Post & Beam Resturant Celebrates African and Caribbean Inspired Soul Food

(Gerry Furth-Sides) When Brad and Linda Johnson opened  Post & Beam with Executive Chef Govind Armstrong in 2011, they established a South LA culinary institution with their charming neighborly draw.  The fine dining restaurant has always made the most approachable and complete an experience with its friendly, open, airy organic space tucked held a sweet  far corner of the the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Mall ringed by greenery, the Debby Allen Dance Studio right across the way.

Experienced chef, Govind Armstrong served as head chef, mentoring and eventually passing the baton to chef-proprietor John Cleveland, who has been working with him. Last year, the husband-wife team of Chef John and wife Roni Cleveland took over ownership of Post & Beam, keeping it a black-owned business.  Johnson reported that “With the changing of the guards, John will  benefit from business consulting and access to senior leadership as well as  mentorship in the kitchen from Govind, while Linda and I will focus on extending the brand through Post & Beam Hospitality LLC.'”

We recently had the privilege of sharing three of the signature dishes, and added a couple more to make a feast out of a summer picnic after we picked up the food, waiting in the Post & Beam patio, and simply set out the food at home.

Deeply flavored Crushed Tomato or Turkey Meatball hand-stretched “personal (giant!) pizza” fresh from the wood oven; Fried Brussels Sprouts Tossed with Maple Balsamic Glaze, dotted with Butternut Squash (table opinion: “we could make a meal of it”); Cast Iron Chicken flavored with Olive Oil Poaches Garlic and Grilled Lemon that we served on a bed of micro-greens; a moist, dense Lemon 🍋 Pound Cake graced with Lemon Glaze and Berries.

“I consider myself a ‘working chef,’ and I love creating California comfort food. Comfort food is simple; yet it requires perfect execution, said John Cleveland. “The secret ingredients to good cooking are love and patience. You can taste it in every bite!”

 

The Post & Beam team are the fourth winners of the Los Angeles Times  Gold Award. Past recipients include Wolfgang Puck, 2017 (Spago);  Mary Sue  Milliken and Susan  Feniger, 2018 (Border Grill); and Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng, 2019 (Cassia).

This week, foodies and food lovers are encouraged to taste the yumminess of Post & Beam, especially during Black Restaurant Week, which is going on through August 16, 2020. In its fifth year, the event celebrates the flavors of African American, African and Caribbean cuisine. Last year, Post & Bam took home the award for Best Bite!

Throughout the year, Black Restaurant Week spotlights the culinary endeavors of cities around the country, including the Bay Area, the Midwest and the South in cities like New York, Washington D.C., Atlanta and New Orleans. For more information, visit BlackRestaurantWeeks.com.