Was a time when the mail came on time regardless of weather and with a friendly smile from a carrier who knew your name and knew about your family without going through your packages.
These days, warmth and post office are not terms that often go together. Too often, a trip to mail a letter involves waiting in an endless line while the woman in front hand picks individual stamps from the rotating catalog of memorial, celebratory, and just plain silly options, after which she tries to pay with a check from a foreign bank, using her gym membership card as identification.
Fortunately, the folks who took over what was once the Back Bay post office on the convenient but just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Back Bay to be comfortable corner of Stuart and Clarendon Street have been able to bring back the warmth and personal service of days gone by and combined it with contemporary flavors and forward-thinking offerings.
Billed as a modern twist on the traditional tavern, Post 390 is all about warmth, comfort, and relaxing good times. With a visual palate of deep browns and rich blacks and furnishings made of sturdy wood, gleaming granite, and buttery leather, accented with multiple fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at the historic Trinity Church and YWCA building (home to another Boston jewel- the Lyric Stage Company) and the pioneering Hancock Tower, the sights and sensations are inviting and, despite the large size of the two-floored venue, intimate. However, it is the smells and tastes that truly take Post 390 to the next level!
On the ground level, the Tavern menu delivers tasty tastes of all Post 390 has to offer, including their famed seafood tower and other raw bar items, an a la carte charcuterie and cheese selection (as well as a locally-made burrata), tavern staples like New England clam chowder, brick-roasted game hen, fried Haddock and hand-cut “chips” (a layover from the days of Boston’s original taverns), the signature Post 390 burger, and some of the farm-freshest seasonal selections around, such as grilled octopus, confit chicken wings, herbed ricotta flatbread, and a Miso honey-roasted veggie plate. In addition to its specialized selections, the Tavern also includes a special “late lunch” menu featuring their most popular provisions for those who need a refreshing, relaxing break after a big midday meeting, etc. If you want to have that meeting at the restaurant, there are semi-private and private areas available on both floors.
Upstairs in the main dining area, Chef Eric Brennan oversees a gleaming open kitchen at which guests can watch him and his expert team shuck oysters, pan sear steaks and create gustatory wonders before their eyes (and watering mouths). In addition to above-standard standards like the chilled Scituate lobster salad, roasted Blue Hubbard squash bisque, grilled Atlantic Swordfish and Berkshire pork rib eye, the kitchen offers a rotating menu of amaze-rs such as Peking duck breast with smoked duck leg Andouille, and the grilled whole fish of the day. Sides include braised beets and greens, sauteed broccoli, and Post 390’s famed house-cut fries.
In his efforts to ensure fresh food delivered fresh to the guest, Chef Brennan has recently begun offering special dinners at which one of his many area partners are featured. The monthly “Farm to Post” series features some of New England’s finest farms and fishermen, each of which has been hand-selected by Chef Brennan and Post 390 owner Chris Himmel. The featured menu is available as a prix fixe for the entire month with a choice of two or three selections for each course. The dinner is priced at $52 ($70 with wine pairings) and each item is also available a la carte for those who wish to explore and engage this new concept in farm-to-table dining.
While the food is the main focus on Post 390, the beverage selection is notable as well. In fact, the wine list has won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence every year since 2010! And no wonder- with a menu that offers over 200 hand-picked selections in categories such as sparkling, red, white, rose, and seasonal wines from Europe and the “New World”, as well as entire lists of ciders, draft, wheat, gluten-free, and “As always” beers, and other selections, including sauternes, ports, eisenweins, amaros, vermouths, and other aperitifs and digestifs, Post 390 delivers something for every taste and something to complement every item on their other menus. As they like to spotlight special foods, Post 390 also features their “bin ends” (last bottles of popular selections) and offers beer dinners and other special events for those who appreciate finer beverages or just want to learn about them. The Post 390 cocktail list offers such creative concoctions as the Juan Collins (with mescal, soda, lemon, lime and Agave), the Martinez (gin, vermouth, orange bitters and maraschino) the Loosen Mai-Tai (silver and spiced rum, house-made grenadine, almond syrup and a dark rum float), and, of course, the Postmaster (citron vodka, strawberry, mint and cava) which is always worth ringing up twice.
No matter what you choose, each meal is fronted by sea-salted popovers for which the fresh cream butter is not even necessary (but great all the same) and backed by a set of house-made desserts that, as difficult as it may be, are worth saving room for. Among these sweet highlights are the bruleed banana cream pie, the Belgian Liege waffle with fresh fruit and buttermilk ice cream and the locally-sourced Taza hot fudge sundae. As with so many elements of a meal at Post 390, the hardest part is deciding what to try each visit, but the cordial and snappily-dressed wait staff are more than happy to help!
So if you miss the days of the friendly mailman and the comfy, unpretentious but still delicious dining spot, you have reason to rejoice, for just off the well-beaten paths of Back Bay is a cozy spot that can accommodate a romantic dinner for two, a family celebration, a business meeting, pre- or post-theatre or whatever else you can put together. So be sure to send yourself a note reminding you to drop off your dining desires at Post 390.
Post 390
617-399-0015