Damon Bomar Celebrates Nearly Five Years of Communion with Sunday Brunch

Good news for brunch lovers! On the latest episode of Almost The Weekend, Besa Gordon and Curtis Delgardo linked with Damon Bomar, co-owner of Seattle’s very own Communion Restaurant & Bar. As the iconic soul food hotspot approaches five years of business, Bomar reflected on the restaurant's journey and discussed their new Sunday brunch menu full of fresh takes on soul food classics. 

Working alongside his mother Chef Kristi Brown, Damon credited strong community support for their continued success, stating it "really kept the doors open and flowing.” He added that they've been changing up the menu with new Pacific Northwest twists on soul food and planning upcoming events as a way to celebrate the impressive milestone on the horizon.

The menu at Communion is nothing short of dynamic, changing three to four times a year with new takes on classic soul food favorites and beyond. Damon explained that Chef Kristi's adventurous spirit largely drives new creations, with "a lot of contemplation, a lot of question asking, a lot of going shopping to the market." Damon joked that his mother gets bored real easily with dishes, lovingly giving her a hard time by comparing her switching up the menu to movies: "You don't gotta do four different Lion Kings, you feel me? The first one was just fine." 

Communion Seattle's culinary identity is what they call "Seattle soul," a fusion of traditional soul food with Seattle's diverse cultural influences from Southeast Asian to Ethiopian flavors. While they offer beloved staples like fried chicken wings, mac and cheese, and greens, they also push boundaries with innovative creations. He specifically mentioned the beer-battered catfish with papaya salad as one of his favorites; a testament to the team’s knack for "adventuring into creating a new…perspective on our cuisine." 

With long-waited anticipation, Communion Seattle has brought back brunch, with popular items like the sweet potato waffle, served with peach compote and whipped cream. Damon also proudly noted their use of locally sourced ingredients, such as fresh salmon caught by the Yakama Tribe. Other unique dishes include a fried pork chop with peach compote over what he proudly called Texas caviar, made of black-eyed peas and other chopped up vegetables. 

While the creativity of Chef Kristi and team continues to evolve, so does Communion’s road ahead, with many more years of bringing people together one plate of soul food at a time. Damon emphasized the significance of the five-year milestone: "If you make it five years, you can make it forever." 

Visit Communion’s website at communionseattle.com to check out the menu, upcoming events, and booking reservations.