Finch & Fifth

    As I may or may not have pointed out at some point in this blog, it's no secret that Augusta is suffering from a tragically unhip shortage of modern, creative restaurants that, to recent immigrants, is shocking considering the size of the metro area.  And don't get me started on multi-cultural cuisine, which the locals seem hell-bent on choking to extinction by single-mindedly splatter-blasting their custom at restaurants with 30 year old menus (complete with stuck-on sauce stains) and legions of faded Polaroid Masters photos plastered to the walls of the entrances. Unless it's Hibachi, that is; in that case, wheelbarrow the white sauce on out! The pervasive small-town mindset seems to fear change, to mistrust the unfamiliar, much to the lament of the ever-growing and progressively more diverse population of "outsiders" continuing to find work here.

    Well, fortunately for all of us trapped in this disgruntled minority sect, I've found one of these rare gems nestled in the back of Surrey Center. I often feel it's a confetti-worthy occasion when I'm dining in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) and I don't feel like I've travelled back in time to the '80s, but without the really cool music and ludicrous hairstyles. Well, I'm adding Finch & Fifth to my list of hopefuls in the Augusta area. Let me be clear up front, while I personally have no beef with the joint, my party did observe some shortcomings, and I will address them, but for the most part, the food was excellent, the drinks classy and well-selected, and the overall experience was very enjoyable.

    So, let's get to it. Walking in, the place is very trendy. It's a sharp presentation of rustic accents; dark hardwoods, gentle light, shelves displaying the various selections of wine, liquor and beer, as well as a deli-style case displaying the current selection of charcuterie and cheeses. To someone like me, I was instantly excited, as the feel was very unique and it was clear that the entire motif was considered and executed with great attention to detail. Everything from the burled, stained wooden benches and tables to the wooden slat menu helped assure me of the qualityand uniqueness of the establishment. Which is good, because there's nothing I hate more than spending hard-earned dough on half-assed food and crap ambience.

    The place is basically set up to feature charcuterie (fine slices of various meats) and a somewhat small but diverse selection of cheeses, to be paired with a wine, beer or original cocktail of your choosing. All in all, that side of the house presents itself much like a tapas bar. These selections come on a platter accompanied by an array of fruits, crackers, and other such edible acoutrement. I chose the Lomo, which was shaved, smoked pork loin, and for the cheese, I went with Red Dragon, a mustard and ale cheese. I also sampled some of the beer on tap, the names of which sadly elude me now, but they were very nice, provided you can tolerate unearthly amounts of hoppy goodness.

    In addition to the small plates, they also offer a nice selection of salads, as well as a list of entrees ranging from Shrimp and Grits (Low Country-style, HEAVY on the butter) to Flat Iron Steak. I'm not sure if the menu is seasonally rotated, but it wouldn't surprise me either way. I appreciate that the offerings are varied while being kept to a manageable number. I always get nervous when I see a restaurant that tries to offer everything all in one menu; one undeniable constant in restaurants is that the quality of individual dishes decreases as the number of said dishes increases. The Midwest is particularly bad about this; I still remember finding Sweet & Sour Chicken at an Italian buffet (thanks, Valentino's...barf). The old adage of "quality over quantity" is crucial for restaurants wishing to give customers the utmost value for their money.

    So, I promised my wife that I would deal with the bad as well as the good, as her experience varied slightly from my own. It's amazing how six feet of table can cause individual experiences to be altered. Perspective is everything, I suppose. My wife (and I quite honestly agree with her) felt that the wait between drinks, appetizers and mains was far too long; at the time, I rationalized this by assuming that the environment was relaxed to match the more European style of dining. Much like the tapas feel of the menu, the service played out much like that you would receive in a continental European bistro. I personally did not notice anything amiss as I sipped my drinks and nibbled my meat and cheese whilst talking to one of my best friends in the world, so as far as I was concerned, things were perfectly normal. Some part of my brain was aware that time was passing, but again, I attributed it to the style of the restaurant and not to negligence.

    But here's the underlying thing: none of that sh*t will fly with a very pregnant woman at the table, not to mention others who have just come off of a long shift of work. So to be fair to them, I would caution readers to approach this experience with these things in mind and expect a very relaxed style of service. Don't get me wrong. If you ask, you shall receive. It just might take longer than Applebee's.

    She and I also felt that whoever was running FOH was a bit aloof and was not ensuring that waiters were checking on their tables often enough, especially if the large gaps in delivery of courses are indeed stylistic. It's one thing to let customers know up front that dishes will come out as they are completed, as is the case in many tapas-style restaurants and bistros, but large pauses between courses with no contact from the staff of any kind can be pretty irritating, I must admit.  For my part, I felt that our waiter was friendly, casual and approachable, albeit very young. That said, he knew the menu very well, knew a lot of good food and drink pairings and seemed generally knowledgeable.

    Bottom line, the food is great, the atmosphere is comfortable and stylish and the staff is very friendly, but if you're about to gnaw off a limb out of desperation, or have a very tight schedule, perhaps take a rain check and come back when you have some time to enjoy wine, women (or men, or whatever) and song.

***FREE ADVICE SECTION*** Pregnant Women: stay away; you can't drink and you're easily angered by pretty much everything. Delay dining here until after the baby is on the outside of you.