Dessert at Gracie's for New Year's Eve

December 31, 2009, late -- Gracie's was hoppin' -- better late than not at all, eh?

For the special NYE dinner menu, two dessert setups were prepared, but I only got a chance to snap this one:



Happy New Year! That's the catchphrase of the day. Make it the focus of the whole year and we'll be all set.

New Year's Eve at Gracie's

This is the simple slideshow version:

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!)

Wine flights at Gracie's

Although there's a noticeable slowdown in restaurant activity during the middle of the work week, Gracie's still manages to draw a few interested parties in search of expanding their knowledge of wine.

Last Wednesday night Susie and I dropped by Gracie's -- well, OK she was just turning around and going back -- and spent a pleasant hour or so chatting with Anter, the resident wine guru, about a couple of wines he's suggesting for Thanksgiving: a chardonnay from the Cambria folks and a Viognier from France thank you very much.

The Viognier was crisp and very nice -- and the chef's tasting that came with the wines were absolutely scrumptious: the seared tuna perfect, the crab salad smooth and the fruit crips and pcked with flavor.

But it was when the conversation shifted to digestivi and aperitivi that things really got interesting.

Anter gave us samples of chilled Lillet rouge straight up with a twist of orange and this was followed by chilled Lillet blanc with a twist of lime. Either one would be a wonderful way to kick off a meal.

In fact, it struck me that when you're at a place like Gracie's, where you want to relax and savor your evening consider the following:

• First, order an aperitif and be sure to ask for something you've never had before. Then close your eyes and just try and focus on the drink and nothing else.
• Follow this with a starter course, matched with something white and crisp (probably).
• Then with your entree (or, oddly enough, a plat in France) have a glass of red or white, either by preference or maybe a suggestion from the server with your particular choice of food.
• With the final course, dessert of course, have a glass of Muscat Beaumes de Venise or ask for a recommendation.
• Finish off the evening with a glass of Averna.

Anyway, while we savored the last of our wines, a young couple, easily half our age, came and sat at the other end of the bar and said they want the wine flights. Anter smoothly shifted himself down their way and began by letting them sample some Lillet rouge and Lillet white and he was soon into his element again -- talking about the wonderful ways in which wine and their various derivatives can make a meal a truly wonderful experience.

Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

Gracie's, a replay

I posted some of these images earlier this year -- but this, please note, is an entirely different "twist."

By the way, you can create stuff like this with your images at anmoto.com.

Gracie's Rooftop Garden

As more restaurants seek to establish a solid foundation on using local growers, at least one place has added a unique twist: Gracie's has set up its own rooftop herb and vegetable garden on top of the Peerless Building in downtown Pprovidence. How cool is that?

Gracie's wine flight

This past Wednesday Susie and I dropped by Gracie's -- well for her she simply came home, showered, changed clothes and returned to Gracie's. Anyway, we got in the car and drove the 3 or 4 minutes it took us to get to the restaurant.

It was quiet when we arrived but by the time we left the place was abuzz, mostly with folks either enjoying the wine flights or having a quiet drink and a light dinner in the lounge. We had no sooner sat down at the bar than the rest of the seats quickly filled up with small groups, mostly friends it seemed to me, there to enjoy an evening sharing food and wine.

The wines this past Wednesday were all reds, Malbecs from South America: two from Argentina and one from Chile.

For the food pairings Joel in the back of the house prepared steak, duck and added a hard unpasteurized cow's milk cheese from Wisconsin to the chef's tasting portion of the wine flights. Incredibly good match we thought later.

Over the years we've been underwhelmed with the handful of New World wines from south of the equator -- but this evening we learned how wrong we could be. The Chilean Escudo Rojo 2005 was the starter and it was a superb example of what happens when the French start dabbling in wines abroad: in this case the Rothschild family from Bordeaux. This wine had a pleasant nose and while it was a bit jammy on the palate it was very nicely matched with the food; this was followed by the Argentinian Les Perdices, a lesser wine we thought but not unpleasant, and finally the Luca Malbec, another delicious wine which was a superb match with the food, particularly the steak.

After wine flights we couldn't bring ourselves to leave -- it was comfortable and cozy so we decided to stay put and have dinner. A wonderful treat. Susie had the soup and a salad. I had steak and pommes du terre two ways.

Just in case you forgot -- dessert at Gracie's

Like the title says, just in case you forgot what really, I mean really good desserts can look like -- remember this incredible semi-freddo concoction crafted together by my wife, the pastry chef at Gracie's -- like you didn't know that by now, right?

Gracie's Wine Flights - again

Last night, Wednesday night, was that midweek food-and-wine break so many of us long for: the wine flights at Gracie's in Providence. Sitting at the cozy bar, quiet conversations scattered around the room, with a short line of three large wine glasses just off to one side and a matched trio of Chef Joe Hafner's tasting treats, it's hard to think of a better way to spend the middle of the week.

