It all started with a wish…
Wish it, dream it, do it. That’s precisely what Ellen Gracyalny did when she opened Gracie’s – an inventive and seasonally-inspired American cuisine restaurant – in Providence on New Year’s Eve in 1998. At the young age of 26, Ellen – a Johnson & Wales trained chef – channeled her passion for cooking and her penchant for taking care of others into Gracie’s. Her desire to educate and enhance the palate with ingredients inspired by the seasons, and to pair culinary creations with extraordinary service and unmatched attention to detail, became the formula for Gracie’s success.

Renowned for providing a combination of culinary artistry, elegance and locally sourced food, Gracie’s became so popular at its original location on Federal Hill that it expanded just six years later to its current location – just steps away from the Trinity Repertory Theater in the revitalized downtown Providence. Here, in the cultural hub of the city, the Gracie’s team welcomes guests to relax and unwind while getting pampered by exquisite food and service amid warm and inviting décor.

The Gracie’s Team – always aiming for the stars…
At the helm of Gracie’s kitchen – ensuring the excellence of Gracie’s culinary magic – is Executive Chef Matthew Varga, a Johnson & Wales trained chef like Ellen. A lover of food and a firm believer in tapping fresh ingredients for their vibrant flavors, Chef Varga grew up in a family that was passionate about cooking and became fascinated at an early age by the tastes and aromas created by combining different ingredients. Chef Varga followed a course that seemed to be charted for him, attending culinary school, honing his skills at a number of well-known restaurants in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and ultimately, finding his “home” at Gracie’s.

With Chef Varga and Ellen leading the way at Gracie’s, aromas, tastes and textures converge – taking guests on a culinary journey that brings the best products of the earth to their table and continues with the highest degree of attention and care by staff who truly care about their guests.

Always striving to become one-percent better every day – a mantra that began with owner Ellen and that resonates among staff – the Gracie’s team is constantly honing their skills for the ultimate end result:  “wowing” guests with a memorable dining experience.

The entire Gracie’s team is committed to using locally sourced ingredients and the highest level of service to create special experiences for guests who gather to share a love of food. Put simply, Gracie’s philosophy is to create lasting memories through exceptional food and service.

From earth to table – Gracie’s commitment to sustainable cuisine
The Gracie’s team believes deeply in celebrating local foods and fostering a more sustainable food supply. This shared philosophy is based on more than a desire to use local food for its freshness and rich flavors. It’s based also on supporting the local economy and minimizing the negative ecological effect of the restaurant.

Gracie’s sources much of its local ingredients from Farm Fresh, a local community of farmers and businesses who join together to offer the best of what southern New England has to offer. The restaurant also taps local fishermen and oystermen, as well as the area’s best cheese producers to bring nature’s bounties to Gracie’s.

An extension of Gracie’s commitment to sourcing foods locally is the restaurant’s rooftop garden, created in 2008 to capture the vibrant flavors that come with locally grown food in peak season.