Midweek at Gracie's

It was the first Wednesday of December, the last month of 2008. I had arranged to meet with Andrea, a former wine sales person and now working as a rep for a small wine distributor in Rhode Island. Susie and I met her earlier this year at a Providence Palate event and she had recently approached Providence Palate with several ideas about how to make the organization more useful to its members. Presently PP is set up through the Ning.com social networking system -- lots of fun stuff to be sure but we're exploring ways to make it more informative and more effective in sharing information.

Anyway, we met at Gracie's ostensibly for wine flights -- but I had forgotten that wine flights was done for the year. Anyway, Susie soon joined us as did executive chef Joe Hafner and we all spent some serious quality time bouncing a variety of ideas around, ideas that would help both the customer as well as the food industry in these uncertain times.

After brainstorming for an hour or so over a glass of St. Veran we said arrivederci to Andrea. Susie and I opted to stay put and share a glass of red over a bowl of Rigatoni. Gracie's produces an incredible rigatoni and the sauce has to be tasted to be believed. It is hands down my (our) favorite dish there.

(photo: No Susie's Uncle Frank did not join us at Gracie's. This was taken at D & D's house last week, on Thanksgiving Day. I just think this not only typifies Frank but how we all felt that day. Thanks Dick and Dorothy!)