9
Type of Business: Restaurant
Cuisine:
American
Price: $$$
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Rating Criteria
1. From Scratch: Serves mostly (i.e., more than half of the menu) fresh food, prepared from scratch. Does NOT rely primarily on kits or prepared/partially prepared foods from commercial food services.
Yes
Comments: This is what The Basin (and Asa, previously rated) is about. Everything on the menu is made from scratch.
2. Local/Organic: Offers at least some locally sourced and/or organically produced food and/or wild-caught seafood.
Yes
Comments: Everything is organic, the vegetables in the salads, the roasted onions, the bed of cooked spinach under my appetizer....
3. Pastured: Offers at least some pastured animal foods.
Yes
Comments: I asked our waiter if the butter was organic. He went to the kitchen to check. Grassland Dairy butter does not say "organic." But it does say "pasture raised." https://www.grassland.com/Butter.php I recommended that an organic alternative would be appreciated.
4. Organs: Offers some dishes made with organ meats (liver/paté, sweetbreads, heart, kidney, brains, etc.).
Yes
Comments: Liver with roasted onions was on the menu, so of course that's what I ordered. It was tender, barely cooked, and delicious. I also had foie gras as an appetizer. I must admit that I didn't do the research until afterwards and in the process learned a lot about ducks! There is only one farm in the U.S. that raises ducks humanely and ethically for foie gras, Hudson Valley. This foie gras was sourced from Hudson Valey. https://hudsonvalleyduckfarm.com/
5. Cooking Fats: Cooks (sautés) in natural fats such as butter, lard, tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, or olive oil; uses lard, duck fat, or tallow for frying.
Yes
Comments: The Basin uses zero processed refined seed oils. None. It's all tallow, duck fat, butter, or lard. Olive oils are used mostly for dressings and not for high heat cooking.
6. Bone Broth: Makes own bone broths/stocks for use in soups, stews, gravies, and sauces (does NOT use canned broth or powdered soup bases).
Yes
Comments: We didn't order soup, but all soups and stocks are made from scratch. I will have to go back again and try the soup.
7. Seasonings: Makes most of its own seasoning mixes (does NOT use flavoring packets or MSG).
Yes
Comments: You can see the seasonings in little pinch pots on the counter and in the kitchen. No MSG.
8. Salad oils: Makes most of its own salad dressings using olive oil or cold-pressed sesame oil.
Yes
Comments: Olive oil. I don't know about sesame oil. The olive oil on our arugula and beet salad was fruity and delicious. We were pleased to have some bitter greens, which complimented the beets well.
9. Breads: Offers genuine sourdough bread.
No
Comments: A weak point. Why not offer SOME sourdough. I followed up with a link to info re this option and suggested a couple of local bakeries they could use if they don't want to make their own. It would be so nice to be offered sourdough in the bread basket or as an option by itself.
10. Beverages: Offers lacto-fermented beverages (such as kombucha or kvass).
No
Comments: Another weak point. I wish they had a low sugar (2 gr/serving) kombucha. There are a few locally available brands that are well brewed. One offers kombucha on tap. I suggested this option to both our waiter and the manager.
11. Condiments: Offers lacto-fermented condiments.
No
Comments: Ferments seem to be low priority for even the best dinner houses. Why?!!
12. Desserts: Offers desserts made with natural sweeteners (such as raw honey, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, date sugar, palm sugar, coconut sugar, sorghum syrup, or malt syrup).
Yes
Comments: They served home made ice cream. I will find out what they use as sweetener in their home made desserts and add this information.
Rating Created by:
ehirsh
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Location & Contact
Chic small town business center tucked into the hills behind a densely populated Bay Area. More restaurants than equivalent towns this size.
14572 Big Basin Way Saratoga
CA ,
14572 Big Basin Way Saratoga
CA ,
The Basin is owned by Andrew Welch, who also owns Asa in Los Altos. The same care and high standards apply regarding sourcing of meats, organic produce/eggs/butter, no deep frying, cooking w rendered fats, butter, or olive oil, house-made soups, sauces and dressings, etc. They make home made ice cream (not super sweet). It has a wonderful ambience - quiet enough for conversation.There is also an enclosed patio w a tree growing up through the center. The server was glad to answer questions. He plated our split salad separately and brought my husband a free dessert for his birthday. What excited me was that there was both foie gras AND liver w onions on the menu. Finding organ meats on a menu is rare. There are items on the menu for non-WAPFers, but there is plenty to satisfy the WAPF diner. [Note: This listing is still in progress. I will add some information after checking on a few questions. I also need to post the menu so I can remember what we ate. ]