Providence in November and wine flights at Gracie's

It's been quite cold here in Providence lately -- crisp and clean air has seeped into the city though and it's a pleasant break from the odd bit of warm and humid weather that laid over us not too many days back. (photo: Susie in the kitchen of Pascal Pinaud's patisserie on rue Monge in Paris.)

Although there's a noticeable slowdown in restaurant activity during the middle of the work week, Gracie's still manages to draw a few interested parties in search of expanding their knowledge of wine.

Last Wednesday night Susie and I dropped by Gracie's -- well, OK she was just turning around and going back -- and spent a pleasant hour or so chatting with Anter, the resident wine guru, about a couple of wines he's suggesting for Thanksgiving: a chardonnay from the Cambria folks and a Viognier from France thank you very much.

The Viognier was crisp and very nice -- and the chef's tasting that came with the wines were absolutely scrumptious: the seared tuna perfect, the crab salad smooth and the fruit crisp and packed with flavor.

But it was when the conversation shifted to digestivi and aperitivi that things really got interesting.

Anter gave us samples of chilled Lillet rouge straight up with a twist of orange and this was followed by chilled Lillet blanc with a twist of lime. Either one would be a wonderful way to kick off a meal.

In fact, it struck me that when you're at a place like Gracie's, where you want to relax and savor your evening consider the following:

• First, order an aperitif and be sure to ask for something you've never had before. Then close your eyes and just try and focus on the drink and nothing else.
• Follow this with a starter course, matched with something white and crisp (probably).
• Then with your entree (or, oddly enough, a plat in France) have a glass of red or white, either by preference or maybe a suggestion from the server with your particular choice of food.
• With the final course, dessert of course, have a glass of Muscat Beaumes de Venise or ask for a recommendation.
• Finish off the evening with a glass of Averna.

Anyway, while we savored the last of our wines, a young couple, easily half our age, came and sat at the other end of the bar and. They came for the wine flights, they said. Anter smoothly shifted himself down their way and began by letting them sample some Lillet rouge and Lillet white and he was soon into his element again -- talking about the wonderful ways in which wine and their various derivatives can make a meal a truly wonderful experience.

Frankly the wine flights has been the high point of our week so far -- we both go about our work, but all the while quietly plotting the next trip abroad.

I hope to have more to tell you soon. In the meantime we wish Peggy well on her upcoming trip to Paris next month and hope that Diane will get around to starting her blog on her adventures in Paris, particularly those to come. It really doesn't matter if you know these people or not -- what is important is that we are all travelers, we are all going someplace else. It's just that some of us take more time to do it that's all.

So for now start planning your own adventure, and be sure to stay warm, keep cool and just pretend you have no retirement money at all.

Ciao for now,

Steve