An inquisitive nature and a willingness to dive deep are among the defining characteristics of James Galbraith, partner and executive chef at PostBoy, the 10,000-square-foot corner restaurant in downtown New Buffalo, Michigan.
Galbraith, a world traveler who culls ideas from wherever he goes and reimagines them into menu items, recently returned from Japan, where he spent almost two weeks traveling throughout the country.
“It was life changing,” says Galbraith, who previously opened and owned Houndstooth with his sister Cheyenne Galbraith and currently owns Anemel, the Tex-Mex restaurant he created, both in the Benton Harbor Arts District. “I think I left half my soul there.”

That may be true, but Asian-forward offerings are not new to PostBoy’s globally inflected, seasonal menus. Think Bibimbap and Prawn Tiradito (a Peruvian hybrid of sashimi and ceviche). At the same time, Galbraith remains rooted in the Midwest—he sources from local farmers and food producers, including serving freshly made bread from Publican, the award-winning bakery in Chicago.

He isn’t afraid to mix it up. His takes on even such comfort culinary classics as potato gnocchi or french fries are distinctive and one of a kind.

The Prawn Tiradito includes leche de tigre, black garlic macha, masa miso and lardo. The gnocchi are sauced with a cheddar mornay and citrus cream, then topped with smoked bacon. Hibiscus aguachile, blood orange, hoja santa oil and pepita crunch perfectly accent a buttery, delicate collar cut of yellow tuna in a dish called Hamachi Crudo. The Kennebec Fries are topped with Cajun spices, malt vinegar and cacio a pepe mayo, creating an elevated take on everyday french fries.

Bar director Krystin Reuber also brings in-depth attention to detail to her cocktail menu. In her free time, she heads to food destinations such as New Orleans, San Francisco and New York and hits the bars. Sure, it’s a tough job, but she wants to see what other mixologists are doing. She takes the ideas from her tastings to fashion such cocktails as the Necromancer—a mix of tequila, absinthe, plum and sparkling sake—and Leisure Suit Larry, with soju, yuzu, ginger and grapefruit.

PostBoy’s interior, with its soothing colors of beach glass, polished blond woods and white octangular floor tiles, reflects a historic Lake Michigan sensibility. The name PostBoy connects to New Buffalo’s early beginnings, when Captain Charles Whittaker, who was delivering mail from Buffalo, New York, ran aground during a storm near where the Galien River flowed into Lake Michigan. Whittaker liked what he saw and returned the following year to establish a lakeside city named after his hometown in 1836.

A restored 1949 Ford mail truck that Galbraith’s business partner, Ben Holland, a Chicago entrepreneur, found in Wyoming, sits outside next to the large patio—in keeping with the mail delivery theme. In another homage to the past, Galbraith traveled to Kokomo, Indiana, home of the Kokomo Opalescent Glass Company founded in 1888. He bought 400 pounds of glass fragments to use in making the restaurant’s colorfully speckled tabletops.

Galbraith worked in numerous Berrien County eateries with his sister before the two opened Houndstooth six years ago, and for years he spent his free time apprenticing in the kitchens of high-end Chicago restaurants, eager to keep learning. Now he hosts chef dinners featuring chefs like David Posey of Elske and Zach Engel of Galit, both Michelin-starred Chicago restaurants.
“This coming fall and winter, we’re having chefs from restaurants around the country such as Regards in Portland, Maine, and Gunshow in Atlanta,” says Galbraith.

In the meantime, he’s gearing up for the busy summer season, developing a casual menu for those arriving from the beach (sandy toes and beach coverups are acceptable), offering fare such as smoked salmon tostados, lobster rolls and an Italian sausage corndog served with giardiniera.
“I call it my nostalgic meets global menu,” he says.

PostBoy
207 N. Whittaker St.
New Buffalo, MI
269.767.8269
postboynb.com

Travel/food writer Jane Simon Ammeson lives on the lakeshore in Stevensville, Michigan, and is a James Beard Foundation judge and a Taste Awards judge. She is the author of 17 books, including Classic Restaurants of Michiana and America’s Femme Fatale: The Story of Serial Killer Belle Gunness. Her book Lincoln Road Trip: The Back-Roads Guide to America’s Favorite President won the Bronze Award in the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition for Best Travel Book. Follow Jane at janeammeson.com and instagram.com/janeammeson.