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Ellen Gracyalny

chefs & restaurants news

News Bites: Gracie’s, Farmstead Inc. and Temple Restaurant & Lounge

by David Dadekian November 19, 2012

written by David Dadekian

Farmstead, Inc.

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

Gracie’s

Allan Industries hosts 2nd annual Thanksgiving Dinner for Re-Focus clients at Gracie’s

For the second Thanksgiving in a row, Allan Industries will join Gracie’s to proudly welcome approximately 60 clients and staff of Re-Focus, Inc., a Providence-based nonprofit human service agency that serves Rhode Island adults with varying physical and developmental needs.

Since 1972, Re-Focus has enabled persons with developmental disabilities to pursue productive and healthy lives.

“On behalf of the entire Gracie’s team, we’re so honored to spend our Thanksgiving with the wonderful people from Re-Focus,” said Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie’s. “It creates the most meaningful holiday for everyone involved.”

Allan Industries, sponsor of the dinner, is a national cleaning and maintenance company founded and run by Gracyalny’s parents Paul and Eleanor Gracyalny. The two businesses share an on-going dedication to community engagement.

“We value to opportunity to once again partner with Gracie’s for this special Thanksgiving celebration,” said Paul Gracyalny, founder of Allan Industries, whose regional New England office is located in the Ocean State. “It’s a day of sharing and gratitude which creates lasting memories.”

Again this year, Gracie’s will feature recording artist and performer Stephen Roane of Madison, Connecticut who will donate his time to play solo guitar for the guests while they dine.

“We have boundless gratitude to Gracie’s and for the support provided by Allan Industries,” said Re-Focus Executive Director Christine M. Kavanagh, RSM. “Our clients are able to spend Thanksgiving enjoying the most delicious dinner in the best restaurant in Rhode Island.”

Looking back at last year’s Thanksgiving dinner, Sister Kavanagh recalls one particular Re-Focus client who delighted in the dining experience at the restaurant.

“Sadly, she passed away this April. It means everything to know her last Thanksgiving was spent at Gracie’s,” said Sister Kavanagh.

Farmstead Inc.

Gourmet Gifts from Farmstead, Inc.
Stock Up on Culinary Treats for the Foodie on Your List

WHAT: With products ranging from seasonally-driven packages filled to the brim with the shop’s best cheeses, charcuterie and preserves to local artisanal treats fit to stuff the stockings of a gourmand’s dreams, Farmstead, Inc. is the go-to destination for thoughtful gourmet gifts during the holidays.

Artisanal Gift Packages:

Meat Club
Outrageously delicious meats and the condiments that love them, delivered to your door six times a year with tasting notes from Farmstead, Inc. Chef and Charcutier Matthew Jennings.
Price: $275.00 (plus tax and shipping if applicable) for a full-year membership at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

The ‘Rhody Samplah
This Ocean State-themed basket contains an assortment of little Rhody’s best provisions, including Atwell’s Gold Cheese, Pascoag’s Daniele Sopresseta and Garrison Confections Chocolate, plus local jam and Kate’s biscotti made in-house at Farmstead, Inc.
Price: $50.00 starting December 11 at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

Fantastic Four
A selection of four of Farmstead’s most popular housemade preserves, including one jam, one mostarda, one pickled item and one fermented preserve, each jarred at the peak of freshness.
Price: $35.00 at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

The Nor’Easter
Named after wintery storms that sweep from south to north, this basket holds a selection of cheeses produced across the country from Tennessee to Maine, plus locally sourced jam, oatcakes and one of Pastry Chef Kate Jennings’ housemade sweets to keep you warm in even the most blustery of weather.
Price: $65.00 at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

Spectacular For Sparkling
Kick off the New Year with three of the shop’s favorite cheeses to pair with sparkling wines. With a trio of 1/3 pound servings of cheese, oatcakes, local jam and one of Kate’s specialty baked goods, you’ll be clinking glasses to 2013 in style.
Price: $65.00 at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

Stocking Stuffers for Epicures:

Farmstead’s Candied Nuts
Quickly gaining a cult following, these house-candied nuts are a sublime mix of almonds, pistachios and walnuts, tossed with honey and proprietary ingredients and perfect to serve alongside cheeses, meats and pates, or to sprinkled into a salad.
Price: $20.00 at Farmstead, Inc. or www.farmsteadinc.com.

