@TheCookie nice report!
With wine pairings, sometimes what you see in a wine list could be fairly telling of their style, approach, sourcing, and the rest is up to the style or personality of the sommeliers. It is also possible that some pairings include bottles that are off menu, as it could be something the somm is trying out for the evening or got in a special and didn’t have time to update the ever changing wine menu at the moment.
It really helps also to communicate your preferences (as you have likely learned and done so) as otherwise they are strictly going to go for what they think is best at the moment, based on what they have or can get, in order to move product. The ideal scenario is that the restaurant stocks exactly what it needs and goes through multiple vendors just to secure wines whose profiles matches the style of the kitchen and thus the pairing style which should be a strength. But this is not always the case.
Some Michelin star places really aim to please, so if they think you’re very serious about trying out of the box pairings, or if you are able to talk shop and connect well with them, they may find something niche to surprise you if that’s your thing. Usually when the conversation is geared towards that way, the sommelier gets a better sense of your tastes and preferences, and if they are really good, they will know exactly what you will need next (because well, they are supposed to). Or if you are more into celebrity labels that have very particular flavor profiles (those would tend to exist on a menu as a grand pairing, not a regular one if available. For example Keiko A Nob Hill in SF has three wine pairing price levels, the highest one require participation for the entire table of four, because literally you would be ordering by the bottle and get 1.5 to 2 pours each across one or two courses).
Some of what I recommended to you for Providence based on a quick look at sections of the wine list I’m a touch more familiar with, are actually tried and true pairings (and safe). You can also search for a food item + wine pairing, and you will find search results for swordfish and what wines to drink with it that confirmed some of my hunches.
If you really enjoyed a particular pairing, please give the sommeliers feedback and your appreciation of their thoughfulness. Goes a very long way. I remember when I splurged on a Meadowood wine pairing (cost almost as much as the meal itself) and I got extra pours… and some spur of the moment “here i think you should taste this!” added generosity.
It’s much harder now with takeout. First, your feedback of what you like/didn’t like and appreciation it actually makes the sommeliers think of what to serve for their wine pairings for you and others, rather than just pull out a bottle from the cellar, as well as put their training to use. Second, they will remember you and perhaps once they get to know your tastes, they may recommend something even more fun the next time, or if you didn’t particularly enjoy a particular wine, they could find something else next time to your liking. It goes both ways, but the goal is that you enjoy and learn something new. Like my mentor has said and I will say the same to everyone else, there is no substitute for tasting. Exactly the same for sake and food pairing. You are the best judge of what you like, and you can only go so much by wine scores (some of which are overhyped to sell bottles, even some celebrity status labels).