Sweet Basil Reigns in Vail for Over 40 Years

"Nestled in Vail’s alpine sanctuary, this cherished restaurant has warmed bellies for nearly 50 years, founded in 1977 by Kevin Clair after training in former Three MICHELIN Star restaurants in France. Current owner Matt Morgan—who started bussing tables a decade later and is now 36 years in—and longtime chef Paul Anders (17 years) center everything on hospitality and meals that guests remember as among their best. Decades-old signatures include the Crispy Shrimp & Calamari, a modern play on fritto misto with a rice-flour base, lots of vegetables, and a light, crackling crunch, and the iconic Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake that people plan Vail vacations around. An emerging favorite, the whipped feta, is drizzled with black olive fermented garlic honey and rosemary powder, paired with a thin carta di musica cracker puffed into a hollow sphere that guests crack into shards with a spoon. The kitchen leans into seasonality and local purveyors in Eagle County—passionate about Colorado lamb and short-season treasures like tomatoes and peaches—supplemented by aquaponics-grown vegetables, and the team has been a recycling pilot participant in Vail and actively composts. A tight-knit culture means dishes are pushed, tasted, and critiqued together before making the menu, alumni openings are celebrated on the website, and care for the broader community shows up in efforts like fundraising for Roundup River Ranch. The experience feels distinctly mountain-Alpine—maybe snowflakes outside the window and hearty, satisfying plates to fuel the next day of skiing—drawing second- and third-generation regulars, with a humble ethos of being only as good as the last meal served." - Michael He