POST & BEAM
CALIFORNIA CUISINE WITH A TOUCH OF SOUL

California cuisine comes in all shapes, spices and flavors, and at Baldwin Hills’ Post & Beam, it even comes with a side of soul. From restaurateur/owner Brad Johnson and Executive Chef/owner Govind Armstrong, Post & Beam is a neighborhood gem and a great find for everyone else.

Using locally sourced ingredients from its on-site garden as well as the South Central Farmers Cooperative, the fare is fresh and divine. There's also a full bar and a list of specialty house made cocktails, a handpicked selection of wine and craft beers too.

During our recent visit for dinner, we started with an order of Warm Homemade Corn Bread served with whipped honey butter. Delicious. I can't imagine anything that wouldn't taste great with that butter.

And by sheer luck, the honey butter drenched cornbread went well with the Maple Whiskey Sour made with maple infused Elijah Craig, lime and lemon. I have to say, this is probably the best Whiskey Sour I've ever had. What a great surprise!

Another nice option to start with is the Champagne Cocktail made with grapes, bourbon, St. Germain, and champagne. It goes down very easy and is great for day drinking.

Looking to try several of the items on the Intros section of the menu, we shared the hearty Hickory Smoked Pork Ribs with house cole slaw and sliced white bread, and the delicious Deviled Eggs with House Smoked Catfish. The ribs were tender and finger-licking good, and the deviled eggs, especially with the unique touch of having smoked catfish, were so addictively tasty.

Looking for a more filling appetizer, go with the Shrimp Grits with Beef Bacon, Roasted Peppers and Shrimp Butter. Now that's California cuisine with a touch of soul comfort food done right.

Looking for another round of cocktails, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 with gin, Lillet, Cointreau, and lemon is very nice and so easy to drink. While the Sazerac, made with Templeton Rye, bitters and absinthe, is stiff but in a good way. I must say I was impressed by the quality of the drinks. The Paloma is a nice mix of tequila, fresh grapefruit juice, agave, with a spicy salted rim. I did prefer that to the somewhat bitter P&B Margarita made with tequila, agave, lime, lemon and orange bitters.

Known for their hand stretched 11" pizzas; we went with the House Made Sausage Pizza with fire-roasted peppers, grilled onion, and cheese blend. This is a meal for any one person and a great dish to share.

For our entrees, we went with the highly recommended Cast Iron Natural Chicken with olive oil poached garlic and grilled lemon, and the Certified Angus Beef Short Ribs with fresh horseradish. The chicken was surprisingly tasty, and the beer short ribs were an absolute crowd pleaser. All Larger Plates come with two small sides and we went with the Mac n' Cheese, Grilled Baby Broccoli with sweet garlic and lemon vinaigrette, Mashed Potatoes, and Wood Oven Brussels with smashed turnips and spiced apple.

With barely enough room for dessert, we split a slice of P&B Sweet Potato Pie with pecan praline and whipped cream. Savory and not overtly decadent, this was the perfect way to round out a great night out. Post & Beam really manages to create an intimate yet casual atmosphere, offers first rate service, and hearty cuisine that really hits the spot.

Post & Beam is located at 3767 Santa Rosalia Drive at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. Open Tues-Sat 12pm to close; Sunday 11am to 9pm. Closed Mondays. Call (323) 299-5599.

Story by Jose Martinez
Photography By: Vanessa Stump