SlantShack Beef Jerky
Grass-fed, humanely raised and made in Brooklyn, this craft jerky comes in a variety of unique marinades, spice rubs and glazes – the perfect treat for any carnivorous foodie.
Price: $9.50 at Farmstead, Inc.

Suss caramels
Made to order in New Hampshire, these quarter-pound cylindrical caramels are hand-poured, cut and wrapped, ready to be sliced into bite-sized servings.
Price: $10 at Farmstead, Inc.

Garrison’s Chocolates
These Rhody-made indulgences are more comparable to works of art than the chocolate treats in most supermarket isles. The small-batch sweets range from luxury chocolates and truffles, to European tablets in unusual flavors like chocolate-lime and sesame milk.
Price: Available for a variety of prices at Farmstead, Inc.

Q-Tee Cut-Up
For cheese-lovers, nothing’s cuter than a tiny 50s-style cutting board, the perfect hard rock sugar maple surface to slice up a single piece of Farmstead cheese.
Price: $9.00 at Farmstead, Inc.

Waxed Plymouth Cheese
The sharp, full-bodied cheese from this Vermont-based company is produced with raw cow’s milk from a single local herd, treated humanely and continuously monitored for quality.
Price: $12.95 at Farmstead, Inc.

WHEN: Retail hours:
Tuesday – Saturday
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

WHERE: Farmstead, Inc.
186 Wayland Avenue,
Providence, RI 02906

CONTACT: Telephone: 401-274-7177
Web: www.farmsteadinc.com
FB: Farmstead, Inc.
Twitter: @MatthewJennings

Temple Restaurant & Lounge

Temple Restaurant & Lounge Adds New Fall Specialties to Dinner and Cocktail Menus
Cider Glazed Atlantic Salmon, Roasted Pumpkin Brick Oven Pizza and Cucumber Mash Martini Highlight Local Ingredients

For many Rhode Islanders, fall is an incomparable season; complete with some of the region’s most beautiful foliage, cool, comfortable weather, New England Patriots victories, and delicious seasonal foods. To celebrate the season, Temple Restaurant & Lounge has revamped its dinner and cocktail menus to offer guests a variety of appetizing options with a focus on local ingredients.

In addition to its traditional favorites, Temple’s new fall dinner menu features several new scrumptious dishes. Offered as a small plate, the Pumpkin Bisque is garnished with pancetta cracklings and crisp sage. For large plates and entrees, new dishes include Long Island Duck Breast with butternut squash and cranberry orange agrodolce relish; Cider Glazed Atlantic Salmon with beluga lentils and roasted root vegetables; and Temple Dark Braised Short Ribs with parsnip potato puree and local carrots.

For pasta lovers, Temple introduces its Pasta N’ Meatballs plate with roasted tomato sauce, house made veal meatballs and capellini. Highlighting the brick oven pizza offerings is a delectable Roasted Pumpkin Pizza with local pumpkin, house cured pancetta, taleggio and sage.

New to the restaurant’s mixologist-driven list of specialty cocktails are the Barrel Aged Manhattan featuring Rhode Island whiskey and made perfect, dry or sweet; The Mason’s Jar with Russian Standard Vodka, ginger puree, fresh lime, and ginger beer; and the Cucumber Mash featuring Local 9 Cucumber Mint Vodka, mashed cucumbers and mint, and lemon. Also added to the drink menu are two beer cocktails – the Perfect Storm featuring Sam Adams Angry Orchard and Bacardi Oakheart garnished with cinnamon and sugar; and the Michelada, a concoction of Peroni, Agave Loco Tequila, lime juice, and bloody mary mix.

Temple Downtown Providence Restaurant & Lounge is located at 120 Francis Street on Providence’s Capitol Hill. Dinner reservations may be made by calling (401) 919-5050 or online at www.Temple-Downtown.com. Complimentary valet parking is available for all restaurant guests.

