Around the Kitchen Sink
BREAKFAST FOR TWO Morning Coffee with Jeff and Candace Finch of Finch’s Brasserie BY HEATHER TALLMAN t PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC RUDD PHOTOGRAPHY
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have often heard it said that the one meal chefs most often eat with their loved ones is breakfast. That’s the case for Jeff and Candace Finch, owners of Finch’s Brasserie in Bloomington. In the few hours before they begin dinner service or in the time between shopping locally for ingredients, Jeff and Candace let loose at home with what many call the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Freed from fuss or rules, and with only their own palates to please, they find the habit to be another extension of their creativity. I recently sat down with them at their home away from home to ask what they enjoyed making for themselves “off the clock” and about the direction they are headed in 2014. I wanted to hear their story and a get a behind-thecurtain glimpse into what they make for themselves when no one is looking. I imagine some of their favorite dishes are invented in those hours at home. It is a great chance to experiment with new recipes and combinations at their own pace before teaching their experienced kitchen staff. Education and training are key to the success of Finch’s Brasserie, which is evident from the moment you take a seat in their warm and comfortable dining room. Candace and Jeff Finch came to Indiana from a thriving restaurant in a town in Vermont that boasted the lack of a McDonald’s: Montpelier. Jeff had moved from Michigan to Vermont and attended the New England Culinary Institute, graduating in 1996. Within five days he and Candace, who had earned a degree in architectural design, both began working at the same restaurant, Sarducci’s. With Jeff as sous-chef and Candace running the front of the house, they met and later married. Over the course of 11 years they built a successful dining destination where diners became family and visitors became friends. “We were lucky enough to throw a party every night for almost everyone 14
edible INDY spring 2014
