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Brendan Chipley Roane

Gracie’s “Wines of the World” Returns on Monday, October 22, 2012

by guest October 10, 2012

written by guest

Gracie's Wines of the World AAA Four-Diamond Award restaurant to showcase 40 wines and canapés from 10 international regions, beer and spirits tasting with sweet sensations, and live music.

Culinary fans and wine lovers from throughout New England know Gracie’s as one of the best palate-pleasing locations in Providence. For the third time, the award-winning team at Gracie’s will be hosting “Wines of the World,” a special evening to be held at the restaurant on October 22nd. This event will provide guests with the opportunity to taste over 40 wines from selected regions paired with regional canapés created by Chef Matthew Varga and Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark.

“With the autumn season upon us, it’s time to gather once more and taste a selection of some truly amazing wines from around the world,” says Brendan Chipley Roane, Gracie’s Director of Marketing & Events. “Enjoy strolling through the restaurant to visit these regions to discover how the same grape variety changes in various regions, and how different regions each provide their own delicious gems.”

The culinary team at Gracie’s has expertly paired wonderful selections of artisan cheeses and hors d’ouevres with each country. Van Gogh Vodka Distillery and Revival Brewery are joining Gracie’s teaming up with Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark, and her sweet creations for all to enjoy. And, for the first time at the restaurant, a special dessert wine tasting will be offered paired with an array of Gracie’s famous macarons prepared by Danielle Lowe.

The candles are lit, the stars shine bright, and music fills the air, as guests wander from region to region, from taste to taste, exploring the wonders of wine throughout the world. The Lois Vaughn Quartet will be performing jazz standards for all to enjoy.

“Wines of the World,” will be held on Monday, October 22nd, from 6 – 9 p.m. The cost is $75.00 per guest, inclusive. Any guests that work in the hospitality industry are entitled to 15% off the cost. Complementary valet parking is available. For reservations, please contact Gracie’s at 401-272-7811, or email Events Assistant, Katie Kleyla at katie@graciesprov.com.

Below are some photos from the January 2011 “Wines of the World.”

Michael Lester of M.S. Walker pours wine for tasters at Gracie’s Winter Wines of the World event

Sampling of wine offered at Gracie’s Winter Wines of the World event

Charcuterie platter presented by Chef Matthew Varga at Gracie’s Winter Wines of the World event

The above is a release from Gracie’s Director of Marketing & Events Brendan Chipley Roane. Roane is a volunteer with Eat Drink RI, co-producing the Eat Drink RI Festival, April 19-21, 2013.

October 10, 2012 0 comments

chefs & restaurants news wine & drinks

News Bites: Blount Clam Shack, XO Café, Iron Tender and ISES EXPOsed

by David Dadekian April 9, 2012

written by David Dadekian

ISES EXPOsed Four current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

The Blount Clam Shack

The Blount Clam Shack and Soup Bar has opened its doors in the “Knowledge District” of Providence, RI.

With a hot soup bar, guests can enjoy unlimited soup & fresh bread, giving them the option to try all of Blount Fine Food’s delicious and creative soups. The menu will cater to seafood lovers as well as those not fond of seafood; offering fresh salads, sandwiches and more. A retail area will offer a variety of fresh chowders, soups & dips to bring home and serve yourself. Delivery and catering is also in the works and will be incorporated into the Providence location, reaching out to all of the local businesses, hospitals and merchants, as well as the local colleges and universities.

The Blount Clam Shack is a local favorite where customers can count on the freshest seafood and an authentic New England feel. A year round location in Fall River, MA as well as seasonal locations in Warren, RI on Water Street, and also at the Crescent Park Carousel in Riverside, RI, customers in the area wait anxiously all year long until summer when they can go get their favorite New England seafood treats. Blount offers their own delicious New England Clam Chowder & Lobster Bisque, as well as their famous Clam Cakes, Fish & Chips, Whole Belly Clams, Lobster Rolls and the more non-traditional seafood specialties like the Fish Reubens and Fish Tacos.

