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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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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“You’ve got time, guys. Make sure it’s nice.” The heirloom tomatoes go on the plate first, followed by freshly sliced avocado. The pattern continues for a stacked salad of lightly seasoned tomato and avocado, topped with pickled onion and fresh, green mint. The tomatoes – bright red, green with red sunbursts, and light orange – are fresh from Little City Farm, Four Town Farm, and Schartner’s. Chef Matt also picked some of the tomatoes this morning from Gracie’s rooftop garden, several stories above downtown Providence. “Somebody’s gonna hold, and somebody’s gonna drop.”

Preparing the dish

Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Salad

As the kitchen staff puts the final touches on the salad, the wait staff is upstairs clearing tables of the first course. Kristie is at the bar, opening wine for the second course while Stephen is delivering freshly polished wine glasses, six at a time, to each table. At the wait station, between the kitchen and dining area, Jessie is filling silver star-shaped trays with forks. It is 7:45. “Let’s start running food, please.”

With the salad out, the wait staff has enough time to survey the dining room. Alan tells me they “want to make sure everyone has water in their glasses, everything they need, and are having a nice dinner.” Even with this interval, there is not much down time. Kristie is behind the bar making simple syrup, Steph and Travis are polishing wine glasses and silverware for the next course, and the rest of the wait staff is attending to the dining room.

Polishing wine glasses

For the wait staff, this sequence continues throughout the meal: prepping dishes, clearing tables, resetting tables, filling water and wine glasses, and delivering each new course. The trick is in timing and pacing, making sure the night moves efficiently and smoothly. There are big changes for the kitchen staff, though. The hot courses require a more intricate level of speed and precision- there is time to make each dish beautiful, but accuracy is key here.

Concentration

Blackbird Farm Angus Beef

The kitchen is divided into two sections: an outer ring lining the wall, and an inner rectangle filled with a worktable. The outer ring, facing the wall, includes the cold prep area, where, on most nights, salads and deserts are made and plated. To the left of that, along the back wall and the far wall, is a line of ovens, twelve gas burners, a flat top grill, and shelves with dozens of well worn pots and fry pans in a variety of sizes. The rest of the outer ring consists of space for used dishes, a dish sink, dishwasher, a hand washing sink, and a space for clean dishes. The steam rises continuously from the consistent flow of plates, glasses, and silverware making the journey through the cleaning cycle.

In the middle of the floor, surrounded by the ovens, pans, and sinks, is a large wooden work table. It looks like a cutting board that just happens to be the size of an extra large dining room table, and tall enough to work while standing. With the steam from the dish area, fire from most of the gas burners, the heat of the flat top, and the hot lamps that help light this workspace, the temperature in the kitchen reaches 93 degrees.

Even so, the 10 cooks standing at three sides of the table are barely breaking a sweat. It is time to plate and serve the next course. Just like the salad dishes, there is a specific order to follow, and even specific placement; “We need to see the ginger; that’s why it’s going on the left.” The ginger follows the sauce, meat, arroz, gravy, and garden lettuce. Chef Bruce Tillinghast examines the first plate, waving his hand from the plate to his nose to appraise the aroma. Ellen Slattery, the owner of Gracie’s, is the last in line; she inspects each plate, and wipes any trace of sauce splashes.

Smoked Trout with Black Quinoa, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Quail Egg, Crispy Shallots, and Chili Sauce

Slow Braised Beef Short Rib with Sauteed Rice, Shiso, Pickled Ginger, and Squash Puree

As the last course goes out, Ellen looks over the guest list one last time to ensure that everyone is served. Chef Bruce looks at her, asking, “Are we clear?” “We’re clear.” Chef Bruce looks around at the Gracie’s staff, and says a heartfelt, and simple, “thank you.” With this Star Chefs Dinner almost over, the kitchen staff at Gracie’s enjoys a toast of wine in honor of Chef Bruce. They will spend the next two hours cleaning, then go home. Tomorrow is Tuesday, and they will all be in early to get ready for dinner.

Coconut Tuile Cones with Passion Fruit Ice Cream, Tropical Fruits, and Chocolate Crumble

All photos by JWessel Photography.

