Sneak Peek: The Finch

A few months back, we introduced you to The Finch–the new farm to table restaurant on its way to 212 Greene Avenue (between Grand Avenue and Cambridge Place). Ahead of the eatery’s impending opening, owner and chef Gabe McMackin showed us around the space, and discussed what neighbors have to look forward to.

Gabe, whose resume includes stints at Roberta’s Pizza and Blue Hill, has lived in the Clinton Hill area for the past six years–but his desire to open his own place long predated that. Starting out in the industry as a young dishwasher, Gabe has wanted to open a restaurant “for the past 25 years”–but he notes that it’s not the easiest of life paths.

“Starting a restaurant is crazy,” Gabe says. “Everything about it is unpredictable. It’s just not a sustainable thing to do.

“So if you’re going to do it,” he says, “it has to be a labor of love.”

That’s why Gabe is so intent on starting small with The Finch–opening with limited hours and dishes, focusing on classic cocktails and flavors at the bar, and building his staff as he goes, among other things. The way Gabe sees it, it’s better to perfect the basics than to spread oneself too thin with an overly complicated operation.

Luckily for a perfectionist like Gabe, the occasional happy accident occurs. Gabe had been looking at larger spaces for a while already, he says, before 212 Greene “fell into [his] lap.” While next door at 214 (the former Choice Greene space and forthcoming raw bar/seafood restaurant from fellow area entrepreneur Thierry Cabigeos), Gabe noticed a “For Rent” sign at 212; and after a deal with an initial tenant fell through, he was eventually put in touch with the space’s broker by Olivino owner Katrine Pollari.

Now, Gabe is glad for the smaller space–it’s just another part of his “mastering the basics” ideology. It’s been transformed, to a certain point–a wall halving it during its previous incarnation has been removed, creating a largely open concept environment with several different seating arrangements for a cozy feel–but Gabe and crew have been careful to preserve some of the building’s history, including its original pressed tin ceilings, exposed brick, and as much plaster work as they could save, as well as the wall of names in the basement stairwell (above) left by previous tenants going back to the early 20th century.

Indeed, 212 Greene has already lived many lives, including that of Russo’s Delicatessen in the 1930s, a barbershop later on, and most recently, Jaz Tattoo.

“People come in and tell us about their first haircuts,” says Gabe, “or about tattoos they got here.” The Finch’s general manager and bartender Garret Smith adds that they recently received a visit from an 80-year-old neighbor who lived across the street when she was 14.

Architectural elements like brick archways and fireplaces have also been preserved throughout the space, and while they may hold aesthetic interest for the occasional dinner guest, Gabe also sees them as a way to connect–as one part of a healthy working environment for the staff at The Finch, not least of all himself.

“I have no illusions,” he says. “I am going to be in the basement prepping a lot of the time. And it’s hard, when there aren’t many other people around, or when you’re working in a white box all day, to maintain a sort of warmth; a humanity.

“I think it’s helpful to see the details in this building that people put work into,” he says.

The restaurant currently seats 65 (a number which may increase down the line) across its airy dining space up front, seating at the marble countertops surrounding both the bar and the kitchen, and rear area–which offers the feeling of a backyard with its Dutch door, raised skylight, and plants to come, as well as a decidedly warmer environment than an actual yard for diners in winter. While the farm to table nature of The Finch prevents Gabe from specifying any debut dishes until he’s sure of an opening date, Garret already has some delicious–but not overwrought–libations planned for guests.

All around, Gabe–who signed a lease on 212 last June and originally expected to open about a year ago–has taken painstaking efforts to make The Finch a comfortable, homey place to visit. It’s evident in the layout that gathers diners around the “hearth” of the kitchen, and the multiple spots he’s considering for kids’ craft corners, and even the large quartz hunks and pieces of statues brought from his family members’ homes in Connecticut that he plans to integrate into the space’s design. And for someone so acutely aware of the building’s history, perhaps Gabe’s most exceptionally modern undertaking has been replacing 212’s gas supply with induction technology in order to run the most eco-friendly establishment possible.

“We want people to be comfortable and excited to be here,” says Gabe, “and we want to make that happen not just through food and drink, but through environment and architecture.

“Everybody and everything here is friendly and inviting. We’re here to have fun with everybody who walks through the door.”

The Finch is set to open late this month or in early November, with dinner hours from about 5:30-11pm daily. Eventually, they’ll open for much of the day with a staff of roughly 30, and may expand with brunch and possibly late night items.

As they plan to grow with time, anyone interested in working with Gabe, Garret, and team is encouraged to send a resume and brief note to careers@thefinchnyc.com.