They fell in love while cooking at NYC's Per Se. Now they're opening a tasting menu restaurant in Providence.
An eight-course tasting will cost $165 per person.
'We've dedicated our whole lives to food... and going out to eat. And there aren't a ton of places to go [in Providence] on a high-end level,' McConnell said in an exclusive interview with the Boston Globe. 'While we love what's here, and we're excited to be adding to that community, I think we're bringing something that's a little different.'
Tasting menus are 'what we've specialized in together for the last five or six years together, and it's not something that we've seen in Providence,' she added.
A Quonnie Rock oyster with dry-aged beef tartare, oyster trim emulsion, capers, slow-cooked egg yolk puree at Claudine, an upcoming restaurant in downtown Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Claudine
For McConnell, Claudine is a homecoming. She grew up in Providence, attended the Gordon School, and her father is
'If you're from here, you know how special it is,' said McConnell. 'In the back of my mind, even though I've lived in multiple places, I always knew that I would return here.'
McConnell graduated from George Washington University in 2012, and followed her love for at-home baking and enrolled in a pastry certificate program at Le Cordon Bleu in
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In 2018, McConnell moved back to the east coast to New York City, where she was pastry chef de partie at acclaimed Per Se. In an interview, she said she thrived in the fine-dining atmosphere. When the pandemic temporarily closed the restaurant, she worked at their sister restaurant in Napa Valley,
The storefront at 225 Weybosset St., where Claudine will soon open in May.
Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff
Finger grew up in Williamsburg, Va., where he watched his mother's career working in the dining rooms of restaurants. Claudine is actually named for her, Finger said.
At 16, he started working as a stage, which is an unpaid intern working as a cook to learn and gain new experience, at a local bistro. He moved to New York City with a dream to learn from the culinary greats. And that he did: When he arrived, he secured a position at chef
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During the pandemic, and unlike McConnell, Finger stayed at Per Se. By the time she returned to New York in November 2021, they were both in management positions.
'That's when we kind of 're-met' one another,' said McConnell.
Sashimi of Rhode Island tuna with honeynut squash emulsion, clementine, fennel, and toasted pistachio at Claudine, an upcoming restaurant in downtown Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Claudine
The pair shared a passion for culinary excellence, and bonded over running — a continued passion of Finger's, but not so much for McConnell.
For the last two years, the two have taken their love for one another and the restaurant industry on the road, and hosted pop-up and collaboration dinners with other chefs. In April 2023, for instance, they hosted a collaborative seven-course dinner with beverage pairings at
When it comes to them as a duo 'it's all about technique,' Delaney said in a phone interview.
When you work for chef Keller, you get drilled into you that 'cooking is just an intersection of great technique and great products. Rhode Island is an amazing place, not only for seafood, but also for its resources,' said Delaney. 'I think [McConnell and Finger are] going to shine by taking this incredible technique they've spent their careers developing and then mixing it with amazing products.'
Celeriac cream crepe cake with Burgundy wine and date puree at Claudine in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Claudine
Claudine's menu will evolve daily, and focus on hyper-local ingredients. They'll work closely with a network of farms, and dry age their own fish and meat in-house for menu items that may include a sashimi of dry-aged bluefin tuna.
Dry-aging in-house has become more popular, particularly over the last five years, said Finger. 'But that's truly something that will be very unique to our restaurant,' he said.
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Other items could include a pork and Point Judith squid raviolo with parmigiano reggiano, a roasted celeriac cream crepe cake with burgundy wine and date puree, and a citrus pavlova with campari sorbet.
They're also taking on Keller's 'no problem' mentality, so allergy- and vegetarian-friendly tasting menus will be available with advanced notice of at least 48 hours.
While there won't be any 'standard' items on the menu that will remain, each course will begin with a daily oyster dish, served in custom clay plates crafted by McConnell's aunt, a local ceramicist
.
Plated desserts will pull in nostalgic and classic flavors, in addition to meringue and ice creams.
Pork and Point Judith squid raviolo with parmigiano reggiano and fried leeks at Claudine in Providence, R.I.
Courtesy of Claudine
The beverage program will focus on low-intervention, old-world wines; a non-alcoholic pairing menu; a selection of classic cocktails; and after-dinner digestives and spirits. They'll even make their own kombucha in-house.
The restaurant will be located in the space that previously held
'It's our hope that every table feels like a chef's table,' said Finger.
Claudine will be located at 225 Weybosset St. in Providence, R.I. The restaurant will be open Thursdays through Sundays evenings from 4:30 p.m. to midnight, with dinner reservations available from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Stay updated by following their Instagram or checking their
.
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5 days ago
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The exuberant work of an artist who lived in her husband's shadow shines at the Addison
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