The 50 places in America we are most excited about right now.

”The vibes at Communion are warm and welcoming, and it’s not unusual to strike up a conversation with the table next to yours while snacking on some grilled okra, or to be invited to an art opening by a stranger at the bar. But the neck-bone stew will, at least for a few minutes, make chatting impossible. It’s so delicious, it requires all your attention — the crisp-edged strands of smoky meat, the big tender lima beans and the deeply flavored broth. But every dish has a certain pull, from the catfish and grits to the local clams and mussels in coconut milk. Kristi Brown, who ran a catering company before opening her own restaurant, doesn’t miss.” — TEJAL RAO

Emerging Chef (Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water )

“Today, we are announcing our 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists in advance of the returning James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One.”

THESE 21 WOMEN ARE READY TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES

“We are thrilled to announce the 21 participants in the 2021 Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (WEL) program, which aims to support women food industry entrepreneurs and restaurant owners in order to grow their careers and scale their businesses.”

From the arts to civic engagement to business, here's a look at those who made a measurable difference across the state in 2021.

“The past year has been quite eventful for Kristi Brown.

Brown and her son, Damon Bomar, opened their “Seattle soul food” restaurant Communion Restaurant & Bar on East Union Street in the Liberty Bank Building, an apartment complex whose namesake pays home to the first Black-owned bank in the Pacific Northwest.” – Rob Smith

Chef Kristi Brown brings Seattle together—and expands its definition of soul food.

“ONE NIGHT AT COMMUNION, chef Kristi Brown was pinch-hitting on busser duty when a nearby table received their order of neck bone stew. She leaned over to offer these diners, a multigenerational Asian family, some conspiratorial advice: “Don’t forget, when you eat neck bones, you’ve got to suck it.” – Allecia Vermillion

The Best New Restaurants in the World: 2021 Hot List

“For the 25th edition of the Hot List—Condé Nast Traveler’s picks of the year's top hotel and industry openings—we highlight the innovative new spots that are changing the way we dine.”

“The roots run deep at chef Kristi Brown’s Central District restaurant, from her decades of catering in Seattle to the physical location in the city’s historically Black neighborhood, on the site of the Pacific Northwest’s first Black-owned bank. Brown established herself on the city’s food scene as a soul food master long before chef Edouardo Jordan’s JuneBaby arrived; now her first restaurant is bringing her signature black-eyed-pea hummus to the masses. The menu also nods to Seattle’s Asian and East African communities with dishes like the fried catfish po’mi—po boy meets banh mi. Even though Brown and her co-owner, son Damon Bomar, opened during a pandemic, the duo dared to build an eatery around a communal table—a sign of their confidence in their mixing-pot ethos.” — Allison Williams

Seattle’s 2021 Eater Awards Winners

Best New Restaurant

Communion Restaurant & Bar

It’s been a year since chef Kristi Brown and her son and business partner Damon Bomar opened Communion in the Liberty Bank Building, a mixed-use affordable housing, retail, and resource hub for the Black community in the Central District. Brown has been working in the restaurant industry since the 1990s, perfecting her “Seattle Soul” dishes, a style that reflects the close proximity of the Chinatown International District to the historically Black Central District in Seattle. Catfish po'boys, “Hood Sushi,” and smokey berbere chicken are stand-outs on the menu, as well as comfort favorites like catfish and grits, mac and cheese, and local greens. – Mark Van S.