The Providence location began serving on Wednesday, April 4 and is open Mondays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Tuesdays – Saturdays 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

XO Café

XO Café, located at 125 North Main Street in Providence, is pleased to present a selection of new menu items for dinner and Sunday brunch, inspired by the flavors of spring. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 401-273- 9090 or visit www.xocafe.com.

Chef Simon Keating’s new additions to the dinner menu include such appetizers as Maine Lobster Risotto with dill crème fraiche and sesame crackers; Local Asparagus & Slow Roasted Tomatoes with Baffoni Farm poached egg, crispy bacon, and edible flowers; a Spring Salad of Narragansett Sea Salty feta, toasted almonds, haricot vert, local baby lettuce, and Wishing Stone Farm honey vinaigrette; and Spinach & Mushroom Ravioli with Narragansett ricotta and chervil cream.

Entrees feature Roasted Free Range Chicken with Farming Turtles shiitake mushroom risotto, local asparagus, and pan juices; Grilled Spring Leg of Lamb with beluga lentils, rosemary jus, and garlic chips; Seared Bomster Scallops with crispy pork belly, Asian slaw, and spicy miso; and sautéed locally-caught Fluke with spring vegetables, udon noodles, lemongrass nage, and tempura Beach Blonde oyster from Charlestown.

Dessert additions include Strawberry & Rhubarb Polenta Crisp with vanilla custard cream and Deconstructed Carrot Cake: carrot sorbet, cream cheese panna cotta, and sponge cubes.

XO’s brunch specialties begin with the Dirty Red Snapper Bloody Mary, featuring house made Bloody Mary mix with gin and olive juice; the Vong Mimosa with sparkling wine, Malibu, and mango puree; and the Sunrise Mimosa featuring sparkling wine, fresh grapefruit, and St. Germain.

Brunch dishes for the season include French Toast with Silver Star sweet bread, crème brulee custard, sliced strawberries, and warm maple syrup; Florentine Benedict with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, English muffin, home fries, and lemon Hollandaise; and Omelets composed of Baffoni Farm eggs and Maine smoked salmon, spinach, and Narragansett ricotta or pecan-smoked bacon, mushroom, and Cabot Cheddar.

As always, guests who enjoy Sunday brunch in their pajamas will receive a complimentary classic mimosa or Bloody Mary featuring XO’s proprietary blend of tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, and hot peppers garnished with pickled green beans.

XO Café serves dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Sunday brunch is served from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 401-273- 9090 or visit www.xocafe.com.

Iron Tender

Join us for the Iron Tender 2012 Bar War Challenge! Monday, April 9th – May 21st at the Lighthouse Bar @ Twin River Casino at 7:30 p.m. 5 weeks of competitions! 1st place winners each week & the 2 highest scoring overall teams after 5 weeks will advance to the finals! 7 teams will compete in the finals, Win over $5,000 in cash & prizes! To enter, contact Frank Martucci at 401-475-8495 or Scott Burchfield at 401-475-8392. 100 Twin River Road, Lincoln RI 02921 ~ www.twinriver.com

For more information about the event see the Iron Tender Facebook page.

ISES EXPOsed

Internation Special Events Society (ISES) Rhode Island Presents: ISES RI EXPOsed, showcasing the best of the special events industry in Southern New England. This event will introduce you to the best and brightest of the Special Events Industry and will give you access to resources and new ideas. This is NOT your traditional trade show. Wednesday, April 11, 4 – 9 p.m. at Twin River Casino Event Center, 100 Twin River Rd., Lincoln, RI 02865. Phone: 401-465-5177, Email: info@isesri.org.

Eat Drink RI‘s David Dadekian is moderating and judging food & drink events as part of the ISES-RI Test Kitchen at the Expo. The first is a 5 p.m. panel discussion Culinary Trends and Dietary Requirements in Menu Planning with Chef Zach Tenen from The Dorrance, Pastry Chef Jill Puleo from Sugarbird Bakery and Chef Kaitlyn Roberts from Easy Entertaining Inc.

At 6:30 p.m. the Rhode Island chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild is holding Mixology Lab Demonstrations with Frank Martucci, Michael Lester and Brendan Chipley Roane.