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photo courtesy of First and South

On Monday, October 20, Gracie’s is hosting the next dinner in the Star Chefs Series. Chef Taylor Knapp, of First and South in Greenport, New York, will join us for an evening of passed canapés, and a five-course tasting menu. We were curious to know what Chef Taylor might have planned for his first visit to Gracie’s; he took some time to chat with us in between foraging, cooking, and working on his newest project, Peconic Escargot.

Chef Taylor is known for his dedication to foraging, and seeking out local and regional foods that are a little off the beaten path, such as “young sassafras saplings that will be used to make butter.” The Star Chefs Dinner will use ingredients “raised or foraged on Long Island’s East end, but there is a lot of collaboration happening. Take the bread for the dinner. It will utilize spent beer grains from a Rhode Island brewery and flour made from wheat grown on Long Island – a melding of ingredients from two different locations in one bite.”

photo by JWessel Photography

Creating a meal for the Star Chefs Dinner, and for the menu at First and South, is not just about finding ingredients, though. Chef Taylor is asking us to slow down, to “think about what we’re eating, where it comes from, and the history behind the ingredients.” This is what compels him to forage through beach plum briars, head to the shore to harvest seaweed, or spend hours plucking the petals from fresh flowers. In fact, Chef Taylor is so dedicated to the idea of fresh and local food that he is about to open Peconic Escargot, the “first and only company in the U.S. to offer fresh escargot.”

Chef Taylor sums up his philosophy of food quite eloquently: Food “should be given as though it were a gift, prepared with care, love, and thought, just as you would prepare a meal for a loved one. Slow down. Simplify. Focus on the things we’re putting on the plate.”

We look forward to working with Chef Taylor Knapp for this special evening on Monday, October 20. The five-course tasting menu will be paired with wine from The Savory Grape. For reservations, call Gracie’s at 401-272-7811, or email Tenneal@graciesprov.com.

Gracie’s by JWessel Photography

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Doors open promptly at 6 p.m. Guests gather in the candlelit lounge enjoying a Peruvian Cerveza Cusquena Lager or a lightly spiced Pisco Chicha Morada, a Peruvian-styled cocktail. The wait staff carry small wooden trays as they thread through the lounge; they offer canapés of marinated fresh tuna, with potato puree on a bed of Boston Lettuce, chicken and swiss chard empanadas, or fried root vegetable chips with a selection of chili dips. Gracie’s Chef Matt Varga and Chef Bruce are in their cooking jackets, greeting guests.

Root vegetable chips with chili dips

Chicken and swiss chard empanadas

Light from a dozen candles dances on bottles of Battle Cry Single Malt Whiskey, and Redemption Rye. Above the bar, an inconspicuous flat-screen television brims with colors from photographer Jason Wessel’s images of vegetables, knives, and flowers – all part of tonight’s meal preparations. Ceiling fans spin leisurely, and from behind the bar, slipping through the sound of many conversations and laughs, is the rattle of ice in a metal shaker.

Away from the activity and conversation in the lounge, Melissa and Andrea are working quickly in in the lower level of the Gracie’s kitchen – a section known by the staff as Pastryland. Dessert is Coconut Tuile Cones with passion fruit ice cream, tropical fruits, and chocolate crumble. Keeping ice cream cold in a kitchen is a tricky task, so the pastry chefs place a tray of ice down, then work on top of that to remove the fresh ice cream from silicone molds. Melissa moves the mini ice cream balls back to the freezer to await final assembly just before the dessert course.

Coconut tuile cones

With all the activity, it would be easy to forget the planning and preparation that goes into an event such as this. The reality is that this evening’s meal began several weeks ago.

Chef Matt Varga and Chef Bruce sit in the lounge at Gracie’s, with the light of a sunny day illuminating the bar and their work. An open box of pastries, a bottle of water, and several notebooks with recipes and ideas sit on the table next to them. Chef Bruce relates the joys of a recent trip to Peru, and his experience with the exciting food and culture. He wants to bring this same food culture to the Star Chefs Dinner at Gracie’s, with local food and ingredients as the means to express that aesthetic.

Mid-summer produce offers an abundance of choices for the two chefs to work with. The waters off the coast of Rhode Island are also teaming with Black Sea Bass, Tuna, and squid, as well as clams and quahaugs in shallower waters. Chef Bruce says a seafood course, such as ceviche could nicely combine the richness of Rhode Island waters with the fishing culture of Peru. The two chefs meet on several occasions to plan and prepare for this meal, and the final product of that work is taking place now.

