What happened: A new steakhouse has opened in Lexington Center.
Last year, steakhouse specialist Jason Carron–formerly of Del Frisco’s and Fleming’s–converted an old post office in Reading, built in 1917, into a modern steakhouse called Post 1917. Carron was researching a second location in Somerville when his wife, Lori Haverty, came across the space that once housed Korean barbecue restaurant Bulpan in Lexington. Fifteen months after opening his first Post 1917, Post 1917 Lexington opened last week. A third location in Somerville is due to open next spring.
“I’m from Guilford, Connecticut–the quintessential American small town–just like Lexington, just like Reading,” Carron says. “What we bring is exactly what’s been missing. Not to say anything negative about anybody that’s here, but I think we can come in and maybe bring Lexington into the 21st century.”
The setting: The dining room is full of modern “Mad Men” vibes: dark exposed brick walls, moody botanical wallpaper, plush banquettes, and a stunning 8-foot-long chandelier—all designed by Haverty. White tablecloths and ample space surround each table and signal a level of sophistication and luxury that is confirmed with every doting check-in from our sharply-clad server, Sebastian. If you don’t look too closely out the dining room windows, you’d be forgiven for confusing Waltham Street for Beacon Hill.
As my dining companion aptly says at the end of our meal, it’s the kind of place where you want to see the bathrooms, even if you don’t need to go. Oversized portraits of legendary French chefs Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, and Dominique Crenn tower above the staircase to the basement bathrooms. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without them,” says Carron. “They’re people I look up to.” On your way back upstairs, you can too. Don your best smart casual or upgrade to board room attire for the full cosmopolitan experience, and enjoy the convenience of suburban parking.
The food: Dinner is a full-on choreographed production at Post 1917. Arrive with an empty stomach and a padded wallet; there is nowhere to cut corners on this classic steakhouse menu. Caesar salad ($14) is the lightest item on the menu; verdant baby gem romaine leaves are individually layered with thin, wide ribbons of Parmesan.
All steaks come from Brandt Beef in southern California; 10-ounce filet ($66) will melt in your mouth, but you are not here to practice restraint, so add Béarnaise sauce ($4) for color and additional tasty meltiness. Roasted bone marrow butter ($8) on a 16-ounce strip ($68) is rich on rich; to go full decadent, add lobster tail ($25) to a 32-ounce long bone ($110) with a flight of sauces ($18). Steaks are served on an austere white plate and sides are ordered a la carte.
Carron gets animated talking about the street corn ($16), a side dish elevated with bacon lardons. The kitchen strips the kernels off the cob; no hands needed here. “But I do tell people, if they want to pick up the lamb bones [in the lamb lollipop appetizer], they can. I find it a compliment,” Carron says. Dessert and coffee service will be added in a few weeks. “I want to make sure we can cook first,” says Carron of the staged opening.
Executive Chef Victor Valencia, who has worked with Carron for 23 years, runs the kitchen. Valencia will lead the pastry program in Lexington when it’s time; expect cheesecake, crème brûlée, gluten free fried ice cream, and chocolate cake.
The drinks: The wine room is still under construction, but with a wines-by-the-glass list ($14-$65) that fills a tall page, there is no shortage of alcoholic beverages in the interim. The cocktail list has traditional roots, but General Manager Emily Bucchanio describes the vibe as more of a speakeasy. A “trust the bartender” mocktail ($12) yielded a light strawberry-cucumber drink that tasted much better than it sounds.
“We’re bar people,” says Carron. While most restaurants place their bars near the front of the restaurant, Post 1917 put the dining room by the windows, and the bar toward the kitchen in the back. “[At the bar,] you feel the vibe and the noise from the kitchen, you get to see the kitchen excitement in the background, and you get to enjoy all your drinks and beverages,” he says.
With 39 backed bar stools that surround the working bar, Post 1917 is designed for crowds to eat and linger. 50 banquette seats at high top tables invite small groups to gather comfortably. “We want you to be able to have a fine dining experience, but also be able to meet your friends,” says Bucchanio, who skated with Lexington’s Haydenettes when she was in high school. Bucchanio points out a corner banquette that is almost large enough to seat a synchronized skating team–it’s meant for 12.
On a Tuesday night, the bar was far from full, yet a lively energy radiated from the space. From Thursday through Saturday, the bar is open til midnight; no need to trek to WXYZ in the Aloft hotel for a nightcap anymore.
The takeaway: “You walk in here and you should automatically feel at home, comfortable, at ease and part of the family within minutes. That’s our goal,” says Carron.
My own life choices haven’t enabled me to live in a home with decor curated by a designer like Haverty, and my family does not wait on me like Carron’s staff did. So while this diner did not automatically feel “at home,” I did feel welcomed, appreciated, pampered and unhurried–even when I lost track of time and lingered half an hour after the last plate was cleared.
Note: We consider this an article about the restaurant, which interviews with the owner and staff, not a formal review.