Last week, Chef Matt was serving a dish of pappardelle pasta with braised rabbit, wild mushrooms, provolone picante, and shaved green onions.  This dish is packed with rich, savory flavors accented by little bursts of freshness from herbs and shaved green onions.  The cheese, Mandarone Provolone, is a three year aged provolone cheese made in the mountainous Varese province of Northern Italy.  It’s nothing like the common provolone cheese found in most delis. Mandarone Provolone is much dryer, nuttier, sharper, and way more complex and delicious than any run of the mill deli provolone.

Hand Cut Pappardelle- braised rabbit, mushroom, Provolone Mandarone Pairing- Shinn Estate Vineyards Pinot Blanc, N. Fork NY ‘13 – photo by JWessel Photography

In spite of not wanting to be too “matchy matchy” with the wine pairing, I decided to go against the grain on this one. The wine is Shinn Estate Vineyards Pinot Blanc from the North Fork of Long Island. This is a very cool wine! It’s unique because it is fermented in open barrels. This open exposure allows the juice to oxidize slightly, taking on a nutty flavor similar to that of an oloroso sherry.  

The body is rich and almost unctuous, just like the rich pasta. There is a touch of refreshing acidity to contrast the fat in the dish.  But, rather than pair this dish with something full of tropical notes, like a big new world Chardonnay, thus adding flavor contrasts, we decided to go with something that has just as much savory flavor as the food. And here you have this beautiful, nutty, herbaceous Pinot Blanc.  

There are subtle contrasting flavors in the food and the wine.  But the primary flavors are all very savory.  But what’s not to love about that?  It’s a very “comfort food” approach to food and wine pairing.  Savory flavors remind me of my mother’s cooking.  Salisbury steak, meatloaf, buttered noodles, and lots of gravy; these are all delicious and all very straightforward in their savory flavors.  The same idea works with this food and wine pairing.  

The nutty, savory flavors in the wine give the flavors in the food an added kick of savory deliciousness.  The complexity that comes from the combined food and wine is subtle.  There are faint apricot flavors in the wine that are so subtle and delicate.  These flavors are where the contrast and variation come into play.  The fruit and juiciness in the wine add another dimension to the entire experience.  The overall experience is death by savory. However, if that is to be my fate, then I will surely die happy and satiated.  

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It is a rare occasion, however, when we get to host the maker of “the best riesling in the world.” This wine tasting dinner will be hosted by none other than Stu Smith, of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery. 

Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery

The winery, located in St. Helena, California, in the Napa Valley region, was founded in 1971 by brothers Stu and Charles Smith. As it turns out, though, there is evidence of vineyards on the property dating back to the late 1880s, when George W. Cook received the land from the United States Land Office. 

The vineyard is situated on rocky, volcanic-based soil, with steep slopes, groves of olive trees, and an array of wildlife. 

Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery

As for the wines, T.J. Jones, in the Bach to Bacchus blog calls them “totally genuine, the real thing, if you will. Honest, no pretensions, devoted to truth in a down to earth way that is not just admirable but inspiring.” He went on to say, “I think of Smith-Madrone as a triumph of the human spirit. Meeting people like this and tasting wine like this are part of what makes life worthwhile.”

If that isn’t enough, The Daily Meal awarded Smith-Madrone the 2014 Winery of the Year, noting the “quality of the wines and the winery’s industry leadership.”

The Smith brothers describe their process on their website, stating: 

all wines [are] made entirely from the winery’s dry-farmed estate vineyards surrounding the winery on top of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. Stuart Smith chose specific slopes with different exposures for specific varietals when planting the vineyards: eastern exposure for Riesling, southern and western exposures across flat stretches for the Cabernet Sauvignon and the coolest north-facing slopes for the Chardonnay.

Courtesy of Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery

Now, thanks to Sage Cellars, in Warren, Rhode Island, and The Savory Grape, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Stu Smith will be at Gracie’s for an exclusive wine tasting dinner on Tuesday, June 23. 

This four-course paired wine tasting dinner begins at 6 p.m. with complimentary drinks and passed canapes. Tickets are $95, exclusive of tax and gratuity. For reservations, call us at 401.272.7811, or email tenneal@graciesprov.com. 