At 7:30 p.m. the ISES-RI Test Kitchen turns into a kitchen stadium as Chefs Mark Garofalo of Fire Works Catering and Dean Dassler of Twin River go head-to-head in a Cooking Competition to prepare one appetizer and one entree with a secret ingredient.

The Expo is free to the public. Register in advance online.

April 9, 2012 0 comments

chefs & restaurants news wine & drinks

News Bites: Gracie’s, The Capital Grille/Share Our Strength, Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ and Temple Downtown

by David Dadekian March 16, 2012

written by David Dadekian

from left to right: Gracie's Director of Special Events Brendan Chipley Roane, Gracie's Owner Ellen Gracyalny and AAA Southern New England Senior Vice President of Public and Government Affairs Lloyd Albert

Gracie’s

Congratulations to Gracie’s restaurant in Providence on receiving the AAA Four Diamond Award. Gracie’s is one of only three restaurants in Rhode Island to earn the award in 2011 and one of only 754 restaurants in the nation to hold the AAA Four Diamond rating. The AAA Four Diamond Award was presented to Gracie’s and other Rhode Island recipients earlier this month at a luncheon hosted by AAA Southern New England at the Ocean House in Westerly. Gracie’s owner Ellen Gracyalny said, “We are thrilled to receive this award and honored to be recognized for the execution of our philosophy. The entire Gracie’s team believes deeply in our mission of educating and enhancing the palate with fresh ingredients inspired by the seasons and to do so with extraordinary service and attention to detail. I am so proud of our incredible team and grateful to all of our loyal guests and dedicated purveyors who helped Gracie’s achieve this wonderful recognition by AAA.”

AAA’s rating process system is aimed at providing restaurant-goers with guidance on good, basic food or an extraordinary dining experience. The AAA Four Diamond Award is presented to restaurants focused on a menu marked by a high degree of creativity and complexity and delivered upon by an executive chef and accomplished staff who use imaginative presentations to enhance high quality, market-fresh ingredients. The award also reflects a proficient service staff that demonstrates a strong desire to meet or exceed guest expectations, a wine steward who provides menu-specific knowledge on wine selection and a highly refined, comfortable and well-coordinated ambiance.

Seasons at the Ocean House and the Spiced Pear at The Chanler at Cliff Walk were the two other Rhode Island restaurants who received the AAA Four Diamond rating.

Gracie’s, 194 Washington St., Providence, RI 02903. 401-272-7811

The Capital Grille Artist Series Wine with winning artwork by Julie Agee

The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille Artist Series Wine Event is returning for its third year beginning March 19. This annual event gives guests at The Capital Grille the opportunity to purchase an exclusive, limited allocation wine adorned with a unique piece of original artwork as its label, while supporting Share Our Strength and their mission to end childhood hunger in America. The restaurant will once again donate $25 to Share Our Strength for every limited-edition bottle sold.

This year’s Artist Series wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon hand-selected by The Capital Grille’s own Master Sommelier, George Miliotes.”We are extremely pleased to bring back the Artist Series Wine Event for a third consecutive year. As always, we are thrilled to support a worthy cause like Share Our Strength, which helps feed hungry children in America. The Capital Grille has donated nearly $1 million to Share Our Strength over the past four years, and we look forward to reaching and exceeding that milestone this year,” said John Martin, President of The Capital Grille. The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet was hand-crafted at Napa Valley’s Freemark Abbey Winery by Ted Edwards, in collaboration with George Miliotes. Fewer than 1,000 cases of the wine, blended solely for The Capital Grille, were produced. To match the work of art inside the bottle, The Capital Grille invited artists and wine lovers to submit original art for the bottle’s label, during a competition held last fall. The winning painting, Complexity, by Missouri-based artist Julie Agee, was chosen for the way the vibrant colors and abstract lines perfectly complement the robust flavors and subtle undertones of the wine. The artwork will appear on every individually numbered bottle of The Capital Grille Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Capital Grille, 1 Union Station, Providence, RI 02903. 401-521-5600

Mama Kim's Korean BBQ Banchan Menu

Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ

Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ truck has opened their extensive banchan (“side dish”) menu to the public, twice-a-week, via pre-order only. Each banchan will be cooked fresh and packaged individually, and comes with Mama Kim’s Five-Grain Rice, which uses premium mochi rice. You can order either in person at the truck—follow Mama Kim’s Twitter feed or Facebook page to find where the trucks are located—or by email at chef@mamakims.us. Order by Wednesday, and they’ll have it ready for pick-up Friday; order by Friday, they’ll have it ready for pick-up Wednesday. Click the menu to the right for a large version of the full menu.

