Sweet Basil

Sweet Basil in Vail, Colorado

Oh, sweet basil. I hope you’ve been delighting in plenty of this ambrosial herb this summer, especially served up with heirloom tomatoes, buffalo milk mozzarella, rich olive oil and aged balsamic. Hallelujah. I love this time of year. And perhaps no other ingredient conjures up images of a memorable, aromatic meal than sweet basil.

Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Salad in the Heart of the Rockies

Sweet Basil. Such an appropriate name for a restaurant that creates and presents dish after dish of extraordinary flavor, texture and finesse. And they’ve been doing so for some thirty-three years. In Vail, Colorado, in perhaps the top mountain destination of North America where jet setters and regular folk flock season after season in search of great skiing, tons of mountain fun and always a fine meal to be enjoyed in a tony setting.

If it’s a warm, late or Indian summer day, start out with a Pimm’s Cup, perhaps out on the front patio of this Vail Village restaurant, a refreshing opener of Pimm’s, the ever-so flavorful gin-based liqueur, served with fresh-squeezed lemon and garnished with lime and cucumber. That, or a perfectly chilled glass of rosé, will accompany your study of Sweet Basil’s glorious lunch and dinner menus just right. Menus that take you on a journey through Colorado’s most delectable offerings of locally-sourced products, prime ingredients from all over the country and dishes prepared with great originality and panache. But it’s never too much. Just like sweet basil, you can always count on the perfect balance of flavor in all that you taste within this lovely dining establishment.

Sweet Basil: Always a Lively Scene

At times Sweet Basil can nonetheless be downright astonishing. I was dazzled by one of my most memorable dishes ever here: a compressed watermelon salad consisting of warm, grilled haloumi cheese, cool filets of condensed watermelon (sous vide or vacuum packed) mint, watercress and aged balsamic. Fabuleux! And that was only for starters.

I’ve lunched twice at Sweet Basil and it now ranks among my top recommendations for best culinary experience in Colorado. As for the ambiance, it can’t be beat either. I love the mix of locals and international guests, all casually yet smartly dressed and clearly quite ebullient about the stories they have to share over lunch and dinner. As for the decor and service, it’s top notch, too, without a hint of snobbisme. And here’s another bit of good news: Sweet Basil has a book coming out this fall, so I’m confident I’ll be bringing sweet basil home more than ever. I’ll keep you posted.

Sweet Basil, 193 Gore Creek Drive, 970-476-0125, SweetBasil-Vail.com