Happenings

Let’s creep it real: we wouldn’t dare let a holiday premised on sugary treats pass without marking the occasion with our own dessert-focused dining experience! Mark your calendars for the final 2019 installment of our Sucrée series, Sucrée: A Spooky Celebration of Sweets!

On Thursday, October 31st, don your finest costume attire and join the guys and ghouls of Gracie’s for a cocktail hour followed by a four-course paired dessert tasting inspired by the colors, candies, and other devilishly delicious aspects of Halloween!

This event will be a special “VIP reunion,” bringing together some of our most spooktacular past and present chefs and mixologists from both Gracie’s and Ellie’s! Guests will enjoy decadent savory and sweet courses from Caitlyn McGuire of Ellie’s, Melissa Denmark and Karissa Bednarz of Gracie’s, and Eric Brown of Pinky Ring in Chicago (formerly of Gracie’s). The evening’s cocktail pairings will be designed by Liz Smith, a former Gracie’s bartender.

Melissa Denmark, Gracie’s & Ellie’s, Executive Pastry Chef
Chef Denmark grew up in Columbia, Maryland, with a cookbook in one hand and a whisk in the other. Her love of baking led her to Johnson & Wales University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2010 with a Bachelors degree in baking and pastry arts. That same year, Denmark assumed the role of Executive Pastry Chef at Gracie’s, and in 2012, developed the bread and pastry program at Ellie’s, formerly Ellie’s Bakery. Chef Denmark draws her inspiration from travel, childhood memories, and unusual ingredients to create savory-sweet, unique desserts. She was named as one of the 50 Best New Pastry Chefs in the country by Food & Wine magazine in 2012; in 2014 was named a Rising Star in Coastal New England by the culinary magazine, Starchefs; and in 2017 was named to Zagat‘s 30 Under 30 list of “gastronomic game changers” who are redefining the industry!

Liz Smith, Bartender
Breakfast and Betty Crocker: that’s how Liz fell in love with the hospitality industry. Growing up in North Carolina, her favorite day was always Sunday because that meant Mom made breakfast. When Liz was in sixth grade, the family moved to up north to Vestal, New York after the death of her father. With her mom now working every Sunday, Liz had to figure out how to make breakfast herself. A few burnt potatoes and sloppy omelettes later, she had Sunday breakfast almost mastered. She’d also started baking her way through her mom’s only cookbook, The Betty Crocker Cookbook. Each week she made a different baked good and brought it to school for everyone to try. One Sunday, Liz was making breakfast when she realized that nothing made her happier than making food for people, so that’s what she would pursue. Liz attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence RI to study Baking and Pastry Arts. With one year left in her four year pastry degree, she decided to declare a second major in Beverage Management as a way to set her apart from other pastry majors. However, Liz fell in love with wine and spirits and realized she’d rather be studying wine maps than making pastry cream. Upon graduation, she pursued a career in the front-of-house, taking a job at Castle Hill in Newport and also working at a small winery in Little Compton. After a season of making wine, Liz began working at Gracie’s. Working her way up from back server to bartender, Gracie’s taught her the true meaning of hospitality. In 2017, Liz made the decision to move to Portland, where she currently resides. When not behind the bar, you can find Liz at her yoga studio, hanging out with her cat Yoda, watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race, or hosting a Sunday Supper.