the finch

We at Andrew Talks to Chefs are huge fans of Gabe McMackin. Talented and thoughtful, he owned and operated his own restaurant The Finch for five years, and currently is chef of Troutbeck, a magnificent, historic property in Upstate, NY. Gabe and Andrew recently sat down to discuss Gabe's path to the pro kitchen, as well as changing kitchen culture, and myriad other subjects.

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

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Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

Have you ever found a recipe, ingredient, kitchen tool, or cookbook that has changed the way your whole kitchen functions? We’re obsessed with these joyous discoveries, so we’re dedicating our season four finale to them!

This episode is bookended with clever kitchen hacks, but dives deep into elements of cooking where we find ultimate satisfaction. Aleah Papes assembles her roommates for a discussion on how to maximize deliciousness and minimize stress when maneuvering their weekly CSA box. H. Conley shares her love of homemade ricotta, which she enjoys making even after long weeks making cheese professionally. Oscar Simone picks up crucial kitchen cleaning tips from Gabe McMackin, the chef behind The Finch in Clinton Hill. Hannah Fordin wraps up our show – and season four – with an exploration of what makes her happiest in the kitchen and the dishes that somehow become more than the sum of their parts.

This program is supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

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The Chefs Council is hereby called to order! We've asked a few past guests who were especially fun/funny/insightful to be a part of a recurring roundtable and three of them--Dirt Candy's Amanda Cohen, Sous Chef author Mike Gibney, and The Finch's Gabe McMackin--join us for the inaugural gathering, an all-shop-talk episode on the subject of Spring Fever! We kick around the season that inspires more chefs than any other and explore why so many cooks and diners love it so. And we extend spring's spirit of renewal and reinvigoration with a discussion of our guests' favorite new ingredients and get them to share their travel and exploration plans for the coming months. Pour yourself a glass of rose and listen in.

Let's dish! No, we mean, let's talk about dishes–as in: Who owns a dish, the chef or the restaurant? And where is the line between inspiration and plagiarism drawn? We hash out this timelessly thorny issue with Gabe McMackin of Brooklyn's The Finch and Justin Smillie of Upland. Both chefs' restaurants recently celebrated their first birthdays, so we take stock of those first years–lessons learned, changes made, new challenges set. An all-Shop Talk episode for kitchen pros and industry voyeurs.