 |
| Ready to dive into this tasty meal! |
 |
| Mike cutting into his ribeye steak. |
Pesto spread, fresh bread, homemade pottery and a cozy atmosphere are all things that make up one of my favorite dinner spots. Mike and I celebrated his birthday at this Italian eatery, Sweet Basil, in Needham. It is a first come, first serve no reservation situation, but a small wait is completely worth it! I always leave happy and pleasantly full, which usually means a doggie bag for lunch the next day.
We ordered the calamari fritti with a spicy tomato sauce for an appetizer. Mike chose the ribeye steak with spiced onion rings, roasted cauliflower and bleu cheese-horseradish aioli on top. He graciously gave me some to try and wow! The onion rings melted in my mouth. I went with the sauteed veal cutlets with mushrooms and figs in a port wine sauce and side of handmade pesto pasta. Everything was so delicious!
Now for my absolute favorite part of Sweet Basil, you can bring your own wine!! For a $5 corkage fee you can skip the high mark-up prices and bring your favorite bottle. This means the sky is the limit for me and I wanted to bring something special in honor of Mike's birthday. I chose a bottle of Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.
Across the board the 2007 vintage was considered nearly perfect for cabernet sauvignon, especially from the Napa Valley region. After aging in the bottle, Faust poured balanced and elegant. The red fruits were dark and complex yet so silky and smooth. It is still big bodied and full with some smoke and spice on the nose along with the red fruits. The tannins are well integrated with the oak and the finish is long. Overall, a wonderful bottle accompanied by delicious food and even better reason to celebrate!
No comments:
Post a Comment