Recently, while writing a profile on Tomo restaurant for Seattle Refined, I had the opportunity to interview several people who have been involved in creating such a singular experience for diners in White Center. Their stories were so rich that it was an almost impossible task to edit our conversations down to just a few lines in the final story.

So, without the constraints of story structure or word counts, I’m happy to share the full Q&A’s with some of the good souls I encountered while working on that article. Each one could easily be a story unto itself.

Dustin Nelson – rapper, hip-hop beat maker and hockey fan

Jenise Silva: How long have you lived in White Center?

Dustin Nelson: I’ve been living in White Center since September, and I love it here. I previously lived off of Delridge. So I’ve been in the area for a while. I’m now closer to my favorite skate park, Roxhill. Also some of my fav hangouts are over here like Southgate Roller Rink, Roxbury Lanes, the taco truck, Good Day Donuts, etc. 

JS: What is your go-to order at the taco truck?

DN: Veggie tacos, accompanied by menu item #5 from the Elote stand next to the taco truck. It’s roasted corn on the cob seasoned with chili powder, lemon juice and salt and it always hits. 

JS: What are your favorite skate songs?

DN: On my way to the skate park you’ll probably hear me blasting some Larry June, Curren$y, Isaiah Rashad or Tyler The Creator. 

JS: I know you are a local musician so what is your stage name or group name?

DN: I’m a hip hop beat maker and rapper from Anchorage, Alaska. My artist name is Skatey P, and I started a collective called A3G “All Gold Gutta Gang” named after my younger cousin T Gutta who passed away a few years ago. 

On Tomo

JS: How did you become aware or of, or get recruited to work at Tomo? And what were you doing before being recruited?

DN: I love dining out and trying new restaurants and foods I’ve never had before. When I found out that a beautiful tasting menu restaurant was opening in my neighborhood, I did a ton of research about it and loved their vision so I decided to apply one day and they hired me instantly. It’s been a ton of fun learning about everything that they do. 

JS: What is your best memory of your work there so far?

DN: Family meal is the best. I love that we have meetings where we get to meet with our wine purveyors, where we get to taste and learn about what we are pouring from the actual creators. 

JS: What was your best ‘family meal’ ever?

DN: Whenever they take the time to make me something vegan, which is often if they know I’m scheduled. There were these really good Brussels sprouts that I took home one day from family meal that I turned into a meal the next day and they were still very delicious.

JS: What if anything is something that has surprised you about working there or what have you learned?

DN: Brady (Williams) was a great hockey player before becoming a Chef. I named a project of mine the Skatey Gomez EP named after NHL star Scotty Gomez. He was a player from Anchorage who was an alumni of my high school. Brady was very familiar. 

JS: Anything else you’d care to share?

DN: I’d like to say that Greg Bonney makes some very tasty cocktails and our bar is first come first serve for anybody who wants to have a beautiful snack with a complementary beverage. 

JS: What is your favorite cocktail or drink at Tomo?

DN: The Persimmon Shrub. It contains Chamomile and Star Anise. It’s an N/A beverage, but is really good with a shot of gin too.