MASON — At Basilico Organic, the owner’s passion for great food makes dining there a unique experience. Certified as Ohio’s first totally organic restaurant, Basilico Organic features a traditional Italian menu that combines healthy ingredients with great taste.
“I make my food with my heart, and everything I do here is about passion,” said owner Antoniela Miranda.
Born in Italy, Antoniela and her husband Silvio moved to Venezuela and then to Ohio after their son Carmine, a cellist, was accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s music program. While both husband and wife were biologists in South America, a passion for the Italian food they grew up with led them to open a restaurant when they arrived in the United States to be with their son.
“Our commitment is to serve healthy food because as biologists we saw the harm that is caused by chemicals in the body, and organic food means healthy eating, which means healthy living,” Antoniela said.
All the offerings are made from scratch daily.
The pasta menu at Basilico Organic features Miranda family recipes that date back more than 100 years. The cheese and spinach manicotti recipe that was handed down from Silvio’s great-grandmother has become a customer favorite. The spicy vodka ravioli and creamy mushroom Tagliatelle are also sure to please the palates of the toughest Italian food critic.
The Mediterranean panini blends eggplant, lettuce, tomatoes, hummus and feta cheese and is served with homemade chips. Daily soups include homemade minestrone, lentil and creamy squash.
Pizza lovers will be impressed with the wood oven pies, and the thin crispy crust combined with pesticide-free vegetables and hormone-free meats create a pizza that is not only delicious but does not leave one feeling overstuffed.
Bakery selections include breads, muffins, cookies and bagels. The homemade tiramisu is so delicious that the typical guilt about eating high-calorie desserts is forgotten.
Basilico Organic also offers a salad menu, sushi and a kids menu throughout the day. A specialty menu featuring entrees such as chicken parmesan and teriyaki salmon is available after 4 p.m.
Outdoor seating complete with a gazebo is available in warmer months, and the restaurant offers free WiFi to customers. Organic beers and wines are available, and while soda is not served, a blended vegetable drink of carrot, beet, honey and orange juice is served over ice.
A separate catering menu is available, and customers can hold small parties with advance notice.
How to go:
What: Basilico Organic
Where: 6176 Tylersville Road, Mason (just west of U.S. 42)
When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Closed Sunday
Cost: Pastas range from $9.95- $16.99, paninis are $8.95 to $12.50. Salads are $5.99 to $14.95 Specialty entrees are $15,99 to $24.90. Wood oven pizzas range from $13.99 to $16.95, Sushi is $5,99 to $14.50. Kids menu items range from $4.25 to $7.50
More info: (513) 492-9519; www.basilico-organic.com. Menus are available online.
Critics choice: Veggie pizza with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, red onions, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and black olives. Spicy vodka ravioli, grilled salmon salad and tiramisu.
