A Ruined Pop-Up: Arthur Residency at The Ruin

You may recall that I’ve written about Kevin before. A couple summer ago he and his wife Alexa staged a terrific pop-up dining series called Arthur at Nohm restaurant. Kevin Finch hails originally from right here in Utah – Sugar House, to be precise – and has an impressive resume that began when he was fifteen working at The Grand America and includes cooking in Michelin-starred houses of the holy such as Maaemo in Oslo, NYC’s Betony, Ensue restaurant in Shenzhen, and – most impressive to me because Dominique Crenn is a hero of mine – as Chef de Cuisine at San Francisco’s Atelier Crenn. Now, and through August, Kevin is lending his skills to The Ruin with a residency and new Arthur menu that changes weekly. As I said, this ain’t your daddy’s bar food. 

Kevin’s eclectic cuisine is particularly well-suited to The Ruin Mach 2 – having moved from Sugarhouse to Main Street downtown – which is eclectic itself in decor and design. It’s an eye-popping lounge decorated with bric-a-brac including women’s garments on the wall, scantily-clad mannequins, original local art, mod-style vintage furniture, comfy banquettes, a vibrant color scheme, clever lighting features, and more. The vibe is fun, funky and friendly. 

The Ruin is open Monday through Sunday from 2 pm to 2 am with kitchen hours Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 pm and a late night menu ‘til 11, and on Friday and Saturday from 5 to midnight. 

I love that a portion of the cocktail menu at The Ruin is an “Ode To Our Industry” and features drinks created by a bevy of SLC’s best mixologists. They include cocktails like Jalatlaco, Stirred, from Water Witch’s Scott Gardner; one called Highly Ordered Structure from Crystal Daniels of Bar Nohm; Julie Tall’s Death’s Dance from Bar X; Cyprus en Vogue from Copper Common’s Mckay Middleton, and many more, including The Ruin Old Fashioned. 

Haus Music Cocktail

There is also wine, beer, spirits, and a non-alcoholic cocktail selection. We particularly enjoyed a Phony Negroni and a tropical tasting cocktail called Haus Music made with Four Roses Bourbon, D’usse, Saffron, Coconut and Citrus, garnished with fresh mint leaves. 

As I mentioned, the Arthur pop-up EATS menu at The Ruin changes frequently so you’ll probably want to take a look at it on the bar’s website to see what’s currently being offered. For example, I was looking forward to enjoying Escargot ($6) at The Ruin – Burgundy snail skewers grilled over charcoal with brown butter and roasted garlic – but it wasn’t on the menu when we visited. As I write this, it’s back on. 

Spicy Nuts

Even if you’re just in the mood for a simple bar snack and a beverage, be sure to order the Spicy Nuts ($8). It’s a whopping portion of candied peanuts, walnuts, and cashews tossed with Szechuan peppercorns, Thai bird’s eye chili, and fried garlic. They are fiery and addictive. Other snack type items include charcuterie (priced at $9/$24/$35 depending on the combo ordered); “Bread and Butter” ($7), which is Leavity Sourdough with whipped butter seasoned with alliums and sea salt; and Radish and Butter ($9) – breakfast radish and whipped butter also seasoned with alliums and sea salt. 

Lettuces

Although we felt it was a tad overdressed, we loved the flavor of a dish simply called Lettuces ($12). It was a plate of young lettuces with a scrumptious sherry vinaigrette, thinly sliced radish, herbs and shallots. A recent addition to Kevin Finch’s menu is a Tokyo Turnip ($15) with nori, creme fraiche, calamansi and trout roe – a fine example of Finch’s eclectic and creative palate. 

Beef Tartare

Meat lovers will enjoy menu items like Bone Marrow ($18) with grilled sourdough and parsley-shallot salad; Steak Frites ($48), which is a peppercorn-crusted culotte steak with au poivre sauce and fries; and the Steakhouse Burger ($21) of dry-aged beef on a brioche bun with roasted garlic mayo, Burgundy mustard, caramelized shallots, and Delft blue cheese. For my money, Chef Finch’s Beef Tartare ($28) is as good as any I’ve ever had, including famous Parisian versions at spots like Bofinger, Chez Julien, and Bistrot Paul Bert. The Ruin/Arthur beef tartare is finely minced raw American Wagyu top sirloin that isn’t fussed with too much: tossed simply with shallots, minced chives and roasted garlic and topped with a sous vide egg yolk. 

Fries

I love that the plates the food is served on at The Ruin come from Keven and Alexa’s personal collection and each vintage plate is unique and distinct. Even the from-scratch French fries – which are among the best in the city – are served on a pretty antique plate – tossed with parsley, chives and served with roasted garlic mayo. 

Roast Chicken Ballotine

Chicken dishes at Arthur/The Ruin rotate and may include Szechuan-style Hot Chicken Sandwich ($15); a Half Chicken ($40) with market veggies, mushroom, and brown butter sabayon; or the dish my wife enjoyed: Roast Chicken Ballotine ($35) – deboned breast and tenderloin with skin wrapped around a mousse of the chicken thigh with cream, topped with brown butter sabayon, and served with butter-glazed English peas, roasted mushrooms and potato pave. A simply stunning dish. 

Here is some good news for fans, like moi, of Kevin Finch’s cooking. He and Alexa are planning to open a brick and mortar restaurant in the near future called, most likely, Arthur. For now, through August, we can continue to enjoy his creative cuisine at The Ruin. 

Photos by Ted Scheffler

Culinary quote of the week: “I’m the president of the United State and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.” – George Bush