Temple Downtown Restaurant and Lounge

Temple Downtown Restaurant and Lounge now offers $5 flatbreads in the lounge every day from 3 to 6 p.m.. The 10-inch thin-crust flatbreads include three toppings. Additional toppings will cost 25 cents each. The flatbreads feature a variety of sauces—white, oil and garlic, tomato and pesto. The cheeses include feta, taleggio, Gorgonzola dolce, fresh mozzarella, manchego, reggiano and ricotta. The possible toppings are extensive—sausage, pepperoni, chorizo, bacon, Serrano ham, anchovies, calamari, littleneck clams, shrimp, basil, sliced tomatoes, kalamata olives, asparagus, sliced red onions, roasted peppers, mushrooms, arugula, spinach, garlic, oregano and fines herbes.

Temple Downtown Restaurant and Lounge, 120 Francis St., Providence, RI 02903. 401-919-5050

March 16, 2012 0 comments

chefs & restaurants wine & drinks

Gracie’s “Wines of the World” Tasting on Rooftop Garden

by David Dadekian July 10, 2011

written by David Dadekian

Gracie's Rooftop Garden

On Sunday, July 31, Gracie’s is holding their second Wines of the World event, this time on the roof of the Peerless Building in downtown Providence where Gracie’s rooftop garden is located. The first Wines of the World was held this past January and presented a broad selection of wines from France, Italy, the United States, Spain & Portugal and Argentina & Chile. The upcoming event is Gracie’s Grand Summer Tasting and will include samples of 50 wines from selected wine regions around the world, artisan craft beer selections by Berkshire Brewing Company, and a special spirits tasting led by DonQ Rum Distillery. Guests will also enjoy an array of hors d’oeuvres, prepared by Gracie’s Executive Chef Matthew Varga, and live entertainment.

“We’re looking forward to creating a spectacular evening for our guests on our rooftop garden,” said Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s. “They’ll be able to enjoy a summer night sipping wines from around the world while taking in the Providence skyline, a setting sun and our beautiful garden!” Gracie’s Wine and Spirits/Private Events Director Brendan Chipley Roane will be on hand to answer questions about the featured wines and to highlight some of the rooftop garden ingredients he uses for specialty cocktails.

“We’re very excited to bring this opportunity to our guests,” said Roane. “They can learn about the wonders of wines from around the world and taste for themselves how the same grape variety will change in different regions of the world—creating unique gems for wine making. They’ll also be able to savor these wines—along with spirits and beer—in a remarkable setting.”

Gracyalny added, “By holding this event on our rooftop garden, we’re accomplishing two goals. We’re bringing our guests to an aesthetically pleasing setting for an enjoyable and educational evening, and we’re showcasing our garden, which is an extension of our commitment to sourcing foods locally. Guests will see first-hand where some of the vibrant flavors in our dishes come from.”

The event is from 7 – 10 p.m. on Sunday, July 31. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased at Gracie’s, 194 Washington St., Providence, or at The Savory Grape, 1000 Division Rd., East Greenwich. Below are photos from the January Wines of the World along with some images from the rooftop garden.

Michael Lester of M.S. Walker pours wine for tasters at Gracie's Winter Wines of the World event

Charcuterie platter presented by Chef Matthew Varga at Gracie's Winter Wines of the World event

Images from Gracie's Rooftop Garden

Sampling of wine offered at Gracie's Winter Wines of the World event

Disclosure update: Dadekian was hired to photograph the January Wines of the World event.

July 10, 2011 0 comments