Basil Tree Ristorante

Reviews 4

AL

Alissa G

Lovely little place worth a stop. We had a less than optimal experience but they are probably capable of 5 star work with some kitchen help and better wait staff training. Thrilled we ordered the appetizer calamari served with marinara- the squid was perfectly cooked (tender with a light, crispy jacket that stayed on each piece, and didnt wilt during the 15 minutes it took we two to polish off that giant app that would easily serve four). We were offered soup, choice of Minestrone (which had a pleasant flavor and was unexpectedly a consommé-like consistency, with beans, a few peas and a few potato chunks, no pasta), which my husband liked (clearly it was freshly made from scratch but the flavor was very similar to Campbells Minestrone) , or the pale clam chowder. The clam chowder was sophisticated, and bright with fresh chives. But for the perfectly tender whole clams, this was an emulsified creamy soup, not a chunky stew and it was a delightful, and I recommend it highly if you enjoy cream soups. The bread wasnt noteworthy- try Verruchis Ristorante in Spring Valley, and get family style fried chicken while youre at it. The entrees somehow went awry. We waited 45 minutes after our soup, then my husband got his ribeye with mushrooms, which was perfectly cooked medium, as requested, and my entree of seafood pasta special (scallops, calamari, shrimp, mussels, crab legs with a garlic butter sauce, substituted angel hair instead of linguini), was inedible rubber. Even the pasta was blown out after sucking up all the sauce. This delicate seafood dish clearly had done 30 plus minutes penance under a heat lamp. Such a shame. I flagged the waiter who hadnt checked on us after 5 minutes of entree placement, and told him "This is rubber." He replied, "Which thing?" I said, "All of it," and demonstrated whacking a hard as tire rubber scallop with a spoon and the young waiter finally asked me if I wanted to take the dish home with me, and order something else. I did not want the rubber seafood, which was also inexplicably served crab leg on the half shell, such that there were shell chunks in the dish (and a broken bit of clam shell was in my first and only bite, clinging to the rubber calamari I had to fight to swallow). Poor presentation even if the dish had not been vulcanized, but any chef or waiter should have known not to bring that dish to table in that state. I told the waiter I did not intend to wait 45 minutes for a new dish to be prepared, and the waiter explained that these dishes only took a few minutes to make. I said if that was the case, why did it take 45 minutes to serve our entrees, and the waiter stated that these other tables (waving toward 2 to 3 four tops) needed their entrees first and the kitchen got backed up. The restaurant was half full, and I did note a four top seated 15 minutes after us was given entrees before us, so I think perhaps this was a case where the kitchen was behind, and my husbands steak maybe got dropped or burned, so they made a fresh one, and left mine to roast under a hot lamp - having worked in kitchens and food service, I know it happens at the best of places and I still think this is a nice place to go, but not if youre in a hurry (which we werent but still, the wait was too long). The kitchen area needs sorting. In any case, I ordered a replacement dish I knew could be ready in a flash, the plain marinara over penne, to go (blah!), my husband took his to go, feeling guilty about eating in front of me despite my urging. We sat at 7:50 and it was now 10 minutes to 10 pm so why wait? We also ordered dessert to go, as we read how lovely they were, tiramisu for my him, and creme brûlée for me (Im allergic to chocolate). The tiramisu appeared and I was convinced it was a mistake- so pale and unchocolately in appearance- my husband took a taste and said it was tiramisu and it was "okay". He loves tiramisu from Volare, and before they discontinued serving it, Barnellis. My creme brûlée wasnt gelled properly- this is done in advance so no excuses here.

BI

Big Food Jerk

Basil Tree Ristorante 123 1st St. Dixon IL. 61021 The Basil Tree Ristorante serves Italian Food in an old downtown Dixon building. The bar and dining area are small and it is decorated right out of a design school Italian Restaurant 101 text book. It is clean and the staff is friendly and professional. I was dining solo so I sat at the bar. The bartender was great company, I enjoyed talking with her. I started off with bread, oil and parmesan. They make their own bread and it was very good with just a hint of herb flavor. I love dipping bread in oil and parmesan, it’s so good. Next I had pasta fagioli, the first thing I noticed is it was lukewarm. When you are served food that is off temperature it overshadows everything about the dish. For my entrée I had Chicken Vesuvio. Chicken Vesuvio, a specialty of Chicago, is an Italian-American dish made from chicken on the bone and wedges of potato, celery, and carrots; sauteed with garlic, oregano, white wine, and olive oil, then baked until the chickens skin becomes crisp. The dish is often garnished with a few green peas for color. Their variation of the dish uses boneless skinless chicken breast which can sometimes be dry and take away some of the moisture from the dish. This however was not the case. The problem with the dish was the over powering pepper flavor. That’s all I could taste. I like Chicken Vesuvio to be garlicy, the chef was heavy handed with the pepper and forgot the garlic. The presentation however was excellent. According To The Big Food Jerk. There is a difference between being a food critic and a restaurant critic. I critique the entire dining experience. From the restaurants web presence till I walk out of the door. So, overall I enjoyed my experience there and I think it is a nice, romantic and quaint place that I would take my wife to. I was not wowed but enjoyed the overall experience enough to recommend Basil Tree Ristorante.

CH

Christopher Abbott

My family and I walked in and were immediately greeted with a smile and the aroma of Italian cooking. The server was very polite and made us feel very welcome. She took very good care of us during our stay. Timing of food arrival and the server checking on us was excellent. Food was very good. Our party ordered veal and chicken parmasen, mixed seafood, shrimp scampi, and chicken nuggets with fries (my 6 year olds order). All was excellent. The outside street area is currently being renovated and, when finished, is going to be a very nice area. I highly recommend this place and personally look forward to many more visits.

A

A Private User

We recently had the most wonderful evening at Basil Tree, celebrating an 80th birthday. The celebration was in the special party room downstairs (hidden stairway behind the bookcase!) The food was exceptional, the service perfect. There were 20+ in our party. We could have driven hours in any direction (including Chicago), and not found a more accommodating staff or more delicious food. Thank you so much for making our event above and beyond anything we could have asked for. This restaurant is worth driving long distances for. Stand up and cheer, Dixon, youve got a real treasure in your town.