You won’t want to miss this!

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One of my favorite things to serve after a meal is a block of blue cheese, some crackers, and a bottle of delicious dessert wine. Serve your loved ones a sweet wine and blue cheese dessert; if they aren’t blown away, then you should probably check their pulse.

This is such a simple course to execute and it’s sure to be the talk of the dinner table.  If you love to hear your guests talk about how awesome you are, please try this immediately if not sooner.  

A Hannabells, Tarentaise, and Middlebury blue cheese dessert

The Why, the What, and the How of a Blue Cheese Dessert

My circle of friends is mostly comprised of judgemental food snobs, Food Network wannabes, “Chopped” enthusiasts, frequent fine diners, and ride or die hospitality professionals. That being said, if I bring a B-lister dish to an A-lister supper, I will be ridiculed and scoffed at for months. There are rules that should be considered in order to avoid boring and or gross wine and food pairings.

One of those rules states that matching the intensity of flavor of the wine with the intensity of the flavor of the food will result in fabulousness and delight. Not doing so will cause one to overwhelm the other. Blue cheese and dessert wine are equally intensely flavored.  

Contrasting different flavors creates surprise and complexity in your mouth.  The salty, pungent, and sometimes barnyard-esque flavor of blue cheese creates a contrast to the richly fruity characteristics of dessert wines. The stars are aligning.   

Have you considered acid and richness? Acidity in a wine will help cleanse the palate of rich, fatty, mouth-coating food. The refreshing wine washes away the cloying fattiness of the food and, once again, a dimension of contrast is created. Elation ensues!   

With so many different options for a wine and blue cheese dessert, how do you know which will go together?

Different varieties of blue cheese have different levels of flavor intensity. To me, Valdeon from the Spanish Pyrenees and Roquefort from France are two of the most pungent blue cheeses available. On the other end of the spectrum, Gorgonzola Dolce from Piedmont and Lombardia in Italy represents a much milder style of blue cheese. 

The same can be said for dessert wines. They range from slightly off dry and subtle to syrupy sweet and intense. Match the intensity of flavors in the wine with that of the cheese. Also, pairing a blue cheese with a dessert wine from the same region will almost always be a magical choice.  

An experienced, good wine shop should also be able to help you with pairing ideas. Likewise, you could join us and try our paired tasting menu. 

Wine and Blue Cheese Dessert Pairing Suggestions

Gorgonzola Dolce with Moscato d’Asti

Roquefort with Sauternes, Lupiac and/or Barsac

Valdeon or Cabrales with Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Bayley Hazen Blue with late harvest Riesling or Gewurtztraminer

Dessert doesn’t have to involve baking. Make life easy on yourself and blow the minds of your dinner guests. Feed your family and friends blue cheese and dessert wine after dinner.

You’re welcome.  

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Ten years ago, downtown Providence was a different place. Many of the great restaurants and shops did not yet exist, and some of our favorites have since left. Gracie’s originally opened on Federal Hill, but opportunity knocked, and we moved into a great location across the street from the spectacular Trinity Repertory Company. Working in downtown Providence came with challenges and opportunities. We’ve seen a lot of changes in the last decade. But as we celebrate our downtown location’s ten-year restaurant anniversary, it is a delight to see many of our neighborhood restaurants bustling night after night. It is encouraging to see so many independently owned shops opening their doors, and at the same time, The Dunkin Donuts center plays host to hockey tournaments and world tour concerts. 

The restaurant business is a tricky one, and so often is subject to the economy, weather, fluctuating food prices, and even the whims of culinary fashions. It’s no secret that many new restaurants close within five years or less for any combination of reasons. Sometimes, though, you get lucky. Hard work, dedication, and a love for what you do come together with people who appreciate what you do. In that respect, we’ve been pretty lucky. 

In the last ten years, we have learned a lot – way more than we could possibly fit into a single blog post. We have also met some wonderful people – again, way more than we could possibly fit into a single blog post. As we celebrate our ten-year downtown restaurant anniversary, we know that we are fortunate to have met and worked with so many wonderful people. 

