The Basil Press: Pictures are worth 1,000 words

I think for this post, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Last Sunday, Mom, Dad, Addie (my grandmother) and I asked Dr. Jones and her husband, Mr. Dr. Jones, to eat dinner with us at The Basil Press.  My parents had heard how absolutely wonderful they are, and I have always raved about their involvement in Grady and in PRSSA.

So, we went.  One thing I will say about The Basil Press is their staff is EXTREMELY well-trained.  Our waitress knew exactly where to stand, how to take orders and had a very pleasant demeanor.  I think it is hard to find a wait staff that is trained as well as them nowadays.

This is the tomato soup I ordered as an appetizer.  It think it was actually called the Tomato Basil Soup.  If you don’t like tomatoes, don’t get this.  There were wonderful chunks of tomato in the soup.  It wasn’t creamy; I honestly think the broth was mostly tomato puree.  You can see the cracked black pepper she put on it for me.  It was a great start to the meal!

For an entree, I ordered the blackened salmon.  I was really happy with the way this picture turned out because I think it portrays the deliciousness really well.  Since it was blackened, it was a little spicy but not overly so.  The fish was accompanied by some yummy whipped new potatoes and some vegetables.

This is the scallop marinara pasta Dad ordered.  Look at the size of the scallops!  I had a taste, and it was unbelievable.  The noodles weren’t too saucy, and you could definitely taste the olive oil they used.  It’s a hefty plate, but it sure was good!  Not too garlicy, either…

Next was Addie’s free range chicken.  I’m pretty sure it had a creamy mushroom sauce on top of it.  They gave her two hefty-sized chicken breasts, so she definitely couldn’t finish it all.  You won’t get jipped on portions at The Basil Press!

Finally, Mom ordered the crab cakes.  I’m pretty sure she is a crab cake coniosseur, much like chicken salad.  The cakes were meaty, not too bready, and the sauce on top was great! I can’t remember what spices were in it, but it went really well with the corn on the side, too.  Again, she got two cakes and couldn’t eat them all.  Moral of the story: when you go to The Basil Press, you get enough for two meals!

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the Jones’ dishes, but Dr. Jones ordered the apple and walnut salad.  She says that’s what she always gets.  Mr. Dr. Jones ordered the French onion soup and a side salad.  His soup looked fantastic.  It was cooked in one of those little crocks that look very European.

Overall, our experience at The Basil Press was fantastic.  Look at the presentation of the food!  The only other place in Athens that does something like that is the Five and Ten.  The staff is well-trained, and, best of all, it is not that expensive!  Like I said before, you may not be able to finish your meal, so you can take it home with you for lunch the next day.

I know they have a Prix Fixe night every Tuesday, so walk by and look at the menu.  It is on the corner of Lumpkin Street and Washington Street.  The Basil Press hosts large parties from college semi-formals to adult birthday gigs.  Try them out for yourself!

P.S. Sorry about the pictures.  I will keep fiddling with them to see if I can space out everything.