New restaurant hosts California winemaker for its grand opening

Finch’s Brasserie welcomed California winemaker Mac McDonald to its grand opening celebration Monday night.\nMcDonald, who owns and operates Vision Cellars in California, told stories to patrons about his life and wine business between four different food courses. While some wine enthusiasts will claim certain wine should be paired with certain foods, McDonald stressed a casual approach to wine and food pairing.\n“Just drink whatever tastes good to you,” he said.\nMcDonald also shared funny anecdotes about subsisting on grilled squirrel as a boy in Texas and how to look at wine as a metaphor for marriage. One of his wines featured Monday was crafted as a collaborative effort between him and his wife, each choosing their favorite grape to put into the wine. The finished product boasted 79 percent sovereign blanc grapes, his wife’s favorite.\nMarried men know that’s about as equal as you can hope for, McDonald joked.\nFormally Trulli Flatbread, Candace and Jeff Finch bought the restaurant earlier this year and renamed it Finch’s Brasserie. Jeff is the chef and Candace manages the front of the house. While flatbreads are still featured menu items, Assistant Manager Macy Dale said the new menu is much more diverse. \nAt the grand opening, patrons dined on duck breast, wood-fired halibut served with funnel coleslaw and wild mushroom crepes. The food was received well by patrons and McDonald, who ate every course at a different table \nof patrons.\nMcDonald joked to one table that the chef omitted squirrel from the menu.\nAt the end of dinner service, Chef Finch emerged from the kitchen to acknowledge the crowd and was met with applause.\nDale said the grand opening went well and Finch’s Brasserie hopes to have McDonald back again in the future.\nMcDonald, who met the Finches in Vermont in 2000, said he “has the best job in the world” because he gets to travel the country, eat great food and wine and talk to fun and interesting people. Monday was the first time McDonald visited Indiana in 20 years.