Soft openings begin this week for plant-forward restaurant Comune, at the East Public Development on Parsons.
An extension of the former pop-up Rau, Comune is a full service restaurant offering seasonal, plant-based lunch and dinner. While Rau’s focus was primarily on vegetarian Bánh mìs, Comune features an array of dishes on their starter menu, conceptualized by chef Ben Kanavel. He serves up everything from salad and charred broccoli, to curry and cassoulet.
There are 10 taps behind the bar, four for beers of varying flavor profiles, including a pilsner, a sour, an IPA and a dark brew; three for cocktails; a tap for rosé and red wine each; and one for kombucha, a fermented tea drink.
Owners Brooke Maikut and Joe Galati landed the space at 677 Parsons about two and a half years ago. They knew they wanted to offer more than just sandwiches, and they initially sought the help of local chefs to learn how to scale up a pop-up to a full service, sit down restaurant.
Kanavel was just wrapping up at Salt & Pine, and he’d worked alongside other high profile chefs in the city, including Silas Caeton (Veritas) and Tom Smith (Worthington Inn). He joined the Comune team a year and a half ago.
“He’s not even a vegetarian, he just loved the concept, loved the idea. He’s an avid gardener,” says Maikut, “and he wanted that challenge to cook in different ways.”
Comune can seat up to 65 people, with more seating coming once the patio is completed. Maikut and Galati went on an inspiration trip to Copenhagen and Berlin, where they found the minimalist design Comune now has.
Comune is now open for lunch only. Once their liquor license is finalized, they’ll open for dinner.
For more information, visit comune-restaurant.com.
