A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: James Galbraith

The Great Lakes region has a humble but glowing reputation. Midwesterns simply have it all — between the months of April and October — vibrant beach towns, miles upon miles of nature trails, thriving local food suppliers, artisans, and a modest but steadily growing population of creatives.

James Galbraith is the chef and owner of the buzzy PostBoy restaurant in New Buffalo, Michigan. From the sweltering dishpits of back-of-house to staging at acclaimed restaurants in Chicago, Galbraith offers a perspective on the industry backed by the years of experience that have since paid off in full. Galbraith is a self-taught, jack-of-all-trades chef.

“I have been cooking for over 20 years, and everyone always asks, ‘What is your thing?’” said Galbraith. “My thing is taking Midwest food that’s already super approachable and making it global. That is what drives me: the global aspect. You’re always learning something. Every week, I learn about something new from a different country, or talk to somebody and gain inspiration, or go down a rabbit hole of new information on different cultures. It keeps me engaged in the restaurants and food.”

During high season in Harbor County and throughout Northern Indiana, droves of city folk trade the fast-paced, broad shoulders of Chicago for the slow, intentionality of Michiana’s countryside. The weekender trade-off in Southwest Michigan is few and far between. Chicago’s unparalleled food scene, globally inspired cuisines, and highbrow design and atmosphere have continued to permeate from Northern Indiana into Southwest Michigan.

Galbraith’s most recent spike in notoriety was being nominated for the James Beard award. In this year’s wave of nominations, Galbraith’s hard work and talents are formally recognized under the Great Lakes region’s ‘Best Chef’ category through the James Beard Foundation, in what he describes as a crazy journey venturing into the microcosms of culture and food.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of it,” Galbraith said. “There are teams of people behind each of our projects that elevated the vision in their own individual way, but being someone who’s rounded them all up has been a crazy journey. There are a lot of talented people in our area, and PostBoy being in the spotlight has really been a magnet for people coming into the project. It’s like a snowball effect; once you start getting talented people and you start doing really cool things, more and more people want to be involved.”

Galbraith has embarked on numerous personal projects with help from his family and peers. Galbraith’s sister is Chef Cheyenne Galbraith, who also serves as his business partner. Along with co-Owner Ben Holland and mentors in the industry, this has allowed his vision for PostBoy to come to life in Harbor Country.  

Architecturally and through deliberate and intentional design, PostBoy has visually transformed the landscape of New Buffalo. Galbraith and his creative team continue to raise the bar for dining experiences in Southwest Michigan. Community support is greatly influential, as his friends and creative craftsman, Rico and Crusty, painstakingly crafted and sourced each detail, piece of glass, and fitted each retro speaker with the utmost intentionality. 

“Rico and I went down to Kokomo and picked out 500 pounds of glass to put in the terrazzo top,” Galbraith said. “They gave us these chain mail gloves, and we sifted through mountains of broken glass. With 10 five-gallon buckets, we filled them up, and now they’re on the tables for the bar.”

The Great Lakes region is fortunate to offer food that not only satiates but also inspires. The many service industry warriors who braved tiring commutes or relocations to sharpen their skill sets are making a serious homecoming, bringing with them industry knowledge, experience, and a desire to share these experiences with the public.

Galbirth has been in the industry since he was 19, getting his start in the kitchens of Southwest Michigan. In 2016, he partnered with his sister Cheyenne as sous chef for the Boulevard in St. Joe. In his free time, he commuted to Chicago, staging at Michelin-starred restaurants and acclaimed Chicago eateries including Blackbird, Boka, Elske, and Big Kids. 

In 2019, James and Cheyenne opened Houndstooth in Benton Harbor, which is still serving unique dishes to the public in their boutique eatery. Japanese milk bread with black garlic and chives, or duck carnitas relleno, proves that the sky is the limit for the Galbraith siblings.  

International cuisine is likely to be found in the side streets of diverse neighborhoods or city centers, yet PostBoy and Houndstooth are a steady reminder that unique culinary experiences are not as distant as you might think. Galbraith and his team at PostBoy are in their second season of hosting chef dinners for the community in a series called Abandon Ship.

“The chef dinners that we’re doing are super humbling,” said Galbraith. “A lot of these chefs that are coming to do dinners are chefs that I was a fanboy of. I was going, staging, and interning in their restaurants. Now they’re coming to us – we’ve got Michelin star chefs coming to New Buffalo. It just still doesn’t feel real.”

Up next for the Abandon Ship series, PostBoy is inviting Chef Yara Herrera of Hellbender in Ridgewood, Queens. Herrera is known for her take on regional Mexican and Mexican-American flavors. You too can be a part of the experience on March 19.

Despite the newfound recognition, Galbraith and his team are committed to their path of authenticity; they will strive to continue to refine their skills, lock in on what works and what, if anything, needs to change. Galbraith looks forward to the many events coming down the pipeline and preparing for what will be another busy summer in Harbor country.

In his free time, Galbraith enjoys roading tripping around Michigan and the Michiana area with his little Saint Bernadoodle, Billy. Together, they recently explored Traverse City and Leland, Michigan. They took on the big city of Chicago together, but she, like many others, prefers the weekend mentality.

For morning information on PostBoy and its events, chef spotlights, or additional insights on the space and food offered, check out their website at postboynb.com.