True
Believers! 901 Postoffice Captures The Spirit Of The Island
Written By Marsha Wilson Rappaport
Fine
dining in Galveston is still growing as local restaurateurs
continue in their efforts to establish the island as a
distinct culinary destination. One of the most recent
additions is 901 Postoffice, an eatery tucked neatly into
the East End neighborhood dominated by the UTMB towers.
Yet the unique “urban chic” design of 901
Postoffice is only first chapter of the story. Once you
step inside you are immediately transported into a world
of culinary excellence and a story of two very brave entrepreneurs
that deeply believed that Galveston would “come
back.”
 Tony
Gonzalez and Chef Steve Griffith are partners in “901”.
Gonzalez, a BOI, from a locally prominent  family,
is well-known for his great smoothies and lunch specials
at “Smooth Tony’s”. And you may have
eaten Griffith’s “heart healthy” creations
while a patient or visitor at UTMB, where Griffith has
been Director of the Head of Catering for decades.
I
visited “901” within days of their 1st Anniversary.
And somewhere between tasting the velvety smooth Mushroom
– Leek Soup and actually eating all of a crisp salad
accented with walnuts and pears it struck me: “WOW
- they opened this restaurant right after the ‘I’
word! Boy these guys had faith!”
Tony
Gonzalez did not make the decision to turn a home he’d
owned for years into a fine dining establishment lightly.
Having been successful with “Smooth Toni’s”
for 14 years on the island, he fully comprehended the
nature of the financial risk he was taking while exploring
a lifelong dream:
 “I
wanted to make this a destination” said Gonzalez.
“I’m committed to the long haul and I knew
the island would come back. I surround myself with positive
people who are committed to excellence, like Steve. I
don’t listen to “Debbie Downers” who
didn’t believe the island would recover.”
You
know he was serious because that sentiment was spoken
like a true BOI or IBC.
Master
Chef Griffith concurred:
“This
is what I always wanted to do;” he said. “And
I’m having a really good time – this is fun”.
The
food and décor here are extraordinary and are truly
reflective of the positive attitudes of both men. The
menu is precise, but includes a balance of meat and seafood.
“We
really wanted to keep things Texas orientated,”
said Griffith”, “It’s more Southern
than Global. However, my favorite is seafood.”
That
being said, those committed to the celebration of seafood
will enjoy entrees like Grilled Gulf Snapper with Lump
Crab Wontons or Lobster Mashed Potatoes and Grilled New
York Strip with Tabasco Butter.
Folks
who love meat will enjoy entrees like Beef Short Ribs
and Pomegranate Glaze, or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and
Balsamic Reduction Stuffed with Apple, Jalapeno and Blue
Cheese.
On
the night I visited, I was so blown away with the quality
of the menu that I asked for their regular evening special
in order to end my desire to have everything. The Pecan
Crusted Snapper was delicately moist on the inside, with
a light crunchy crust that didn’t compete with the
flavor of the snapper. The avocado tomato salsa was a
delightful accent that truly acted as “icing on
the cake” on dish that was fundamentally perfect.
I did make a modest attempt to “try everything”
and requested both Parmesan Poblano Cheese Grits and Mashed
Sweet Potatoes as sides. I can tell you that the grits
were so good, I was tempted to ask for a quart –to-go
bucket. I’m my late Grandmother – the BOI’s
fave and I was raised on grits. But the rich texture of
these grits, mixed with the sophisticated edge of Parmesan
Cheese was a real step up from Sunday morning breakfast
version.
My
appetizers included a luscious Spinach, Artichoke and
Lump Crab Bake with long strings of real spinach as opposed
to the little chopped up strings you find in chain versions
of the dish. And my salad which featured pears and sweet
pecans was so good that I forgot to ask the name of the
dressing.
The
Wine List here features a lot of solid labels and provides
something for every meal. For example in addition to standard
choices they feature a list of Red Blends which include
Clayhouse Adobe Red from Paso Robles, California; The
Mariner by Dry Creek Vineyards and Cyrus by Alexander
Valley Vineyards, California.
 I
do have a quick word of warning about “901”
for those of you who have never been there: BRING YOUR
APPETITE. My entrée was so generous that I had
the pleasure of its company for breakfast the next morning.
So I could believe my waitress Megan who said that the
Lobster Mashed Potatoes featured “really big”
chunks of lobster. After eating in “trendy”
restaurants all over the U.S, where the portions are “artistically
correct” and the bill is massive, to actually get
an adult portion of a gourmet meal is worth the trip.
901
Postoffice, like many Galveston eateries, understands
that we live here so we don’t have to dress up all
of the time. Moreover, they have a fabulous outdoor patio
with a wood burning fireplace. Therefore, you can drop
over anytime for just a glass of wine, some of Tony’s
famous “pulled pork” or an appetizer and enjoy
the comfortable patio space. The wait staff here, including
Megan and Davis, is professional and you want for nothing
while you’re there.
“It’s
kinda like having people over for dinner,” said
Tony Gonzalez. “It’s our home.”
 In
short , although the eatery is beautifully decorated and
the food is better than most of the meals you can find
in the big city it’s a lot like your home on Galveston
Island – if you were a master Interior Decorator
and had Steve Griffith as a personal chef. Do drop in
for a visit.
901
Postoffice, 901 Postoffice Street, Galveston, Texas, 409-
762-1111, Open from 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Thursday –
Saturday and open late on weekends. http://www.galveston.com/continental/
Marsha
Wilson Rappaport is a local author and free lance writer,
who discovered that during our new Wine and Food Fest
in April the hotels were filled up. I think we’re
on the right track. Go Galveston!
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