FLYNN MCGARRY

His restaurant, Gem, located in the Lower East Side, has become a destination for those seeking an intimate, personal dining experience. Over the years, Gem evolved, leading Flynn to rethink what fine dining should look like today. The result? Cove, a bold new concept that merges high-end service with a relaxed, effortless approach to eating out.

Flynn McGarry: Hosting was a big part of my upbringing. My mom loves throwing parties, not so much for the food, but for the act of bringing people together. My parents are both visual artists, so I grew up surrounded by creative energy. That combination of warmth, aesthetics, and storytelling is something I still carry into my work.

At first, I was just focused on cooking. But over time, I realized that a restaurant isn’t just about the food, it’s about the full experience. You could create the most intricate dish, but if there’s no moment, no feeling, it loses its purpose.

I don’t remember a single defining moment. It wasn’t like, I made pasta, and that was it. It was more gradual. I’d cook something and think, that was fun. Then I’d do it again. Eventually, I started planning entire meals, and that was when I knew I wanted to keep pushing myself creatively.

By the time I was 12 or 13, I was reading cookbooks from Michelin-starred restaurants, obsessing over the artistry of it. We didn’t have the budget to go to these places, but I felt like I could experience them through their books. That’s how I first connected with fine dining.

For me, creativity isn’t just about making a dish. It’s about creating a world. A restaurant is about more than just food. It’s about the space, the lighting, the playlist, the way the plates feel in your hand. It’s this fully immersive thing.

My inspiration comes from everywhere. Sometimes it’s a place I’ve visited, sometimes it’s a material, wood, stone, linen. I might spend weeks obsessing over a certain kind of ceramic or the way a spoon feels when you hold it. The tiniest details can shape an entire dining experience.

That’s what excited me about designing this spoon with The TwentyFour Six—the idea of creating something that blends beauty and function. It’s the kind of thing I reach for in the kitchen every day.

When we opened Gem eight years ago, it was meant to be this experimental, intimate space. It was small, personal, almost like a creative studio. But as it grew, so did our team, our ideas, and our understanding of what people wanted from dining today.

New York has changed a lot, and so has the restaurant industry. Running a small, high-end restaurant became increasingly challenging, not just financially, but in terms of how we could evolve. I realized that to keep pushing forward, we needed to rethink what fine dining even means.

The new restaurant is about balance. I wanted to create a space where you could have an incredible meal, but in a way that feels effortless. It’s not about old-school, overly structured fine dining. It’s about cooking at the highest level but without the stiffness.

The space will have two rooms. One will feel like a continuation of Gem Wine Bar, somewhere you can drop in anytime, have an amazing dish and a great glass of wine, and not feel like you’re committing to a full tasting menu.

The other will be more of a “kitchen room,” where we’ll cook for you in a very intimate, personal way. No set menu, just incredible ingredients, prepared for you in real time.

I set really high expectations for myself. I can see the best version of what something could be in my head, and I get obsessed with figuring out how to make it real.

There’s nothing more satisfying than bringing an idea to life, whether it’s a dish, a space, or even a small detail, like a wooden spoon. When you see something exactly as you envisioned it, that’s when you know it was worth the effort.

Very low-key. Slow morning, coffee, maybe some tennis. I’d go out for an early dinner, somewhere I don’t have to cook, and drink some really good wine. Then I’d just sit on my couch, watch a movie, and enjoy the feeling of not being in the kitchen for once.

Our wooden spoon collaboration is a small but meaningful part of that vision. Just like Cove, it’s about the balance of refinement and ease. A tool designed for anyone who loves the act of cooking and sharing food.