Basil Seasonal Dining – Savoring Carmel’s Natural Flavors

After we left San Francisco, we headed South by way of California’s Monterrey Peninsula, which was just a spectacular experience. Part of what made the journey that much more enjoyable was the delectable, natural food we had at our disposal, and it was really difficult to have anything that wasn’t delicious.

I did some research on Carmel’s restaurants, as I usually do, only to find a lot of gems, which were also very pricey. Doing some more digging, I decided that heading to Carmel’s quaint town called Carmel by the Sea would be a nice place to have dinner, and I found a cute little, low-key restaurant called Basil Seasonal Dining that ended up being our dinner destination.

Atmosphere:
Set in the heart of Carmel by the Sea, it’s a wonder that Basil Seasonal Dining remains a hidden gem. It must be its stealth location, as Dan and I inadvertently passed it on our way over since it’s situated in a little tributary street right off of Ocean St.

We noticed a few tables outside, but since Carmel gets to be quite chilly at night, we chose to dine in Basil’s cozy dining room. It’s a good thing we had a reservation, since the place was almost full, which was a good sign.

Dan remarked at how tiny it actually was, the dining room housing only about 25 patrons – and we loved that. We hadn’t really had an intimate, romantic meal up to that point in the trip, and this created a nice opportunity.

Food:
While the menu wasn’t wildly extensive, it had just what we needed, and we were excited by a lot of the menu items. The wine selection was quite nice too, and boasted a few local varieties, which we naturally had to sample.

Tuna Tartare – We were totally taken with this appetizer special, which sounded delicious and hinted at Asian flavors. I enjoyed it very much, as the tuna was fresh and cut into bite size pieces, resting on a bed of chunky avocado salad. Refreshing and light, we both agreed that it was a great way to start, and to keep our palates neutral, in preparation of the heartier dishes still to come.

Braised Rabbit – I was curious to try Basil’s take on a braised rabbit dish, which was paired with locally grown veggies such as heirloom cauliflower and romanesco. A modest helping of homemade gnocchi also graced the dish, which was a big highlight for me – the soft, pillowy pieces catching the rabbit’s hearty braising liquid. The meat itself was really flavorful and cooked perfectly – not too gamey or tough but tender, juicy and a tad earthy.

Wild Boar Sausage Wrapped in Prosciutto – Dan was a very happy customer, devouring the sausage dish, but still managing to share with me. I was grateful, as it was a real treat, the salty, well done prosciutto being my favorite part. Boasting some fresh pieces of basil, it was nice to actually tear some into the dish for a hint of lemony freshness.

Service and Cost:
The service was yet another success at Basil, our waiter showing off his knowledge of food and drink, but also his professionalism, all at the same time maintaining that characteristic, Carmel laid-back vibe. We never felt that we waited too long for anything and generally felt well looked after.

All the food is very well priced, considering the locally sourced ingredients and their high quality. The entire dinner set us back about $95, including drinks, tip and tax.

3 Mmmms

Basil Seasonal Dining - San Carlos between Ocean & 7th, Carmel, CA 93921
831.626.8226
www.basilcarmel.com

Lena Grill - Quality, Fresh Food with Latin Flava

Lena Grill - 34 West 35th Street, New York NY 10001
212.274.1995
N/Q/B/V/F/D Train to 34th Street Herald Square
www.lenanyc.com

A few weeks ago, I was invited to explore a Latin restaurant during lunchtime called Lena Grill.  It seemed casual enough to just pop in during my lunch break, and I took Bo with me.  As you might know from reading my posts, she's always happy and willing to join me in my food escapades and when I mentioned Latin food, she didn't hesitate for a second.

Atmosphere:
Located close to the very busy Herald Square, but on a side street where pedestrians can move with ease and actually see the sidewalk, Lena is approachable and accessible to office workers as well as to Murray Hill residents.  A cross between a Chipotle and Cosi, it looks like an inviting cafe with clean, simple decor and some modern touches such as wooden furniture accessories and funky industrial lighting.  There's plenty of seating for small and larger parties, which you can casually claim before or after you order your food. 

Bo and I got there on the early side of lunch (around 12:15) and the place had many seats.  However that all changed after a short half hour where almost every table at Lena was taken - so word to the wise, get there early if you want a good spot.

Food:
Lena's menu is simple and conveniently organized into categories such as wraps, salads and plates.  You choose a category and add the sauces, additions and sides of your liking.  Additionally to the food, Lena also features fresh fruit juices, which they alternate daily.

Fried Chicken with Coconut Rice and Beans - Bo is a fried chicken enthusiast and without giving the menu another glance, she chose this as her main dish along with coconut rice and black beans.  She enjoyed it very much and I could see why - the chicken was nice and thin and so crispy around the edges that it made a lovely crunch sound when biting into it.  Bo wasn't crazy about the rice because it had an intense coconut flavor but since I adore anything with coconut, I was really into it.  The beans were simple, flavorful and delicious, further filling our bellies to perfect roundness.

Tilapia Wrap with Fried Yuca and Tostones - This was my dish and similar to Bo's, it was also very fresh, zesty and delicious.  A warm, toasty whole wheat tortilla wrap was stuffed with a light tilapia and mix of veggies such as tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, cilantro and other Latin accouterments.  I loved the fish especially since it tasted wonderful and light, not having any trace of a weird fishiness that sometimes inflicts fish tacos.  The yuca fries were crunchy and soft and their flavor was elevated further when dipped into garlicky blue cheese sauce.  Same went for the tostones that were the right amount of crispy, salty and chewy on the inside - pure yumminess!

Fresh Juices - We couldn't resist Lena's offering of freshly made juices.  I went for the mango and Bo chose the watermelon.  Both were smooth and pure and not overly sweetened, which was great.  Although we loved them, we thought they would've been better enjoyed in the summertime.

Service and Cost:
The service seemed efficient and relatively quick during slower times, but as soon as the restaurant got busy, it got a little hectic.  Not to say there was something wrong, we just felt that overall, the service could've been more consistent throughout our experience.

Prices are moderate to a little expensive for lunch, but definitely still doable, especially if you want a quality meal with a health conscious skew.

Wraps - $7.25 - $9.25

Salads - $7.50 - $9.50
Plates - $8.95 - $12.25
Sides - $2.25 - $3.50

Drinks - $1.50 - $3.95

2.5 Mmmms