In its original incarnation, the circa 1898 Romanesque revival structure behind Union Station known as The Baggage Building was a key part of the terminal complex.
When passenger train service ceased in 1975, Amtrak set up offices in the space for a brief four-year period. After a long vacancy, The Flying Saucer Draught Emporium took up residence in 1998, serving its array of brews for 23 years. The historic building has been beautifully restored — a testament to the merits of adaptive reuse — housing a bank, offices, and now a stunner of a restaurant: The Finch American Grill.
The casual yet elegant all-day cafe comes from Dallas-based Milkshake Concepts, the force behind Harper’s steakhouse in SoBro. The restaurant interior is a far cry from the beer hall vibes of the Flying Saucer. It’s airy and modern with a combination of light woods, warm lighting, metallic gold accents, dark blue upholstery, and abundant greenery; the centerpiece of which is an inviting, three-sided marble-topped bar. The large stone-arched windows distinctive of Union
Station are accentuated with mirrored glass or clear views of the terminal surrounds. Within its historic environs, this upscale eatery is a welcome fit for a group lunch, happy hour drink and nosh, dinner before a downtown show, or breezy weekend brunch. While called an American grill, The Finch offers an eclectic menu with inspiration from around the globe: Italian, Greek, French, Chinese, Korean, along with Southern and Cajun influences. In the light of our nation being a melting-pot, the term fits. The following are some highlights from a recent dinner.
If you like a fine Old Fashioned, you’ll find The Finch’s maple syrup-based version, Moonlight in Vermont, to be quite luscious. We also recommend the Finch 75. With its combination of Bombay Gin, Grey Goose white peach/rosemary vodka “essences,” fresh lemon, and Prosecco, the Finch 75 is crisp, light, yet heady — a celebratory sort of quaff best relished with a platter of the East/West Coast oysters, mignonette, and a dash of Tabasco.
There are several plates that are terrific for sharing. The house meatballs come napped in San Marzano tomato sauce, whipped ricotta, and Calabrian chiles, served with slices of focaccia to mop up the red. Volcano Rock Shrimp is a showstopper, where sizzling sweet-hot shrimp, peanuts, and scallions tumble out of deep-fried egg roll wrappers onto the plate. We also think The Greek, a salad of romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, pickled red onions, and feta in herbed vinaigrette, is so bountiful that it’s worth sharing as a prelude to the main course. What you won’t want to share is the French Onion Soup, its rich broth laced with caramelized onions and toasted baguette under a dreamy melt of Swiss and Havarti.
Signature entrees run the gamut of meats, fish, and poultry at a medium price point. There’s something for everyone. Herb-roasted chicken over creamy polenta and broccolini is finished in citrusy jus. Five perfectly grilled shrimp perch on a spin of linguine bathed in white wine sauce. Our server recommended the Steak Frites with entrecôte sauce — a complex reduction of white wine, tarragon, butter, and 14 other ingredients. Indeed, the beef, grilled to medium-rare tenderness, is enhanced by the herb-forward sauce it’s nestled in.
Weekend brunch includes many favorites from the all-day menu, along with some specialties: banana bruléed French toast, honey-stung chicken and waffles, and short rib hash with a sunny egg. There
are some nice bubbly cocktails, too. That’s Amore blends an amaro with Lillet Blanc, agave, cognac, lemon, and sparkling rosé that’s as bittersweet as a Sunday afternoon.
(111 10th Ave. S., #310, 615-703-8020; thefinchnashville.com)