Eating in The Basin

14572 Big Basin Way
Saratoga, CA 95070
(408) 867-1906

You enter the front door off Big Basin Way, immediately greeted by a host. The light is dim, kind of romantic, yet there’s some upbeat music at just the right volume in the background. Looking out over the 15 – 20 tables in the open room, some seating four, some seating two, or up at the bar a couple steps higher – you see smiling, laughing, happy people – maybe because of the company they are with, the rockin’ martini they just finished, the big red wine they’re getting more of, or the food they’re eating. Or maybe they are talking about the faucet design or the martini glasses tiled into the floor in the lavatory.


Whatever it is, The Basin is a fun place to be. It’s not a stuffy, pretentious atmosphere where you wonder how to act, make sure you do the right thing, or at any time feel uncomfortable because you’re the only one without a tie on. The Basin combines a fun atmosphere with great food, drink, and service. You can come in dressed to the hilt or you can be casual. By the time you leave, you feel like you’re friends with your servers, the manager, and maybe even the bartender.

The first time we met Andrew Welch was at this year’s local Saratoga Street Dance. Holly and I had just moved to the area and were touring the various wine and food booths at the dance with Jon Hunt from the Thomas Fogarty Winery Tasting Room. We stopped at The Basin’s booth for a quick taste. I didn’t get anything because I had already filled up on other food, but later, after tasting the mac and cheese that Holly had picked up, I realized I made a mistake. We immediately put The Basin on our hit list of restaurants to try in the near future.

Well, the near future arrived quickly. In the last three months we’ve been to The Basin at least four times, each time pleasantly surprised with the chef specials, and each time leaving 100% satisfied in all respects.

The basin is located in the beautiful Village of Saratoga. The menu is a combination of great American cuisine, prepared by chef Matt Sullivan. Although The Basin is not a steak house, on two occasions I had it there, a sirloin and then the filet mignon, and they were both out of this world, filled with taste and cooked to perfection – I’m talking about the kind of taste that makes you pause, tilt your head back, close your eyes, smile, and then follow it up with a big gulp of the night’s red wine of choice – that kind of taste – and I am not easy to please when it comes to beef…

Just the other night I had the dry aged filet, with mashed potatoes, carrots, and roasted garlic. Dynamite. Holly once again went for her favorite mac and cheese, which wasn’t actually on the menu, but we learned a while ago that it’s a staple that’s always available – all you have to do is ask. Our friends Bill and Christy had the fish special and the thin crust pizza with duck respectively.

I didn’t have a chance to try their dishes but they looked great. Prior to the entrees we also had a couple orders of the special of the day squash soup and endive salads. We decided that it would be impossible for the home cook to convert squash into anything nearly as smooth as the soup presented to us. Both selections were phenomenal. A half-dozen oysters were on the list of items we had also – with champagne mignonette and horseradish.

We should have gone with the bakers dozen because these really hit the spot. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, we also had an out-of-this-world scallop appetizer too. I could have eaten a couple of those for a dinner. The presentation is very nice, but more importantly, the taste in the foods we’ve had is really fantastic.

To go with the wine list, featuring many local Santa Cruz mountain wines, as well as other rare red wine selections from around the world you can also indulge in one of the cheese platters or just order the cheeses you like – they’ll make it happen for you. In addition to the wine list, there is a martini list that will satisfy any martini lover. Whether it’s dry, semi-dry, or sweet, they got it – and check out the names – like Purple Hayes, Bill Gates, Austin Powers…There’s got to be one there that we can all relate to…

The Basin features a small outdoor patio for warm weather eating and the Atomic Lounge, a private room for all different functions, from private dinners to corporate dinner meetings with high tech screens and electronics available. I haven’t seen it yet, but since the food is great, the service is great, and the atmosphere in the main dining room is a lot of fun, I can’t imagine a better place for a business meeting…

All in all, these guys really have it going on. From the produce picked from their own organic gardens in the hills, to the pairing of wine and cheese, to the great American food and outstanding drinks, to the really fun atmosphere served up by a great staff – this is a definite must visit. Pricing is moderate. Some may actually consider it on the lower price side for the location. Plan on spending between $30 – $80+ per person for a full-blown meal with starters, salads, entrees, and drinks. Of course, price depends on how much wine or how many martinis you actually have… We’re usually on the higher end… But hey, life is short, enjoy it while you can.

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