November 19, 2012 0 comment

chefs & restaurants news wine & drinks

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 comment

chefs & restaurants news

March of Dimes Rhode Island 11th Annual Signature Chefs Auction

by David Dadekian September 28, 2012

written by David Dadekian

From left to right, in the alternating back row: Johnson & Wales Executive Director of Alumni Relations Steven Shipley, Edward Bolus of Mill’s Tavern, Rizwan Ahmed of Hourglass Brasserie, Raymond Montaquilla of the Coast Guard House, Ryan Escudé of Centro, Jules Ramos of 1149, Tim Shook of Gracie’s, Ben Lacy of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, Champe Speidel of Persimmon, Benjamin Sukle of The Dorrance, Mike McHugh of Julian’s, Reddick Vaughan of Julian’s, David Cardell of Temple, Joe Simone of The Sunnyside and David Lieberman of Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro. In front from left to right: Danielle Lowe of Gracie’s, Matthew Varga of Gracie’s, Melissa Denmark of Gracie’s, Michael Hervieux of Belle Mer, Jennifer Luxmoore of Sin, unnamed from Temple, Kevin Gaudreau from Trio and Jonathan Cambra from the Boat House. Not pictured: Matt Gennuso of Chez Pascal, Karsten Hart of Castle Hill Inn and Kevin Thiele of One Bellevue.

In what has become the best annual culinary event in Rhode Island, on Thursday, September 20th, twenty-two of Rhode Island’s best chefs assembled at Belle Mer in Newport for the 11th Annual March of Dimes Rhode Island Signature Chefs Auction. This year’s honoree was Jonathan Cambra of the Boat House in Tiverton. A proud husband and father of two, Cambra has been involved with the March of Dimes event since it’s inception, has have many of the chefs pictured above and in the below photo selections. For the full set of 95 photos from this year’s event, please see this Eat Drink RI Facebook album.

Every year in the United States, more than half a million babies are born too soon, over 1,300 of them right here in Rhode Island. With your help, we work to improve the health of babies and support families if something does go wrong. – March of Dimes Rhode Island site.

Duck croquette with rosemary apple cider bourbon by 1149’s Chef Jules Ramos

Lobster corn custard by Gracie’s Chef Matthew Varga

Ceviche by The Dorrance’s Chef Benjamin Sukle

Terrine of Ratatouille by Hourglass Brasserie’s Rizwan Ahmed

Centro’s table with Chef Ryan Escudé’s Citrus Braised Pork Belly Crostini with Apple Calvados Chutney

MC and auctioneer Sir Jeremy Bell presenting the 2012 Signature Chef Jonathan Cambra with his honorary kilt

March of Dimes Director, New England Collaborative Betsy Akin in center with Chef Jonathan Cambra at right

Johnson & Wales University volunteer group

September 28, 2012 0 comment

chefs & restaurants farms

Gracie’s Outstanding in the Field dinner in Portsmouth, R.I.

by David Dadekian September 22, 2012

written by David Dadekian

Gracie’s Executive Chef Matthew Varga plating rosemary roasted chicken, new crop potatoes, green beans & natural juices

On Wednesday, September 12, the Gracie’s team moved from Providence to Portsmouth for a spectacular evening with the Outstanding in the Field tour. This year’s dinner was held at Aquidneck Farms on what could only be described as a picture-perfect setting with the table for 150 guests extending down to the western bank of the Sakonnet River. Gracie’s Executive Chef Matthew Varga’s menu managed to far surpass the wonders of the location in it’s perfection, and Pastry Chef Melissa Denmark’s fruit tart may have been one of the best desserts I’ve had all year (I was invited to sit for dinner as a guest of Gracie’s).

Farms represented by Varga’s menu included Blackbird Farm, Pat’s Pastured, Matunuck Oysters, Schartner Farms, Saltwater Farms, Aquidneck Farms and Shy Brothers Farm. The menu was paired with Napa Valley wines from Jonathan Edwards Winery, based in North Stonington, Connecticut, and included the debut of Gracie’s two private label wines, one based around Jonathan Edwards Connecticut Cabernet Franc and the other on Connecticut Pinot Gris.

Here are twenty-eight select photos from the evening. You can also view photos from the 2010 and 2011 Outstanding in the Field dinners. For the full set of 181 photos from this year’s event, please see this Eat Drink RI Facebook album.