By COLlive reporter
Photos: Shimi Kutner/COLlive
Basil Pizza and Wine Bar, the popular Crown Heights eatery, unveiled exciting new additions to their menu at an event last week.
The blizzard-like conditions didn’t deter a large crowd of guests from attending the upscale event, who tasted Basil’s renowned delicacies while sipping red wine, champagne and hot toddies and enjoying lively jazz music by the Shlomo Recu band.
At the event, owner Danny Branover presented new and eclectic dishes from their recently revamped menu, led by award-winning international chefs Eran Harel and Avi Steinitz of Israel, who joined executive Chef Kim Plafke to create an exciting Mediterranean style menu.
Chef Eran Harel was awarded the Berlin-Winner of the best restaurants for 2002 by Travel Magazine and has worked in the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Jerusalem, and Chef Avi Steinitz has worked in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and the Ritz Carlton hotel in the United States. Together they have created a hip, fresh new menu with a Mediterranean flair and global influences.
Dishes they presented include a fish Shawarma in Laffa with Tahini and roasted vegetables, a fish kebab that will be served with Greek Tzatziki sauce, and a breakfast menu which includes Shakshuka with a green twist and an Israeli-style spread of cheeses, eggs, salads and dips.
“We’re constantly reinventing ourselves and outdoing ourselves,” owner Danny Branover told COLlive. “Our new menu is well balanced because it’s a fusion from all over the world. We have Israeli Mediterranean influences, twists on classic Italian pasta, and a Mexican influence with a chipotle cream sauce. You have to really experience it and enjoy it. We’re only moving higher and higher, we hope people will come and appreciate it.”
Guests included government officials, community activists, and a variety of foodies and bloggers, including Elan Kornblum of Great Kosher Restaurants magazine, Chanie Apfelbaum of Busy in Brooklyn blog, and filmmaker Meir Kay.
Chef Kim Plafke said that some of the old favorites will be returning to the menu as well, including an updated version of the wildly popular squash soup and some of the signature pizzas, such as kale and fire, the Bianca, and a “really interesting version of the mushroom pizza everybody loved before.”
The new menu will be available beginning Tuesday.
Basil Pizza and Wine Bar
270 Kingston Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11213
(718) 285-8777
www.basilny.com
Video: Meir Kay at Basil Menu Relaunch event
I tried the new menu and the mushroom is out of this world also the salmon dish was Delic. .. super nice vibe as well
Ashreinu!
How lucky are we that in the Rebbe’s Neighborhood Chasidim can now practice Hiskafya almost every single day by walking past this beautiful restaurant and resist the urge to succumb to our animalistic desires.
Wishing Mr Branover, the chefs, COLLIVE and the ENTIRE CREW, much blessings and success.
L’chaim and B’te’avon.
Best wishes from your fam from across the bridge 🙂
Is everything pasyisroel & Bishul Yisroel?
It is under OU and choliv yisroel
Basil is under the o-u now
I am a huge fan of Basil. It is more than just a restaurant, it is at the Avant-guarde of dining and hospitality.
So excited to try it.
LOVE Basil and was so disappointed and stopped going when they removed all the good things from the menu. So glad to hear that the old goodies are back. Basil here I come
I thought it no longer has a Hechsher… can someone clarify please
Who’s the kashrus agency?