Birthday dinner at Gracie's

OK, so officially I completed my 60th year at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, the 25th of April. But I felt there was plenty of room for maneuver here since, hey it was my birthday, and we wanted to include our friend Valerie from Paris. She arrived Saturday early evening, and we wanted to take here out and show her the Providence culinary scene, so we just decided to arrange the Big Meal a day later, that's all.

Since I was unable to get my swiss steak dinner from my mother-in-law this weekend -- that's right, she makes the absolutely best swiss steak in the known universe -- I was willing to settle for dinner at Gracie's. . . and what a dinner it was!

Chef Joe put together a wonderful tasting menu for us -- after making sure what I liked and didn't like! For example, nothing from the phlegm family of seafood products. I knew I wanted some of his raw tuna and steak frites, beyond that I left it up to him.

The short of it is that we had, surprise! raw tuna to start (yeah!), gnocchi, pork belly, steak frites, a fantastic cheese course (always a favorite with me) and last, but by no means least, Susie made my favorite dessert: choux pastry filled with pastry creme and topped with chocolate ganache.

We had been a bit uncertain about which wines to have with which course. Shortly after sitting down, a little after 8:30 pm.., that particular challenge dissipated. We learned that our friends Stan and Margie from Michigan, working with Brendan, Gracie's wine guy, arranged the wine for dinner! We started out with Laurent Perrier rose champagne and for the early courses switched to Chassagne Montrachet, an incredible white wine from burgundy. For the meat courses we had a Lalande de Pomerol and a Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet.

Since there were only three of us we willingly shared the wines with the kitchen staff. They had certainly earned it believe me! Thanks Bryce, Joel, Adrian, Matt, Cara, all the wait staff -- kids kept coming by the table to wish me happy birthday -- and of course Chef Joe and Ellen for making it a truly memorable evening.

Indeed, what a grand night it was. Susie, Valerie and I ate, drank, and chatted for nearly four hours and ended up being the last ones to leave.

I couldn't have thought of a better way to have spent a wonderful birthday meal -- the only thing missing were good friends and family, scattered across the country. But it was certainly not a time to be maudlin but a time for rejoicing! And with each glass of wine we smiled and toasted Stan and Margie, who there in spirit, Dick and Dorothy -- who were hosting another birthday dinner Sunday -- and all our absent loved ones.

Thanks pop!