Sharing a Meal – photo by JWessel Photography

We have restaurant guests who have eaten with us regularly since we opened. We have some guests that we see every year on their anniversary. We have had movie stars and sports stars at our tables, and we have had young couples celebrating a first date. We’ve been honored to host weddings, graduation dinners, and birthday parties. 

Our kitchen has been graced with so many chefs, from Johnson & Wales interns, to our own regular staff, to guest Star Chefs from Maria Helm Sinskey to Ciril Hitz to Celina Tio and so many others. We really can’t begin to express how honored we are to host so many amazing, talented people. 

Current Executive Chef Matthew Varga was featured in Art Culinaire: The International Magazine in Good Taste. We’ve won the AAA four-diamond award four years in a row, and Executive Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark was named a Rising Star by the online culinary magazine Star Chefs. We’ve been able to partner with No Kid Hungry: Share Our Strength to work toward ending childhood hunger in America, and we’ve donated and walked many miles for the March of Dimes. 

In the front of the house, we’ve learned about Wine and Food pairings, how to share the joy of a tasting menu with new guests, and gone through more than a fair share of wine glasses. We’ve watched some of our staff graduate high school AND college, and some we’ve seen move across this great country to follow their dreams. We’ve managed to have some fun, too. Perhaps maybe too much?

This is supposed to be our Front of the House Manager.

 We’ve worked with so many dedicated and caring vendors, local farms, fishers, dairies, artisans, breweries, wineries, and distilleries, many of whom have been part of our team for years. We’ve shared our favorite Providence restaurants with you, and we’re even going on a Mediterranean cruise in October. 

And we owe it all to you. We love what we do, but we wouldn’t be here without each and every person who supports us. From the farmers that spend countless hours raising the best corn, or staying up all night caring for a newborn calf, to the men and women on the Rhode Island coast pulling in fresh seafood, to the guys who makes sure we have all the linens and dish detergent we need, this is a team effort.

Most of all, though, we wouldn’t be here without you. Whether you enjoy a meal with us on a special occasion, or just because, we couldn’t do what we do without your willingness to try new things with us, to taste new ingredients or an unusual wine. For you, we are incredibly thankful. Thank you for helping us make this ten-year anniversary the start of the next decade. 

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I know what you are thinking: “What does a restaurant know about building an effective corporate team? Business strategy is not the same in the _______ industry as it is for restaurants.” Is that really the case, though? Let’s look at the similarities.

Do you work with clients? Are you selling a service? Are you selling a product? Do you have colleagues that you need to work with in an effective and amenable manner? Does your team need to support one another to complete projects, achieve goals, or make your company stand out? I am guessing you said “yes” to at least some of this. And I am guessing that part of your business strategy is having a team that excels in these areas.

These skills are essential in the hospitality industry. Some team building ideas from service industry professionals might not be a bad idea after all?

At Gracie’s, this is our way of life. A successful restaurant is selling a service AND a product, and needs a team that communicates, that supports each other, that wants to set and achieve goals, and that can work together to create an experience for each guest. Some of these skills come naturally, and others seem to be a secret that no one wants to give away. Sometimes, you get lucky, and it all falls into place, but even then, it takes work to keep the momentum going. In truth, though, these skills are not secrets; they can be learned just like any business strategy. 

Re-energize Your Team and Outshine the Competition

I know, team building ideas and events are a dime a dozen. Why would you go to a restaurant? What can we offer you that you can’t get somewhere else? This isn’t a fill-in-the-blanks approach; we’ve been working on this for years.

Each day, before we open, our entire team sits down and talks about what we are doing well, what we are not doing well, and how to improve in both of those areas. Not surprisingly, this demands an ongoing critical awareness of a dynamic environment, and attention to details; what works tonight may not work next week. But a team that trusts and respects one another is equipped to handle the unknown while giving guests the “Wow” factor -making each guest feel special with an unforgettable experience.

That’s the secret. Our award-winning approach to hospitality is based in building a good team. Get in touch to find out how we can share this with you and your team over a great meal. 

The post Beyond the Dinner Table – Team Building Ideas to Help You Outshine the Competition first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

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Come support Rhode Island in the 2015 Culinary Showdown at Jonathan Edwards Winery. Let’s show Connecticut who has the best food in New England! 

