Govind Armstrong, Brad Armstrong
By Malcolm Johnson
Named and built in homage to the housing style common throughout the area, Post & Beam, from veteran restaurateur Brad Johnson and acclaimed chef Govind Armstrong, stands worlds apart from where Golden Bird Fried Chicken once did.
“This neighborhood is just so rich, culturally,” says Johnson, who opened the upscale casual eatery with the backing of Magic Johnson’s former business partner Ken Lombard’s Capri Capital Partners. Attracting the attention the venture deserved, however, posed another challenge but Johnson easily found the solution.
“I knew that I needed someone with real chef credentials and Govind was that guy,” says Johnson, perhaps best known for opening Georgia on fabled Melrose Avenue in the 1990s.
Armstrong, Johnson’s chef/partner here and at Willie Jane, their other restaurant in Venice Beach, famously got his start under the tutelage of Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago. Before joining forces with Johnson, he already had several successful restaurants, including the popular Table 8 and 8oz Burger Bar, under his hat, along with television appearances on shows such as Iron Chef America. Born in Inglewood, Armstrong, the offspring of a Costa Rican mother, who sparked his early interest in food, and an African American father, is especially at home at Post & Beam.
“I love cooking here. I just love seeing the room full of people. It’s such a great feeling,” admits Armstrong. Putting a finger on what Post & Beam is misses the point. Its well-purposed menu and inviting atmosphere makes it perfect for both a date or family outing, watching the game with friends or for a post-church brunch.
“I don’t just want to do soul food. That’ll be too easy,” says Armstrong. “The menu is always evolving. We were running octopus for a while and that was quite successful… It’s just a good mix [of] food that’s very approachable, but still interesting.”
At Post & Beam, guests can order greens by themselves or with ham hocks, the popular spicy turkey meatballs as well as wood-fired pizzas served with many sides and herbs grown on-site. Of course, there are diehard favorites. “Short ribs stay on the menu. I will get stabbed if I take that off,” laughs Armstrong. “The cast iron chicken has been on since day one.”
There was a time when no one could have envisioned a place like Post & Beam in this neighborhood. But it happened; and the partners are optimistic about the future. “I think people still come in here with high expectations,” says Armstrong. “They want good solid food, great service and that’s what we’re here for.”