Once in a long while, and really it doesn’t happen often, you have meal somewhere and it’s the most ordinary-extraordinary experience of your life. It’s not the finesse of the décor, or the craftsmanship of the chef, or the ambience necessarily (although all those things are ticked off here)—it goes into a little something I like to call “essence feel.” It’s more than food, it’s more than dining out. It’s a sense of home, the way you always needed it to be.
Of course nothing like two brothers, Bobby and Myki Stackleather, to serve up a plate of home, better than mama or bubbie could ever do. People mistake the two for twins, or porn stars with their last name, but in fact they’re good old Southern stock who came to New York with “cutoffs and a couple of dollars.” And recently they quietly opened Post right on a random block on Avenue B in the East Village. “Two queens who put down the lipstick and opened a restaurant,” says Myki.
“Being in New York for twenty years now, we both like how Alphabet City is one of the last places in the city that still has the old New York grit,” says Bobby. “We both originally wanted to open in Red Hook but decided on the city because of the busyness and the energy.” But the duo were just always together, doing everything as a pair. “I remember skipping school when we were super young and baked cakes all day. They tasted like shit, but they looked good and was one of our first cooking experiences together,” says Bobby.
And today at Post, they collaborate on the menu and talk about foods they love for the moment. Peek into the kitchen and you’ll see what they’re pondering about this week. “We will probably try to change the menu seasonally. Like three times a year,” says Bobby. “We just want to make good wholesome, health conscious, comfort food with vegetarian and vegan options,” adds Myki.
Instead of fries, they serve salad, instead of a pork sausage, they do an amazing chicken version. And then there is a surprise dessert that can really end up being anything under the sun. “Some of the comfort foods that people love but with organic and humanely raised product. All the pleasure without the guilt,” says Bobby.
But both brothers will get a turn to make their dreams come true. First up is Bobby, with Post. Next will be Myki’s turn, a 1940s inspired opium den. For the moment it all depends on the day, but sometimes Myki will be upfront making you laugh deep in your stomach as he pours wine and turns up the music, while Bobby is hands deep in the kitchen adding much love. Other days the roles are reversed. It’s a little place in the world where everything is always alright.
Photos courtesy of Post.
