Ellen Gracyalny can remember the first time she visited the Peerless Building in downtown Providence.
On one side of the roof seven floors up, she could see the Bank of America Building looming a few blocks away. On the other side, there was the Providence Biltmore and The Westin Providence.
“[The view] was absolutely beautiful,” Gracyalny recalled. “It was the first thing I fell in love with when I went up there.”
Three years later, Gracyalny continues to make frequent visits to the rooftop at the Westminster Street building that contains renovated lofts. That’s because she is the owner of Gracie’s on Washington Street, and the top of the Peerless Building has since become the eatery’s unofficial special-event space.
For three years, Gracie’s has catered private soirees, nonprofit fundraisers and weddings at the Peerless, providing one of the few locations for rooftop dining in the city.
While the site is still relatively unknown, a seat at an open-air dining table seven stories high has been highly sought after.
Last month, Gracyalny organized a wine-tasting, called Wines of the World, that drew more than 200 people. It was the first public event Gracie’s had held on the rooftop.
Dale Venturini, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association, says Gracie’s setup is certainly unique. She could think of only one other location in Rhode Island where rooftop dining is available – at the Hotel Viking in Newport.
Venturini equated rooftop dining on the Peerless Building to when Providence restaurants started placing some tables on sidewalks years ago. That novelty created a buzz, Venturini said.
“People love to try something different, like dining on a rooftop,” she said.
The renovation of the Cornish Associates-owned building, the former location of a defunct department store, was completed in 2005 and contains 97 loft-style apartments, a six-story glass atrium and the roof deck, complete with hundreds of square feet of gardens.
After visiting the deck more than three years ago, Gracyalny decided the restaurant – located a few blocks away on Washington Street – had to take advantage of the location’s view, as well as the garden space.
She worked out an agreement with the building manager allowing Gracie’s to maintain a large flower, vegetable and herb gardens that produced everything from mint and sage to heirloom tomatoes and husk cherries.
“It’s definitely worth it [to use the roof deck],” said Gracyalny, who opened Gracie’s on Federal Hill in 1998 and moved to an expanded location across from the Trinity Repertory Co. five years later. “The garden is very inspiring to the chefs. … And it gives the guests who do come [to the restaurant] often another dining option.”
Indeed, Gracyalny said she spotted numerous Gracie’s regulars on the Peerless rooftop in July during the Wines of the World event.
While sidewalk tables have become routine for many restaurants, Venturini doesn’t see the same thing happening with the rooftops in Providence, because of a lack of suitable space. “Not with the kinds of buildings there are here,” she said. “Most buildings have their heating and ventilation units up there.”
And despite the Peerless rooftop being a big draw, Gracyalny said she has no interest in making it a full-time offering, or even looking into installing space atop the building where the restaurant is located now.
She said catering the wine-tasting event, with more than 200 attendees, proved challenging because the roof has no kitchen facilities, not even a grill. She said a friend who lives in the building allowed her to borrow his kitchen for the night.
And she said the rooftop events aren’t a big part of the revenue for the restaurant.
That’s not to say Gracyalny wouldn’t like to rent the space more often.
Gracie’s has used it about 12 times this season, including a wedding where it rained and the reception was seamlessly moved to the Peerless atrium.
Next year, Gracie’s already has about a dozen events scheduled, including a 170-guest wedding.
Gatherings such as the Wines of the World accomplished two goals, Gracyalny said.
“We’re bringing our guests to an aesthetically pleasing setting for an enjoyable and educational evening, and we’re showcasing our garden, which is an extension of our commitment to sourcing foods locally,” she said. Guests see “first-hand where some of the vibrant flavors in our dishes come from.” •
