<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/YumReview/sweetbasillayout.jpg" alt="sweet basil needham MA" width="452" height="645" /></p>

<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">images by paul r</span></p>

For some one who loves to eat and cook food as much as I do, I can be quite gastronomically ignorant sometimes. However, I am not ashamed to admit it as I am always eager to learn. My naïvete recently reared it's head while taking a break in New England. My friends there kept buzzing about this <em>amazing</em> restaurant called <a href="http://sweetbasilneedham.com">Sweet Basil</a> - "They only serve lunch and dinner", "The sandwiches are amazing", "the pasta is amazing", "it's all amazing." So of course I had to try it. 

All along i'm thinking that Sweet Basil is merely a name, not realising that <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_basil">Sweet Basil</a></em> is also the name of the type of herb that is typically used in Italian cooking. { All along I thought there was just 'plain basil' and 'lemon basil' - I now know there are actually SEVERAL types of Basil. For shame! }

But I digress. 

The fact that this restaurant shares the name with a herb, should've clued me in to what I could expect from the dishes. Well paired seasoning, a distinctly fresh and home made taste yet with an edge that is without a doubt good dining.

The first thing that struck me about the restaurant was the entrance; for once you step inside Sweet Basil you are presented with a heavy floor to ceiling curtain - the sort used for theatrical entrances and what not - and a motif that appears in <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/n-new-york-2">establishments</a> that are personal favourites of mine.

A strong yet quick sweep aside of the heavy curtain reveals a double dining-roomed restaurant with walls covered in vibrant deep colour interrupted at the chair rail by rustic ridged tin. A plethora of honey toned wood surfaces { the tables, moulding, open shelving } and vintage style light fixtures that looked reminiscent of <a href="http://www.schoolhouseelectric.com">Schoolhouse Electric</a> abounded. This is a place that would not look out of place in any downtown NY neighbourhood or trendy London side road, this was the sort of place that would fast become the go-to place for a relaxed yet tasty pause with friends.

Liking the decor as much as I did, it was nothing compared to the food that was about to be served. A deceptively simple lunch menu offered soups, salads, sandwiches and pasta's, however, each plate no matter how familiar by name delivered a variety of flavours that were married in such a unique way no tastebud was left unfulfilled. 

I ordered the Sweet corn ravioli in lemon-herb sauce with tomatoes and spinach - the pasta had an ideal al dente texture, the sweetcorn so succulent I immediately wondered if it was sourced locally. I didn't expect each individual ingredient to stand out so clearly on it's own yet harmonise so well with the others that the result was an incredibly satisfying overall dish. The recurring words from my friends, who ordered the baked gouda, BLT {smoked bacon, marinated tomatoes, crispy romaine and a basil aioli with homemade fries }, the interestingly named 'Steak bomb' sandwich  { gorgonzola, onions, mushrooms, roasted peppers with mixed greens } and Lamb Ragout was '<em>wow what flavour!</em>'. 

<a href="http://sweetbasilneedham.com">Sweet Basil</a> is one of the few places where I've had to struggle to choose only one item as they all sounded so good and one visit has me convinced that they would also taste as good as they sound.  My only regret - having the incurable sweet tooth that I do - is that they don't serve dessert. I am convinced that whatever sweet treat they'd offer would light up the brains pleasure center and induce huge goofy smiles { am I the only one who smiles goofily at my dessert plate?? Surely not.. }. 

So if you are ever in MA, be sure to swing by <a href="http://sweetbasilneedham.com">Sweet Basil</a>. We've not been back in NY more than a week and  have already { semi-seriously } considered the feasibility of driving 4 hours to Needham, MA for lunch and 4 hours back...who know's we just might!
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PS - It is more than worth noting that the pesto that is served before the meal get's the palate going! A herbacous burst, gently tempered by it's nuttiness...one bite had me making a noise that was somewhere between complete bliss and unbridled happiness. </em>