Chez Pascal in Providence

Susie and I splurged recently on a Kermit Lynch wine dinner at Chez Pascal. It was a wonderful evening of delicious wines matched by equally delicious food, put on by the brilliant folks at Kermit Lynch. An importer of incredibly wonderful wines at a relatively decent price, Kermit Lynch has been one of those marques you find and never let go: you just know the product he selects and brings over here will be delicious and of good value; his organization has been a resource for us since we lived in Michigan.

During dinner we actually sat next to an Eisenhower, although she claimed that her branch of the family was very distant from the former President. There was really no resemblance, but still. . .

Unfortunately, the poor lighting and my mediocre photographic technique doesn't even begin to accurately depict the scrumptious food but I think you'll get the idea:

seared scallop with celery root, apple and saffron butter

beef short rib, white sweet potato gratin

pear custard gratin with bleu cheese

Wine in Providence

Within the northeastern part of the Ocean State there are plenty of liquor stores where you can find wine. You know the kind of place I'm talking about: narrow storefront smack in the middle of a strip mall with the plate glass windows filled with cases of Bud Lite. And while I have actually found a few decent wines in such places, I tend to concentrate my wine buying on places that cater predominately to the wine consumer.

Anyway there are plenty of liquor stores in greater Providence but few wine shops.

Town Liquors over in East Providence has a small but very quality-driven selection of wines.

Gasbarro's on Atwell's avenue is a landmark of course. You simply cannot beat their selection of Italian wines.

And speaking of Gasbarro's, there's Chris Gasbarro's Wine and
Spirits, just across the state line in Seekonk, MA. They have a very large selection of Italian and French wines. This place is a favorite with one of my neighbors but I was very put off on a recent trip there (more of that in my next post).

I should also mention Yankee Spirits in Attleboro, also just across the state line and also another huge warehouse of wine and spirits and beer and such, with a huge selection of wines. They do run some interesting sales from time to time. Still, it had that sweet sickly smell of spoiled yeast permeating the air.

One of the more user-friendly wine-dedicated shops is Eno, located right in downtown Providence on Westminster Street. It may seem a bit upscale at first, but the staff is helpful with an easygoing manner and eager too share their knowledge and enthusiasm for wine. They also have a large selection of wines for less than ten bucks. Very nice idea and well-executed. Also, their case discounts are simple: ten percent off any mixed case. Period. Anyway, this is where I first discovered Luxardo ($22), the amaretto my wife prefers. While lacking the massive volume of the big box stores, their selections are well-chosen, and with care and appreciation for the wine and the customer. (No gallon bottles of Friday's chocolate booze mixers here.)

I also like the folks at Campus Wines on Brook Street on the East Side. Like the staff at Eno they too are friendly, easygoing and knowledgeable without being pretentious or snooty and always eager to help me find the right wine -- or something as close as possible. They have very nice selection of wines, and their prices on Veuve Clicquot (NV) are positively incredible! They sell the 750ml for $39, which is at least $5-10 cheaper than just about everywhere else. Like most other places they give case discounts.

So where do you go to find the best wine at the lowest price?