Basil Tree Ristorante

We have a site at Woodhaven Lakes in Amboy, we had spent the day there closing and winterizing the site. The day had been windy and chilly as it was mid-November. At the end of the day we were tired and hungry. We did not want to cook. Unfortunately, this time of year most of the restaurants in the area either were closed already or were cash only due to power failures earlier in the day. Hence, we traveled all the way (30 minutes) to Dixon for dinner. My girlfriend found Basil Tree Risorante on the internet and we decided to give it a try. Find it was pretty easy, it’s just a block east of 26 on the south side of the river. Parking was easy too, it was all street parking, but we were able to find a spot within a block. The exterior is nice, although we kind of chuckled at the carpeted steps up to the door. At first, we thought we were at the wrong place. Upon entering the host (Owner?) greeted us. He asked if we had reservations, which we did not, but he offered us two seats at the bar. Which we took. The interior was much nicer than I expected. I was thinking your traditional small town Italian restaurant that’s been around since the 50’s and hasn’t really been updated. Basil tree took that feel and mixed it with a more modern updated décor. It worked really well. The bar top was a beautiful thin cut tree branch disks set in resin. It’s the type of bar top you see people talk about online, but rarely actually see in person. The bartender and the greeter(owner?) were our server. It kind of switched back and forth between the two of them. I’m not sure what the dynamic between the two of them was, but their banter was fun and entertaining. The menu was simple, yet at the same time had a wide selection. I ended up ordering the tortellini with a Puttanesca (Anchovies, capers, olives, and tomato) sauce. Honestly, this was fantastic. One of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten. I didn’t stop talking about it for a week. My Girlfriend got the Gluten Free Pasta with a Bolognese Sauce. She raved about it to anyone that would listen. I had taken some pictures, but the phone there were on died, and they were lost. Overall, this is the type of restaurant you expect to see in a much larger urban area, not Dixon, IL. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was amazing, the service was incredible. If you want Italian food, you can’t pass up Basil Tree. We will definitely be returning, but next time we’ll make sure we have reservations…. And that I’m not dressed like I just spent the day doing yard work.

Delicious as always! They always accommodate with gluten free items.