THE FINK: It’s NOT Tiki, But Well Worth A Visit!

As is often the case, I find out about new bars coming out by following my favorite tiki designers on Instagram. Last year sometime, Danny (Tiki Diablo) Gallardo was posting pictures of some new place he was working on in Napa. Another tiki bar in Napa? I was intrigued. Only what I was seeing shape up in the photos he was posting looked more rustic and nautical than tiki. Hmm.

The place was to be called The Fink. That didn’t sound very tiki, either. But I Googled it, looking for any information I could find. I was very curious and knew I’d be visiting the Napa area later in the year.

The Fink, it seems, is named after its owner, Judd Finkelstein. Finkelstein? Finkelstein? … Where had I heard that name before? And why was he using a tiki bar designer to build out a non-tiki bar? This called for a further deep dive.

Judd Finkelstein is one of the owner/operators of Judd’s Hill, a family-run winery that has been going strong since 1989. He is also one of the old-style Hawaiian crooners and ukulele players in the Makai Gents, a musical group that has played Tiki Oasis, Trader Vic’s, and other venues. Most recently, he was a featured speaker at the first Resort-O-Rama last spring.

Okay, I thought. Although The Fink didn’t seem very tiki, through Finkelstein, it seemed to have a pretty decent tiki foundation at least. I wanted to give it a try.

In the days leading up to my planned visit (My friends Erich and Gillian would be accompanying me.), I was nervous about getting in. Although the bar doesn’t take reservations, I called and made a reservation anyway.

When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was the small, arrowed sign hanging from a rich blue awning over a door. The image logo, of Mr. Finkelstein sitting in a giant cocktail glass, felt more mid-century Rat Pack (Rat Fink-y?) than tiki. Indeed, the bar’s slogan is that it is a “neighborhood bar for the world traveler.” Hmm. That sounded swanky yet casual, sophisticated but not snobby. Just what was this place going to be like? Inside we went.

The bar is housed in a part of what was once an old mill along the Napa River, which was the city’s gateway to the world back in the day. Although the interior was all new construction, it did have the look and feel of an old steamboat shipping dock area, albeit one that had been spruced up nicely. The shipping theme was carried over through the plank-paneled walls, unfinished floors, old lamps, and portholes on the walls of all the booths. Assorted vintage bric-a-brac adds accent throughout the space.

There was one nod to tiki as well. At the far end of the booths there stands a short, lone tiki.

The cocktail menu is divided into five sections, mostly separated by region. It’s a mix of classics (Negroni, Mojito, Hemingway Daiquiri) and house originals (Axolotl, Reverb Crash, Scotch Cobbler), with many tiki favorites (Mai Tai, Fog Cutter, Navy Grog, etc.) sprinkled throughout.

The proffered snack menu was also really interesting. It had everything from bar nuts, marinated olives, and tacos on up to lobster rolls and caviar. Wow!

As we sat and chatted, Judd Finkelstein appeared. He’d been walking about greeting other guests of The Fink. He came over to welcome us. He was a little self-conscious this particular evening. Finkelstein is known for his dapper attire. However, on this occasion, he’d been out running errands, time had gotten away from him, he’d run out of time to go home and change, and he was left wearing jeans and a sweater. “It’s casual Friday,” he said, as if he needed a reason to be comfortable in his own business.

We pulled him into our conversation and had a wonderful time. I can give you a list of the drinks we had (thanks to the receipt) and I remember Judd being quite the pleasant host. However, the rest of the evening following our excursion to The Fink was pretty jam-packed. (We went to Kapu in Petaluma, a wedding reception, back to Kapu, and then off to a Christmas-themed bar.) It was so eventful that most of the fine details of our time at The Fink had been crowded out of my mind. Golly, I hadn’t even gotten to ask Judd all of my questions.

That meant I’d have to return. A little over two months later, just before my return to Washington, I did just that.

Although Erich had stayed home, Gillian had gone back with me. We ordered some drinks (Gillian a Reverb Crash, a Casino Royale for myself) and were chatting. There was no sign of Mr. Finkelstein. Perhaps he’d had the night off? I mean, vintner by day, bar host by night? Surely, he needed some down time. And then, there he was, looking rather posh in a burnt orange turtleneck and dark gray blazer. We gave him a chance to mingle with the customers before pulling him back into conversation. This time, I had my questions ready to go.

I asked about The Fink’s master barman, Andrew Salazar. I had read somewhere that Finkelstein had encountered Salazars cocktail creations while out and about with his wife one evening. So impressed was he with Salazar’s elixirs, that he followed him to his various bartending gigs over the years and befriended him. When The Fink came along, it was a no brainer asking this marvelous mixologist to join the party.

Getting off topic for a moment, I wanted to know what was the story of the Makai Gents? Were they still a thing…and how could I get a copy of their CD?

Finkelstein laughed. Yes, the Gents were still a band, they just hadn’t played in a while as the members were all involved in their own lives and projects. The band had come about because he was having a luau-themed party and the scheduled entertainment for the evening backed out. Finkelstein got some friends together and the Makai Gents were born. As for the CD, he might have a few left… (I’m still waiting to find out.)

I then asked about using Gallardo for the bar build. How did that come about, as Gallardo is known mostly for his work in tiki bars? It seems that back in the late 90s/early 2000s, while tiki was just in its earliest stages of its renaissance, Judd and his wife, Holly, were living in the Los Angeles area. Fascinated by tiki, Finkelstein found himself gravitating to Tiki Ti on several occasions and started associating with the crowd there. He met the likes of Gallardo, Martin Cate, Sven Kirsten, and others.

After he moved back to the Napa area, Finkelstein contacted Gallardo about putting up some shelving in his garage. Gallardo came up and created a whole bar in his garage instead. Naturally when it came time to build out The Fink, he gave his friend Danny a call.

Having a home bar, the Wiki Wiki Grog Shop, Judd thought he needed a signature drink for it. He turned to his mixologist amigo, Martin Cate to create one. That is how The Finkelgrog was born (as seen on page 145 of “Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki” by Martin and Rebecca Cate)—a drink that is shockingly absent (so far) from The Fink’s menu.

Cate writes that The Finkeklgrog is best garnished with “zesty conversation.” As Judd excused himself to welcome guests, mingle and hobnob with regulars, and share stories with new ones, it became clear to me Judd was as big a draw to The Fink as Salazar’s creative cocktails and Gallardo’s buildout. Judd is the bar buddy who is always there, the cocktail conversationalist who breaks the ice and puts everyone at ease. He is the host with the most, the old friend you never knew you had. The bar itself is for every taste, every style, every comfort level. It truly is the “neighborhood bar for the world traveler.”

THE FINK

530 Main St.

Napa, CA 94559

(707) 266-5940

https://thefinknapa.com/