Communion Chef Opens Lil’ Brown Lady in Seattle’s Central District

Guests to Métier Brewing Firm’s Cherry Avenue taproom are actually in a position to get a little bit one thing particular with that beer. A fast-service restaurant from James Beard-nominated chef Kristi Brown is now open inside it, referred to as Lil’ Brown Lady.

Anybody who has eaten at her lauded restaurant, Communion, or had her catering from That Brown Lady Cooks will acknowledge the dishes — a few of her best hits are coming again at Lil’ Brown Lady, albeit typically in barely altered codecs. The black-eyed pea hummus from Communion will likely be there, she tells Eater Seattle. So will a model of a salad she made for catered field lunches. It was a boxed combined greens salad with ham and candy potato salad and a fried hen thigh on prime with jerk ranch dressing. For Lil’ Brown Lady, chef Lynn Lewis made it right into a sandwich, with fried hen, greens, a variety of roasted yam potato aioli on one facet and jerk ranch on the opposite.

William Munoz

It is going to additionally characteristic berbere wings glazed with whiskey from Uncle Nearest, and a blackened catfish sandwich with tartare sauce, pickled greens, and jalapeños. Followers of the shrimp toast at Communion who’re disenchanted that it’s coming off that menu will be capable to discover it at Lil’ Brown Lady as an alternative. All of the dishes are paired with choices from Métier.

Zorn B Taylor

When requested concerning the collaboration, Brown glows and calls it “such a pleasant story.” Apparently, the concept was floated by Métier CEO and founder Rodney Hines, a longtime pal of Brown and her son, Damon Bomar, co-owner and common supervisor of Communion. “We’ve loads of symmetry in the way in which we run our companies, and it simply appears like a very comfy match,” Brown says. These values the therapy of their workers, and staying “in alignment” with different Black-owned companies within the neighborhood and group. “We’ve all the time solely carried Métier at Communion… We [both] search for methods to showcase tradition inside our companies,” she says, pointing to Métier’s use of native Black artist Damon Brown for its labels.

“I really feel like we’re in the course of a renaissance with the Central District and reclaiming the persona, and the within the tradition that was taken away throughout these years of the abrupt change of gentrification,” Brown says. “We’re dedicated to being right here. We wish to thrive right here. I feel it’s vital for people that had been from right here to see, but additionally so lots of the newcomers to know the historical past of this neighborhood.”

Lil’ Brown Lady is open now at 2616 E. Cherry St. inside Métier Brewing Firm.