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Star Chef Evan Mallett

Editors Note: This Event is postponed due to a schedule conflict. We will keep you posted on a new date as soon as we can confirm. 

Chef Evan Mallett and Chef Matt Varga – Photo by JWessel Photography

Star Chef Evan Mallett – Photo by JWessel Photography

Join Us and Star Chef Evan Mallett On April 20

Star Chef events include a cocktail reception with passed canapes, a five-course seated tasting menu, and wine pairings. Reservations are required, as seating is limited. Tickets for this very special dinner are $125 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity. Contact tenneal@graciesprov.com or call 401.272.7811 to reserve your seat at the table.

Passed Canapes – Photo by JWessel Photography

Planning – Photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

Photo by JWessel Photography

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Kendal: Private Events Coordinator – photo by JWessel Photography

Hi. Will you tell us who you are and what is your position at Gracie’s? 

My name is Kendal. I am the Private Events Coordinator at Gracie’s and I started in September 2014.

What do you like the most about working here?

I think it says a lot when you wake up genuinely excited to go to work every day. I truly enjoy every part of working at Gracie’s, but I cannot say enough about the team. From the moment I started, there was this overwhelming sense of welcome. The eagerness to teach me every aspect, from our mission to properly aligning a simple place setting, gave me insight into the passion they possess for creating a memorable dining experience for every guest that walks through the door. As an event planner, executing details to perfection is what I strive for, so to have a team that takes such pride in all that they do sets us up for success.

Is there a favorite item or tool that is essential to your job?

Detail sheets. Planning hundreds of events throughout the year, staying organized is crucial to ensure that all of them run smoothly. Each client has a unique vision and this tool allows me to keep all of the information compiled in one place. No matter how small it may seem, having every detail is imperative to provide flawless service for all of our events.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I am a social butterfly. When I’m not working, I am most likely out and about spending time with my wonderful family, friends, and boyfriend. Specifically, I enjoy trying new foods, exploring new places and can never pass up a night out dancing. I love sports and currently play soccer in a coed indoor league.

If it’s football season, you can find me at a sports pub cheering on the Patriots. During the summer, I am usually soaking up rays on my deck or at the beach. I also engage in marathon cuddle sessions with my cat, Ciadeaux (pronounced shadow). 

What is your favorite food?

Lobster. Simply boiled with melted butter and fresh lemon wedges on the side. Give me some lobster crackers and I am ready to attack! I am proud to say that I have consumed a four pound lobster in one sitting.

What is your favorite drink?

My go to cocktail is an extra dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives.

What is your favorite Ice Cream Flavor?

Ben & Jerry’s “Half Baked”. Chocolate chip cookie dough AND brownie batter? This should be illegal!

What is your hidden talent?

Let’s just say, I have been called a pool shark on more than one occasion.

What are you afraid of?

Elevators. It’s not an “I can’t use them phobia”, but they freak me out. The idea of a small confined box that’s maneuvered by cables just doesn’t feel safe whatsoever. I think I may have developed this fear from going on the Tower of Terror ride at Disney too many times as a kid!

What 3 things would you bring to a desert island?

1. Survival Kit – I would need all the essentials (knife, fire starter, etc.)
2. Bear Grylls – He knows everything about survival. Who better to be stranded with?
3. My Pillow – I will always value a good night’s rest, desert island or not.

To inquire about, or schedule private events at Gracie’s, contact kendal@graciesprov.com. 

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At Gracie’s, one of our featured dinner choices is the five or seven-course chef’s tasting menu. Our guests can enhance their dining experience with the addition of wines selected specifically to complement the food. Wine and food pairings are an excellent way to try new flavor combinations, and the results can take your dining experience to a new level of enjoyment.

Photo by JWessel Photography

What comes first, though? There is no right or wrong way to start the process. We are all in favor of planning a meal around a great bottle of wine. However, Gracie’s Beverage Director, Jason Wessel (who is also the featured artist on many of the photos on this blog) prefers to start with the food. In this video from Steer Films, Jason discusses his approach to wine and food pairings.

Do you have a favorite approach to wine and food pairings? Let us know in the comments!

https://vimeo.com/95912123

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