{"id":188691,"date":"2026-04-07T19:45:25","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:45:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/188691\/"},"modified":"2026-04-07T19:45:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T19:45:25","slug":"new-greenpoint-restaurant-opens-with-brioche-martinis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/188691\/","title":{"rendered":"New Greenpoint Restaurant Opens With Brioche Martinis"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chef Kevin Finch and Alexa Finch have turned the former Fulgurances space<\/a> (related to the one in Paris that opened in 2015 but also closed) into their first new restaurant<\/a>: The couple is opening Arthur<\/a>, a neighborhood bistro-ish restaurant, at 132 Franklin Street, between Milton Street and Greenpoint Avenue, on Friday, April 10.<\/p>\n

Before he was focused on Arthur, Kevin had been cooking at pop-ups around the world while based in Salt Lake City with Alexa (who also goes by Lex). His culinary resume includes being the chef de cuisine of Dominique Crenn\u2019s fine dining restaurant Atelier Crenn<\/a> in San Francisco when it earned three Michelin stars<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Kevin had two three-month residencies<\/a> at Fulgrances in 2022, first in Brooklyn and then in Paris, France. He helped out during chef Adam Lawrence\u2019s stay in Brooklyn during the summer of 2024. That\u2019s when Fulgrances co-founders Hugo Hivernat and Pierre Buffet approached him about taking over the address.<\/p>\n

The restaurant joins a handful of other new spots, including Gigi\u2019s<\/a>, at 138 Franklin Street near Greenpoint Avenue, which is opening on Wednesday, April 8, by the co-founders of Fulgrances, as well as the new bar Sonny\u2019s Corner<\/a> from Tony Ismail and David Doyle, which opened in February in the former Pencil Factory space. These restaurants build on the restaurant row<\/a> that\u2019s been building in Greenpoint.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Arthur. Evan Sung<\/p>\n

The Finches want Arthur to work as a neighborhood restaurant with Parisian bistro-meets-New American approaches. \u201cNothing fine-dining but not so casual like a burger neighborhood restaurant kind of vibe,\u201d Kevin explains.<\/p>\n

The team wanted to make sure that the 38-seat space felt different from Fulgrances. This meant brightening up the dining room, expanding the kitchen, and bringing in the original woodworker who built the bar to expand it and refinish other furniture. They also hired a signmaker to mimic the existing \u201cLaundry\u201d signage on the window to echo the address on the other side.<\/p>\n

Kevin gave himself some constraints for the a la carte dinner menu, including sourcing all the main ingredients regionally. \u201cThat\u2019s the creativity box that I put myself into: highlight the Northeast,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ll never be able to cook Spanish turbot, and it breaks my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s hyped about the beef tartare ($23): \u201cWe\u2019re not recreating the wheel, but it\u2019s very exciting.\u201d He\u2019s using beef from Highland Hollow Farm<\/a> in Schoharie, New York, which is tossed with black garlic oil, raw shallots, and chives, and then gets black garlic yolk jam, an oyster emulsion, and puffy rice chips.<\/p>\n

Kevin is sourcing scallops from one of the last existing hand-dive scallop businesses in Maine. For his dish ($38), he took his cues from Paris restaurant Le Bon George, where two huge scallops get barbecued over charcoal and glazed, served with a white turnip puree and small barbecued Tokyo turnips. At the table, a staffer will pour a beef consomme on top of it, which will be made with reserved scallop roe.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a><\/p>\n

Alexa Finch and Kevin Finch in front of Arthur. Evan Sung<\/p>\n

The $36 steak will be simple: Highland Hollow cuts, whatever is available, that gets glazed with a tare and brushed with beef fat, fleur de sel, black pepper, horseradish, and onion flowers. It\u2019ll be served with seasonal produce \u2014 currently, that\u2019s spring onions.<\/p>\n

For sweets, Kevin points to the tart ambroise ($14), where the ganache of the sabayon is made with ripe bananas and chiles, and the dessert is served with a banana peel-rum caramel. \u201cIn appearance, it\u2019s incredibly simple, and it looks like it doesn\u2019t take that much,\u201d he says, \u201cbut the technique is actually a lot. Simple cooking is not actually easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The name comes from Kevin\u2019s father, Greg, whose middle name is Arthur. When Kevin\u2019s grandfather, also named Arthur, passed away, Kevin\u2019s father used the name for restaurants and hotels. \u201cIt\u2019s his alter ego,\u201d Kevin says. \u201cWhen he\u2019s Arthur, he\u2019s allowed to have tuna on rye instead of wheat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charlotte Mirzoeff is the general manager and beverage director. She met Kevin while they both worked at Maialino. Her NYC resume also includes Union Square Cafe<\/a> wine bar Ruffian<\/a>, and she had been the general manager and beverage director of natural wine bar Kindred<\/a>. Her most recent position was at Italian restaurant Forsythia.<\/p>\n

Arthur\u2019s cocktail list has three pre-batched freezer drinks, variations on classics that\u2019ll change. The brioche martini ($18) is made with a butter fat-washed gin that gets diluted with barley tea, which \u201cgives it this brioche-y, bready thing going on,\u201d Mirzoeff says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

The mushroom tart at Arthur. Evan Sung<\/p>\n

Mirzoeff wanted to keep most of the by-the-glass wine options around $14-$15, featuring lesser-known wine regions and appellations, she explains, \u201cthat are more value-driven but that are really exciting.\u201d Champagnes will be a big component too.<\/p>\n

The Northeast focus applies to beers, all from New York state, outside of Miller High Life, per Kevin\u2019s request. The spirits are also New York-based.<\/p>\n

When it comes to Arthur, Lex talks about being an \u201caspiring institution.\u201d She continues: \u2018It can be what you want it to be, where it feels reliable and consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arthur will open for dinner hours starting at 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Reservations can be booked on Resy<\/a>, and there is room for walk-ins.<\/p>\n