Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Epicure & Jack’s Tavern brings decadent food and drinks to life with the culture of family and tradition with a flare, as soon as you walk in the door.
Owner David Finlayson, and chef Glen Tarantino have taken Epicure & Jack’s Tavern to new heights recently. Bringing family ties and tradition to a modern vision with new daily specials, new football game day plans and so much more.
Formerly known as Fantail, Finlayson took over operating the business from his father in 2016 and changed the name to Epicure, meaning “foodie,” in May of 2024. But this was hardly Finlayson’s first time in the industry.
“Everyone I trust and look up to said I didn’t need to change the name. But of course, I did. I knew I needed to change the name from day one. Change is hard for everyone. Five years later we still have people from time to time that come in looking for the buffet,” Finlayson said.
While Epicure has strayed away from the buffet, the menu is carefully curated to perfection with as many local ingredients as possible, while letting the dishes speak for themselves.
“The grits we use, they’re done over in Wetumpka, they’re personal friends. In fact, the son of one of the guys that built this bar is the one that grinds them, he bags them, he sews it shut, and he delivers them,” Finlayson said.
Specialty meats are also ordered and tendered with care and time, where Tarantino states that’s what sets them apart from other restaurants in the region, they take the time.
The name of both establishments as one also has a deeper meaning. Epicure, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means a person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink. Which can certainly be found within the familiar walls of Epicure & Jack’s Tavern.
Jack’s Tavern got the name in honor of Finlayson’s dad, John Howard “Jack” Finlayson, and the former Fantail owner, further tying in family to the deep roots of Epicure and the community family they’ve created.
“We control the narrative. Epicure is a foodie, someone that appreciates fine food and wine. In honor of my dad, who has passed away, I wanted to name a portion of the restaurant after him. Because he was such a huge proponent of all this,” Finlayson said.
With over 50 taps, constant community feedback and the work of two men with extensive experience, the Epicure culture keeps family roots firm while bringing new experiences to light.
“Part of what creates the vibe and brings people back is that we want it to be personal and people said, ‘well it’s business.’ I was told that twice yesterday, and that’s bullcrap. This is my family, it’s a community, and it’s my friends. I understand we all have bills, but if you find value in the connections, and the value in developing those connections, it’s not work. Especially when you’re having fun,” Finlayson said.
Finlayson got his start in the industry in kindergarten and grew up in the industry helping where he could. Finlayson stated that his bus would drop him off at Annie’s in Luverne, his mom’s restaurant.
After school Finlayson would help his mom and the restaurant by clearing tables, and for his help after school his mom would pay him with a KitKat bar, which Finlayson still claims to love.
“She was a machine, and she loved her workers, and she made them part of it. Almost every high school kid worked at Annie’s at some point. I saw how she impacted and affected the people around her. That’s what I want to do too, leave a better path behind you than you found,” Finlayson said.
That’s where Tarantino and Finlayson see eye to eye, keeping strong family ties not only in the dishes they serve, but how they run business.
Tarantino was a former restaurant owner of Patriot’s Grill, now a collaboration of Epicure & Jack’s Tavern. But his journey into the industry started at the age of 13 washing dishes and working his way up. Until eventually he was a culinary arts teacher for at risk kids for 30 years. However, his inspiration runs deeper than that.
“My inspiration was always my grandmother, she cooked everything from scratch and when we would go over, she would have pasta drying all over her kitchen. She taught me the commitment of not taking the easy way out, and it sparked a passion to create something,” Tarantino said.
Finlayson and Tarantino came together after Tarantino brought food for the restaurant staff one evening while Epicure was still Fantail, and they developed a bond through chicken marsala.
“Glen brought food to the restaurant. He had chicken marsala and other dishes, and we were starving, and we didn’t have a chance to eat that night and he came in as we were just wrapping up. I tried it, and oh my, it was so good. The best way to my heart is through my belly,” Finlayson said.
The rest is history.
Together, they have taken Epicure & Jack’s Tavern to new heights and are still making changes and taking expansions in stride. With daily specials, hand crafted and curated dishes made from scratch, and by trial and error.
The atmosphere is unmatched, creating two separate experiences through good food, good drinks and an atmosphere that feels like home.
“We listen to our customers all the time, and we (Finlayson) just keep playing off each other, and the ideas. It’s kind of how we got to where we are now. Which is pretty exciting,” Tarantino said.
Epicure & Jack’s Tavern, while they are two completely different experiences, each side of the restaurant brings in different sides of the River Region community, where there is something for everyone, in every price range.
The next phase in the growth journey of Epicure is something both Finlayson and Tarantino stated they are excited about. While continuing their daily meat and three specials for $9.99 and $13.99, the Jack’s Tavern portion will soon offer football game day wing specials after kickoff, and other fun opportunities.
Epicure will also welcome a new addition in the coming months of an outdoor patio, where Finlayson stated he envisions hosting boils and other events as they continue to grow. Bringing yet another experience to the hometown adventure that is Epicure & Jack’s Tavern.
However, even with all the new additions, changes and growth happening all around, one thing is still the same. The want, need and love of providing the River Region community with the best experience possible.
Epicure & Jack’s Tavern is open Tuesday-Saturday 11-9 p.m. and their specials can be found on their Facebook page at Epicure & Jack’s Tavern.