Before the first course, nine members of the kitchen staff gather downstairs to set up the ceviche plates. Two long tables are placed end to end, and covered in a white tablecloth. Two rows of rectangular white dishes, 52 in all, are arranged side by side on the table. Chef Matt prepares one plate as a model for the other plates. There is a very precise order and placement for items on the dish, and each chef is responsible for one item. The lobster tail is positioned first on the plate, then a small section of corn on the cob, seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper. Two scallops come next, followed by a portion of sea bass, mussels, squid rings, a dash of fleur de sel, a lobster claw, and lastly, a seasoned sweet potato.

Each member of the kitchen staff works around the table, carefully positioning their piece of the culinary artwork one by one as they go. Chef Matt reminds the team to “be tight on the line, guys”, making sure the “line” of ceviche is thoughtfully placed to ensure that the fresh plate is presented looking its best. Chef Bruce walks around the table last, finishing each plate with cilantro.

Rhode Island seafood ceviche

Fresh Rhode Island seafood ceviche

The colors are brilliant- bright golden orange marigold petals, beautifully flecked red and white lobster, and summery green cilantro give the dish a visual warmth, and show off the groups ability to step back, and allow the ingredients to present their full potential. With the dishes ready, Ellen, Bruce, and Matt attend to checking the guest list to make sure everyone has arrived, but also to check guest notes for any allergies. “We need a watermelon salad for a shellfish allergy.”

“These are ready. Do you wanna go get runners?” Alan, a waiter at Gracie’s, heads upstairs to notify the staff that it is time to go. The room switches from preparation mode to an energetic and noisy conversation that would only make sense to someone familiar with restaurant language.

“Alan, two go to eight.”

“Heard.”

“Laura, you have one and two.”

“Why don’t you take five and six.”

Jesse, you wanna do one and two at twelve.”

Table numbers, seat numbers, and a call and response (“Alan, two go to eight.” “Heard.”) come from a dozen different voices in the low-ceilinged preparation room downstairs. The swinging door to the stairs and up to the main kitchen and dining room moves continuously for the next few minutes as waiters are in and out, up and down the stairs, until all 50 guests have received their plates.

Chef Matt, Chef Bruce, and Ellen all smile, then head upstairs to address the dining room.

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photo by JWessel Photography

Tillinghast grew up in a family that loved to cook, and his grandmother’s Griswold cast iron fry pan is still one of his favorite kitchen tools. Along with cooking, he says “color has always been an important element in my life, beginning with the big Crayola box that took the rainbow to new heights.” He attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received his BFA in Graphics in 1968.

From 1970- 1972, Tillinghast taught art in the Providence Public Schools, then moved to Lake Tahoe, working as a waiter and “tableside cook” at Harrah’s. In 1979, he attended the Modern Gourmet Cooking School, where Madeleine Kamman “opened the door to flavors for me and I found when cooking I think about putting flavor elements together the same way I think I have always thought about using color combinations.”

Photo by JWessel Photography

In 1990, Tillinghast and his late wife, Pat, opened New Rivers Restaurant. Local chefs often credit the couple for initiating the local and seasonal food movement in Providence, but he credits Kamman with the inspiration. “She taught us to use ingredients that grow together because they work together.” In truth, this is not a big leap from his appreciation of Bauhaus artist Josef Albers and his work with adjacent colors. “Whether dealing with food or color, there is always that delicate balance…and energy involved.”

This is the balance and energy we are excited to bring to Gracie’s on Monday, August 11, 2014. Chef Tillinghast will preside over a seated five-course tasting menu, with wine paired by The Savory Grape. This is also a rare opportunity to enjoy Chef Bruce’s menu; he sold New Rivers to a long-term employees Beau and Elizabeth Vestal in 2012.

Make your reservation by emailing Keira Langan at keira@graciesprov.com, or by calling Gracie’s at (401) 272-7811.

Photo by JWessel

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This post is from our Star Chef Dinner with Chef Michael Ginor in June of 2014. Chef Ginor will be joining us again, on March 16, 2015. Minor edits have been made to reflect this. 

