Commonwealth’s Nookie Postal Is Planning Something New in Davis Square

Nookie Postal. / GALDONES PHOTOGRAPHY

Nookie Postal has certainly been busy this year: He’s expanded the outdoor patio at his Kendall Square restaurant, Commonwealth, and created a Sunday pop-up series to show it off, he’s still developing his Jewish barbecue concept, Steinbones, and he’s lost 80 pounds and counting.

But today, he took another big step: Postal signed a lease to take over the former Subway storefront in Davis Square (197 Elm St.), and he is planning another new concept.

Postal announced his latest incorporated business on Instagram this morning. Eater Boston reports the new venture isn’t the future home of Steinbones, which has been in the works for four years. Steinbones is still coming along, confirms a rep. Postal isn’t sharing any details yet about the forthcoming Davis Square spot, he says.

Postal was executive chef at Fenway Park before he debuted Commonwealth, a sprawling, dual-concept market and restaurant, in late 2013. Chef de cuisine Ellie Campbell currently oversees the menu of family-style fare, including braised lamb tangine, smoked chicken wings with green papaya slaw, Peekytoe crab fettucini, and whole grilled rainbow trout. Commonwealth is also known for its irresistible duck fat French fries, and house-made ice creams.

Bottles of Postal’s Manischewitz-sweetened Steinbones sauce are available at the Commonwealth market, and earlier this month, he previewed some of the fall-apart smoked meats and schmaltz-laden “everything” challah rolls that will populate the Steinbones menu at a pop-up at Commonwealth.

Today is the official debut of an expanded, outdoor patio at Commonwealth along the Broad Canal, which boasts a vintage Dodge D100 that Postal has outfitted as a fully functional bar, Eater Boston reports. This weekend, meat master Joshua Smith of Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions is headed there for the latest Sunday Slam pop-up. Besides Steinbones, past brunches have included a recurring visit from Eventide Oyster Co. out of Portland, Maine; a Texas-style barbecue spread by Postal, and an Asian fusion feast by Campbell and Commonwealth sous chef Nicco Muratore called Szechuan Samurai.

Follow Postal on Instagram to see whether he hints at what’s to come in Davis Square, and stay tuned for more details.