Susie and I have been pretty regular in hitting the wine flights -- and we must say the last several weeks have proven even better than usual.

Last week the tasting revolved around three incredible wines from Portugal (thinking of you Dan Foley): a bright and crisp Vinho Verde from Twin Vine, a spectacular Douro (2005) from Churchill Estates and a 10-year-old Tawny from Graham's.

The wines last night were equally incredible: a David Bruce Petit Syrah, a merlot from Floral Springs and the "337" Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. These three were neither terribly jammy nor were they too forward or big-bodied, but just right for our tastes. The wines certainly matched just right for the scrumptious threesome that came out of the kitchen: a light truffle mushroom consommé, duck (photo below) and a ham n' cheese croquette (photo above). I find it remarkable that these tastings are put together just for the wines and just for the wine flight for that night -- these are not on menu.

All for ten bucks a person.

If it sounds like I'm a shill for the restaurant -- after all my wife does work there -- you may be right. But that fact does not invalidate my conclusion: these midweek wine flights are not only great value, bang-for-your-buck kind of value, but they are eye-opening, palate-expanding experiences and, if you like wine, should not be missed.

Hey, you don't believe me? Try it for yourself.

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!

Hard working kids

The next time you see a group of young people sauntering down the street, heads bobbing this way and that, baseball caps all askew, baggy pants hanging around their shins, listening to hip hop music so loud their ears are bleeding, well the next time you see such a group and say to yourself, what has become of the hard working youth I have just one word for you: restaurant.

That's right sports fans. The next time you are out at your favorite eatery take a look behind the curtain, take a peek in the back room and my guess is you'll find those young folks working their butts to the bone.

I've watched one such kitchen close up now for about two months and I must tell you what I have observed is truly astounding.

The work ethic these kids have today would put most other professions to shame. They work long hours, and they work hard. These kids are reliable, trustworthy and just get about their job. Period. No whining, no complaining, just quiet intensity of effort.

Watch one of these kitchens sometime: it is as Patrick Gilgallon once explained it to me, an exercise in choreography to be sure but more than that. The focus is intense, the willingness to go above and beyond the proverbial call of duty commonplace. The handshakes are firm and the smiles genuine.

A great way to start out your life I should think.

New Year's Eve at Gracie's in Providence

The folks at Gracie's were kind enough to invite to come by this past New year's Eve and take some photos and shoot some video of their new pastry chef at work. So I did.

"Art of the Tart" at Gracie's

No, this isn't about a cheap woman who paints. It's about food. Really good food. Last Monday night, 4 February, Susie and chef Joe Hafner gave a class in the kitchen at Gracie's, "The Art of the Tart," or, how to make great tart dough. (photo: Joe, Susie and Cara gearing up or the tart demo!)

When I learned about the class I asked Joe if I could take a few photos and he was kind enough not only to allow me to intrude on this very personal evening but he fed me as well!

Joe and Cara had everything prepared for the savory portion of the evening's class, and Brendan had chosen the wines for the evening.

Joe:


Cara:


Brendan:

Susie demonstrated how to prepare two different dough recipes: a chocolate dough, followed by her personal favorite, a pate sableé with almonds (d'amandes). Using these two basic doughs she prepared three desserts for the evening's presentation: a chocolate ganache tart, a lemon-lime tart, and a pear-almond tart.




The class was small, only five people, but they were clearly a dedicated group of serious cooks, and the questions flew fast for most of the session.

"How do you. . . ?"

"Why do you . . . ?"

"Really?

"Why?"

These folks came to Gracie's that night for two reasons: to learn how to make good food better and then eat it. They certainly got what they bargained for.


After the demonstration, Joe and Cara fixed a delicious traditional quiche filled with bacon, leek and gruyere followed by a breast of duck cooked to perfection -- and believe me it tasted as good as it looks.


Brendan, the wine master at Gracie's paired a Ramey chardonnay with the quiche and then a Malbec from Argentina with the duck. With dessert we had a tokay from Hungary.

Everyone had a wonderful time and you can tell that Susie has, as Joe pointed rightly out, "hit her stride."

Wish you had been there!

Steve

Gracie's in Providence

One of the more upscale restaurants in downtown ("downcity") Providence, Gracie's is an oasis of calm and quiet with a distinct air of elegant simplicity. The food is superb: we both had fish (Susie the trout and I had tautog) for the plat; we had aperitifs and then two wines by the glass (a very nice selection of wines are available by the glass). For dessert Susie had the creme brulee, which she thought was some of the best she's ever tasted (and she's tasted quite a few!).

The service is keen but not fawning, and our server confidently suggested a nice wine to go with our fish (the pinot gris blend "Evolution" from Oregon).

The food is not inexpensive to be sure, but hey, life is full of tradeoffs.

Reservations strongly recommended. 194 Washington street, 401.272.7811