One of the benefits of working with food, and people who love food, is the opportunity to learn, share, and discover together. This is what is so special to us about the Star Chef Series at Gracie’s. We love to visit great restaurants, and experience the creativity of our favorite chefs, but there is something especially rewarding about working side by side with them.

This is just one reason we are looking forward to inviting Chef Michael Ginor into our kitchen on Monday, March 16. Chef Ginor is a co-owner of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and also owns Restaurant Lola, in Great Neck, New York. However, Chef Ginor is not one to sit still; he actively coordinates food and culinary events around the world, writes for Art Culinaire, and Food Arts Magazine, and has written his own cookbook, Foie Gras – A Passion.

We asked Chef Ginor a few questions about his upcoming visit with us, and learned that, when it comes down to it, the best thing about being a chef is sharing!

“I love traveling to other kitchens and visiting new cultures because I view it as a culinary exchange in which I get to expose professionals, chefs and the culinary public to products and ingredients that are dear to me and share techniques that are important to me. Inevitably, I always learn about regional ingredients and techniques that are new to me which help me to improve upon my life mission which is to know as much about food as it  relates to culture as I possibly can! I am also addicted to the kitchen camaraderie which never fails to disappoint”.

Chef Ginor also finds inspiration in “Jean Louis Palladin’s book Cooking With the Seasons,  as it was revolutionary at its time (in the early 80’s) and showcases product that was often unknown. As Chef Jean Louis Palladin was my mentor, the book always brings back many of my formative culinary moments”.

The Star Chef Series dinner with Michael Ginor will “naturally feature Foie Gras in ways that will surprise you!!!”

To join us, contact tenneal@graciesprov.com or call 401-272-7811 to reserve your seat. Tickets for this special dinner are $150 per guest, plus tax and gratuity, and are very limited.

As a special incentive for our out of town guests, or local guests who want to make a night of it, we have partnered with Hotel Providence to offer an exclusive room rate of $129 plus tax. The Hotel Providence offers “ European flair and New England charm, filled with historic character and boutique personal service.” They are the only AAA four diamond hotel in Providence, and are located just a few blocks from Gracie’s.

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The Star Chef Series gives us the opportunity to turn over our kitchen to our colleagues and friends, to share ideas, and to appreciate what some of our favorite chefs are working on. It is a refreshing experience to collaborate with others in the food community in order to create great menus for each event. However, the best reward from these dinners is sharing an evening of delicious food and wine with you!

Our first 2014 Star Chef dinner was held on March 24th, 2014. We were honored to welcome Chef Evan Mallet, Owner and Chef of Black Trumpet Bistro in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This was his fifth appearance at Gracie’s as part of our Star Chef Series. In 2011, and again this year, Evan was named as a James Beard semi-finalist for Best Chef, Northeast. He is actively involved in the food community, and sits on the boards of Chefs Collaborative, Slow Food Seacoast, and the Heirloom Harvest Project, an initiative to join farmers, chefs and educators to identify and restore a food system native to the Greater New Hampshire Seacoast. Here is the menu from Chef Evan Mallet’s dinner:

Passed Hors d’ oeuvres

bay scallop, tomato vinegar, candy cap mushroom oil

potato sausage, creme fraiche, mustard caviar

ricotta cheese cornets, soft herbs, honey

chermoula chicken kebab, fresh coriander, harissa ketchup

Menu

cauliflower tempura, tahini aioli, green chickpea vinaigrette, Lebanese mint

berbere bison tartare, pickled quail egg, watercress, rooibos onion jam

golden tilefish, wild things broth, lardons, sorrel risotto, morel conserva

Intermezzo

bee balm, walnut bitters?

warm terrine of socca and lamb sugo, roasted peppers, black olive, absinthe tomato cream

fried avocado ice cream, banana flan, toasted coconut, cashew cheese

Our next Star Chef Series dinner will be on Monday, June 9, 2014 at 6 p.m. Chef Michael Ginor, of Lola, in Great Neck, New York will join us for this five-course dinner, paired with wine from The Savory Grape. Chef Ginor has won numerous awards, including the 1996 Award for Excellence from the James Beard Foundation. We hope you will join us for a wonderful evening of food, wine, and friendship. For reservations, contact Keira at keira@graciesprov.com, or call Gracie’s at (401) 272-7811.

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