Gracie’s
194 Washington Street
Providence, RI
by Bob Mariani
About a year ago, when I learned that Gracie’s, one of my long-time favorite restaurants, was moving from its cozy unpretentious Federal Hill address to the downtown location once occupied by The Players’ Pub, I was concerned. I was worried that they might try to become too upscale and fancy, when what they did best was to marry fresh, simple, seasonal ingredients in some truly creative and original ways.
This past Friday night, my worries were allayed. Gracie’s new chef, Joe Hafner, has put together a superb menu in perfect keeping with the Gracie’s tradition of ingenious flavor blending.
None of Chef Hafner’s dishes are showy or flamboyant or over-done. They’re smart and subtle and truly delicious. I detected this with my very first bite of his wonderfully fresh Endive Salad appetizer ($10). All it took was a mixture of honey parmesan vinaigrette, some crispy sugared walnuts and some smoky bacon lardons to bring new nuances to a salad I’ve had countless times before but with less interesting accoutrements.
Our other starter was the Diver Scallops ($16) and again I was seduced by the delicately balanced flavors. The tender, bite-size scallops were perfectly cooked and seared on top and then dressed with small but sharply focused dollops of melted Stonehouse cheddar cheese and of bacon polenta. The little surprise here was the hint of garden sweetness lent by the addition of some tiny grilled leeks.
We also got to sample Chef Hafner’s remarkably wholesome and creamy Cauliflower Soup ($9) brought to pureed perfection with some wilted foraged mushrooms and white truffle oil. I don’t think comfort food gets much better than this.
Some of the other starters offered are a beef Short Rib with braised garlic escarole and cauliflower puree ($13); Hudson Valley Foie Graz ($19) with poached winter pears and sweet hazelnut crème; and an Artisan Cheese Tasting ($16) that I can’t wait to return for.
Now for the main courses. It was not an easy choice with options like Dry Aged Sirloin ($33) with gorgonzola dolce, winter vegetables, fingerling potato crisp, shallot and thyme reduction: Loin of Lamb ($27) with warm "tabbouleh" couscous, in a raita sauce with a hearts of palm salad; Gracie’s Rigatoni Campanaro ($21), with sweet and spicy sausage, plum tomato and a ricotta salata; or a Truffled Barley Risotto ($24) with sweet English peas, asparagus, white truffle oil and shaved black truffles.
I finally chose the Crescent Farms Duck Breast ($28). I requested medium rare and it arrived the perfect shade of pale pink. Accompaniments were some delicate pear and foie gras wontons and what I think were baby brussels sprouts doused with a very light apple sage reduction sauce. Again, it’s the mingling of flavors that just seem meant for each other that make this dish such a success.
My wife’s entrée was the Tasmanian Salmon ($25). Cooked so that its natural juices ran freely, the fish was served with a mild but delicious lemon risotto, some woods-y flavored mushrooms and finished with a lobster reduction sauce. Wonderfully blended flavors full of brilliant little surprise notes made this yet another of Hafner’s successes.
Other main courses were a Roasted Beef Tenderloin ($36) with pearl, cippolini and Spanish onions and potato confit; and Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass ($26) with early artichoke hearts and asparagus in a Clementine beurre blan.
The house-made desserts featured items like Cranberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding ($10); a Gelato and Sorbet Tasting ($10); and their Chocolate & Grand Manier Semfraddo, which was not available this night. I had their light-as-a-bubble Crème Brule ($9) and my wife had their Goat Cheese Tart ($9), a delicious creamy tart punctuated smartly with mint and apricot salad, kumquat vinaigrette and passion fruit caramel. It sounds like a lot but it was really very delicate and the perfect finish to one of the most beautifully balanced and thoughtfully parsed meals I’ve had all year.
Chef Hafner also creates multi course tasting menus every night for groups who want to share the experience and there is a five course ($60), a seven course ($80) and a nine course ($100) offering. Also they have a pre-theater tasting menu that is three courses ($45).
The décor at Gracie’s is also well worth mentioning. The charming little twinkling star motif that made the atmosphere at their old Atwells Ave. address so inviting and romantic has been extended and played out artfully with soft shades of plumb and pear. Beautiful star-shaped wall sculptures grace the walls, and there is even a very romantic little booth for two that reminded me of the cozy and inviting "snugs" so popular in pubs throughout Ireland.
The service at Gracie’s matches the charm of its décor and the professionalism of its menu. All in all, I’m pleased to report that Gracie’s has not only survived its transition to downtown Providence; it has hit new highs in every category. In short, Gracie’s continues to be one of my very favorite restaurants in Rhode Island. There is valet parking. For information and reservations call 401-272-7811 or visit their
website.Bob Mariani is a Southeastern New England freelance author. Besides his "Your Table is Ready" restaurant reviews found here, he also writes jazz articles on allaboutjazz.com.
