AT THE TABLE

from WALTER Magazine - September 2018

THROUGH THE LENS

nostalgic FARE

Honoring Cary’s past and paving the way for its future

by ALEX DIXON photography by BEN MCKEOWN

It’s no coincidence that downtown Cary’s Postmaster overlooks the historic railroad hotel, built by town founder and self-proclaimed postmaster, Frank Page. Page, described as an energetic entrepreneur, paved the way for many firsts in Cary. In his own way, Postmaster’s owner Tyler Watt has done the same, as Cary increasingly becomes a destination for residents of the Triangle and beyond. “Frank Page deemed himself to be the first of many things in Cary and we’re kind of the first on Cedar Street,” Watt says. “And we won’t be the last on Cedar Street, that’s for sure.” In the last three years, Watt says Cary has seen several owner-operated businesses open in the core of downtown. Watt was at the forefront of this growth, when he opened Pharmacy Bottle and Beverage in 2015 just 500 feet from Postmaster. He says he only sees this growth continuing. “The projection I see for Cary is that we’ll never be a downtown with skyscrapers, but we will be an ultimate neighborhood destination.” Postmaster, which Watt opened in 2017, is both a nod to Cary’s roots and a look into its future. The modern and quaint space was born from a popup beer dinner at the Pharmacy that brought Watt and Postmaster executive chef Chris Lopez together. At the time, Lopez worked at Ashley Christensen’s Joule Coffee and later assisted chef Sunny Gerhart in the same space at St. Roch Fine Oysters & Bar. “We saw this empty gap. With that beer dinner and how quickly it sold out, that showed us we can do something fun, we can do something unique, we can do something funky without having to go to downtown Raleigh, Chapel Hill, or Durham,” says Lopez. Set in a commercial building on the corner of Cedar and North Walker Streets, Postmaster has an open dining room with window walls that face the railroad tracks. Across the tracks is the hotel, constructed in the late 1860s by

Page, now known as the Page-Walker Arts and History Center. Today, the center provides a variety of events for locals. A functioning garage door opens to a patio with a view of Cary’s burgeoning downtown. Lopez describes the food as upscale comfort food, and he aims to invoke nostalgia with his dishes. Items like hominy hushpuppies topped with sorghum, crème fraiche, and chili oil provide an upscale twist to a familiar item, and this theme is constant throughout the menu. The squash and mushroom gratin with goat cheese, cornbread, and tomato gravy has that homey feel while highlighting local produce and has “no air of pretension about it,” Lopez says. Pastry chef Maria Luna and bar manager Patrick Dunmire maintain this down-to-earth approach with the desserts and cocktails. Luna put her own spin on the nostalgic kids’ dessert, a “cup of dirt.” It includes a chocolate pastry cream with red-wine-soaked chocolate cake, chocolate streusel, and a homemade fig gummy worm. “We’re going to plate it up fancy and all of that, but at the end of the day, it’s still a ‘cup of dirt,’” Lopez says. At the bar, Dunmire stirs and shakes cocktails that are both innovative and approachable, such as the Lavender Sunflower, which includes gin, Cointreau, St. Germain, and lavender tea concentrate. The simple Cary Fashion is a variation on the Old Fashioned with bourbon sorghum syrup and orange bitters. While some of the restaurant’s staples remain constant throughout the year, Postmaster changes the menu seasonally and sources the majority of its items locally when possible. Weekend features allow for Lopez and the staff to test out recipes and determine which items deserve a place on the permanent menu. “In downtown Raleigh, you can put whatever you want on a plate and people will flock to it,” Lopez says. “We have to tread lightly a little bit, and that’s why we run features every weekend so we can see what works, what doesn’t, and tweak and modify from there.” On a weekend in July, a small plate highlighted the bounty of summer produce in a simple preparation—blistered shishito pepper and sun gold tomato escabeche with purple basil vinegar, shallot, sea salt, and olive oil. The braised brisket Au jus balances a rich cut of brisket with the brightness of a spring hash with charred cabbage. As the fall and winter approach, Postmaster will transition to heartier dishes that Lopez says are intended to feel like a “warm hug.” The restaurant recently launched a brunch service, and Watt hopes this will be a popular draw for Cary residents on Sundays. He says it’s a great chance to try unique menu items like the African-inspired cornmeal drop doughnuts. “There’s a lot of churches down here and a lot of Sunday foot traffic happening in downtown, but there’s not a lot of food,” he says. “Sunday brunch is an opportunity that we’re looking at to bring more people down here and experience Postmaster in a slightly more casual atmosphere.” As businesses continue to open, visitors and residents alike will be a part of an experience that is uniquely Cary, such as dinner at Postmaster with a short walk to the nearby Bond Brothers Beer Company afterwards for a beer. “You can do everything here that you can do on Glenwood South, Five Points, or Ninth Street in Durham or wherever it is,” Watt says. “That’s the trajectory we’re on.”

Postmaster, which Watt opened in 2017, is both a nod to Cary’s roots and a look into its future.

Below: Postmaster executive chef Chris Lopez, at left, and owner Tyler Watt.

CHEF’S RECIPE

Squash and Mushroom Gratin

STEP 1: TOMATO GRAVY

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon cornmeal 2 cans crushed tomato ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add cornmeal and cook for five minutes while constantly stirring. Add crushed tomato to the mixture and increase the heat to medium. Once at a slight simmer, add in salt and pepper, then pull from heat. Set aside to cool

STEP 2: MUSHROOMS

1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 pints oyster mushrooms ½ yellow onion 3 garlic cloves ¼ cup white wine 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Shred oyster mushrooms by hand into small pieces. Dice onion, and thinly slice garlic. Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sweat garlic and onion in butter for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add white wine and cook for two minutes to reduce wine. Add in mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Gently cook them over medium heat for two minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.

STEP 3: GRATIN BUILD

2 yellow squash Boxed or homemade cornbread, cooked prior to gratin assembly Goat cheese crumble ½ cup Texas Pete hot sauce ¼ cup olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice yellow squash into thin circles. Spread half of the cooled tomato gravy on the bottom of a 9” square casserole dish. Layer half of the squash slices over the tomato gravy. Place entire cooked mushroom filling on top of the sliced squash, and layer the remaining squash on top of the mushroom filling. Spread the remaining tomato gravy. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, uncovered. Switch oven to medium broil. Crumble cornbread and goat cheese on top. Place under broiler until golden brown, around 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm, drizzled with Texas Pete and olive oil.