REVIEW: CAV- ****1/2 / $$$

I fell in love with CAV. The dining area is large, with plenty of seating, so waits are usually short, if at all. The dining area is decorated like Charles Foster Kane's dreams, with loads of antiques, and pieces of art from the four corners of the globe.

While lunch is a treat, and a really good deal, nighttime meals are the star. During the summer, you can sit outside in the small courtyard that houses Jerry's Art Supply and Framing. The small area exudes a quiet Bohemia that isn't nearly as pretentious as Thayer Street. As such, the clientèle isn't as young and trendy as many of the places in Providence. Instead, it's replaced by a well lived, older group in their 30's-50's. If you didn't know, this is a good thing. The random waves of 20-somethings that ramble around Thayer street and the surrounding area are thankfully far away. Probably attracted by the nearby Club Ultra and Snookers.

If you choose to sit inside, you're treated to a dining area that literally glitters. Small lights and candles illuminate the area and all its artistic wonders. It can only be described as ethereal. The staff is young, but not too young, and boy howdy are they friendly and attentive. It can get hairy, strangely, when large groups of people show up out of nowhere. I've experienced this three times, and the staff then gets overloaded. I can only assume it's commonly uncommon... or something.

Their appetizers are impressive. The Pizza St. Donato is a personal favorite. The gorgonzola isn't overpowering, which is always nice to taste. Their crab cakes and bruschetta are delicious, but the crab cake is a bit pricey at $13. It's more than made up for with the prices on the entrees. CAV's entrees are some of the strongest in Providence. The delectably sweet and savory Poulet aux Poires (chicken with pears) and Shrimp Scampy in vodka butter sauce are really fantastic. And for what CAV is, the prices are very reasonable. The available prix fixe menu is a good deal at $17, but underwhelming, and appears to be aimed at bargain gourmets who like their food good and bland. All sections in account, the menu is rather limited. I would like to see more specials and all-around more spontaneity coming out of the kitchen. The wild and crazy nature of the restaurant cries out for random amuses-bouche to be served.

Their dessert offerings are not as good as their dinner and lunch offerings, but that's barely a complaint. They change frequently enough and include things like the mind-blowing chocolate cake/tort/thing, served with house-made meringues, and an interesting coconut sorbet served in the coconut shell. Try their biscotti. I don't think it's made there, but it's some of the best I've had. I really need to find out where they get it.

CAV also offers a Sunday Brunch that's kinda' blah. Sunday brunch is supposed to be a buffet or some other interpretation of the "eat till you puke" ethos. The food is well-priced and very, very tasty, but it's still just breakfast. They don't answer the ever-important question "why here?" Why should I go to CAV instead of, say, Bickford's, where it's breakfast anytime? I guess the aforementioned lack of youthful morons and the always pleasurable atmosphere somewhat answer that question, but not totally. CAV's brilliance just doesn't carry over to breakfast.

Still, CAV would need a far greater transgression than bland breakfast to dull their grand lunch and dinner. It is a wonder of Providence and all of New England. Restaurants in New York that charge twice the price don't offer as much. CAV is, without doubt, one of the best.

REVIEW: Basil's: ****1/2 $$$$

There is no aspect on which I can focus. No element of the food. No characteristic of the ambiance. Basil's is perfect. Every trip is a journey, and every bite a treat.

Dinner is by reservation only, although they will accept walk-ins on non-busy days. Proper attire is not specifically required, but if you don't come so equipped, you'll feel noticeably out-of-place. The dining area is beautiful. Small and cozy, with Mozart or some classical contemporary always playing in the background. Sealed away from the loud, crude bustle of Narragansett beach front, one feels nestled in a fine, Parisian eatery where people do not eat, they dine. Nothing seems fake or tacky. Only genuine decor graces the walls as though this is how the chef would decorate his own dining room for beloved gusts. My dining partner one night disliked the wallpaper, calling it dour. I think it perfectly matches the personality of the restaurant.

The service is THE BEST IN RHODE ISLAND. Steadfast and vigilant, the service maintains an omnipresent but never obtrusive eye over your table. They perfectly execute European service with words, mannerisms, and attention. They aren't crude waiters from Applebees, merely charged with delivering food. They are as versed in cuisine as the chef himself and an integral part of the restaurant. The menu is without weakness. The filet mignon, the crab almondine, the salmon. They are all perfect.

The duck a l'orange may be the best on the East Coast. The wine list is without peer in most of New England. It is the best I have ever seen. The desserts are simple in design, austere in presentation, and flawless in execution. The chocolate mousse may be the best I've had. Old, worldly people come here to escape the crass, noisy reality of the modern world. They hide here to reminisce about trips on the Mauretania, African safaris, Mercedes Torpedo roadsters, and dodging bombs during the Blitz (All actually overheard). Set to Brahms, the stories transport you. This is an old-world restaurant in a time when they are dying.

There are many restaurants which have excellent service, or cuisine, or decor in Rhode Island, but none of them bring all of those together with the vision that Basil's does it. They do it this way because they believe this to be the only way it's done. The prices indicate no pomp or arrogance, yet its food shows the hand of a master who would not be faulted for having them. Basil's is a culinary wonder.

UPDATE 6/5/2009: I eliminated half of a star. Again, as with my edit of the Emilio's Bakery review, it is not because quality went down, it's because I wrote this review years ago and have grown as a reviewer and gourmet. Five stars to me means a place that is not only perfect, but offers something unique. Basil's is perfection but the recipes are what you would expect from French and continental cuisine. I still stand by my statement that Basil's is one of the best restaurants in the southern New England.

Price range for two: $50-$100+

Basil's: ****1/2

http://www.diningquest.com/client/Basil_s_Restaurant/?id=349;

No stars - Utterly Abysmal
* - Bad
** - Edible
*** - Average
**** - Very Good
***** - Excellent

Basil's Restaurant and Lounge
22 Kingstown Rd
Narragansett, RI 02882-3340
401-789-3743 (Reservations recommended)

Hours
Tuesday through Sunday 5:30 to 10:00pm