Clinton Hill's The Finch Opens Tonight With a Big Open Kitchen and Shaved Pork Tongue

A year and a half ago, Gabe McMackin took over what was once a tattoo parlor and the apartment behind it, and set out to open a small neighborhood-y restaurant, just a couple of blocks from his home. But as he started work on the large space, that idea shifted quite a bit. The Finch, which is commencing with dinner service this evening, is made up of three areas, a bar, front dining room, and a back room, with an open kitchen standing in the middle of it. Collectively, it seats 70, making it one of the larger restaurant spaces in a neighborhood that has never been much of a destination for dining.

McMackin, who put in time at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Gramercy Tavern, and Roberta's, plans to serve a regularly updated seasonal American menu. Expect dishes like shaved pork tongue salad with celery and capers; pork belly and loin with rye and onion bread pudding; and oil poached hake with clams and mussels. There's a gently priced wine list to go with it, topping out at $60.