in 2009, and in 2012, she started her new journey reimagining her business as That Brown Girl Cooks!, a food, culture, and community organization.
When looking to create an interesting way to name her brand, the name ‘That Brown Girl Cooks!’ was both a personal and powerful choice. While it naturally reflects her last name, Brown, it also carries a deeper, more intentional political meaning.
“I wanted to find an interesting way to say it, but I wanted to have more of a political statement,” said Brown. “It is funny to me because a lot of white people are very uncomfortable with saying the name [That Brown Girl Cooks!], and it takes me back to how when I was growing up, we couldn’t say white people. So, I love the name just for that.”
In 2020, Brown expanded her legacy with the opening of COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar, which quickly earned widespread acclaim. The restaurant was named one of the “12 Best New Restaurants in the World” by Condé Nast, was included in The New York Times’ list of “The 50 Places in America We’re Most Excited About Right Now,” and honored as Seattle Met’s Restaurant of the Year. It was also recognized among Eater Seattle’s Best New Restaurants, and Brown herself was named one of Seattle Magazine’s Most Influential People of 2021.
Her son, Damon Bomar, co-owner and general manager of COMMUNION, has joined Brown on this journey, helping her fulfill her goal of creating a lasting legacy and generational wealth. Bomar, who grew up working with his mother and seeing her passion for food, was naturally drawn to the business and has quickly become an integral part of the operation.
“I remember seeing all of the businesses in Chinatown, and it was a lot of older people, and then the kids would start to come in, and I realized that I wanted that. I want something to pass down to my kids, because who knows if I would be able to buy a house, but I know I can pass them down a way to make money,” said Brown. “[Generational wealth] was really my goal, and it is a part of everything that I do. I am very grateful that we run this business together, because it is not just me owning it; we own it together.”
“He [decided to be part of the business] on his own,” continued Brown. “He went to Howard as well, and when he was there, he just realized how much he could add to what I was doing. I am very grateful that we run this business together, because it is not just me owning it; we own it together.”
Brown’s approach to food is deeply tied to place and perspective, and she views COMMUNION Restaurant & Bar as an opportunity for cultural exchange and discovery. Rather than replicating familiar flavors found across Seattle, she encourages guests to embrace new and unique dishes that reflect the city’s evolving culinary identity.
“I try to encourage people, don’t come to Seattle to find what you already know, come to Seattle to experience Seattle,” said Brown. “There are all kinds of places to get regular soul food that you are familiar with and comfortable with. This is not that place, and I just want people to expand their horizons here.”
With inventive dishes like “Hood Sushi,” a sushi roll made with fried catfish, Brown reimagines soul food for Seattle diners, offering bold flavors designed to push guests beyond their comfort zones.
“I feel like Black folks want to eat something that makes us feel comfortable, which I understand. But, at the same time, when you are only looking for comfort, you miss out on so many other things,” said Brown. “I will see people and they will order the same fried chicken, mac and cheese, and greens, and then look over and say what is that?”
While Brown and her son aim to reach different demographics with their dishes, she said they are very fortunate that people are seemingly drawn to their restaurant on their own.
“Because of me doing catering for as long as I did before opening the restaurant, I have a really good reputation within the community,” she said. “And fortunately, because of that, and how we got so much acclaim and everything, we don’t have to do much marketing for ourselves. We are very fortunate that our reputation is known by people around the world.”
Ultimately, Brown’s top priority is making her community feel welcome, and she uses both her recipes and the restaurant’s atmosphere to create that sense of comfort.
“I always want to make sure that folks feel comfortable, particularly Black folks. Sometimes it is kind of hard because with us it depends on what night you come in, and you could walk in here and everybody in the restaurant is either all Asian, White, or Black, and that for some people makes them feel uncomfortable,” says Brown.
“But with us just being here, that is the main step, and then we always try to keep something on the menu that’s familiar,” she added. “So, you’ll always find greens and you will always find cornbread; there will always be something that you are familiar with to make your experience comfortable and to make you feel welcomed.”
