REVIEW
Traditional New England cuisine has a lot to recommend it but whether you’re talking about jonnycakes or Indian pudding, lobster rolls or Anadama bread, clam chowder or baked beans , one thing it’s not is spicy and vibrant. Not that we’re complaining, mind you, but the modern American palate accustomed to the cuisines of Asia may find itself in need of the occasional jolt. And that’s where Thai Basil enters the picture.
A mild and fragrant Massaman curry is topped with gentle avocado slices.
Thai Basil is not your garden variety Thai restaurant. For one thing, it also calls itself a martini bar, and you know that, these days, they are not talking gin-vermouth-olive martinis but chocolate marshmallow and eggnog custard “martinis.” (We made those flavors up, but you get the idea.) They are aiming for, and getting, the 20-something market. Also, the front of the house is staffed by Westerners. They can be a little goofy, but friendly enough, whether it’s our waiter going to great lengths to explain how everything here is good, and this is the best Thai food in the country, or the hostess who overhears a conversation at our table, turns around and jumps right in.
Green papaya salad featured a tart and sweet dressing but little of the “three star” advertised heat.
While it’s not the world’s finest, the food here is plenty good. Heat levels are marked from one to five stars but, if you say nothing, you’re likely to receive a gently chili’d dish, regardless of its star assignment. We’ll post details in the photo captions but, in general, the herbal, citrus, and galangal freshness, and cool vegetal crunch, chili heat or not, is a welcome change of pace in southern Vermont.
Having learned about heat levels from the papaya salad, we asked for the yellow curry to be delivered four-star hot, and it was. We loved the coconut creaminess and the grilled chicken with a taste of the fire.
A note about the building: Thai Basil does business in what was once the Quality Restaurant, which Cordelia Comar opened in 1920 and ran until she sold it in 1975 (Ms. Comar passed away in 1977). The Quality was something of a local institution, and you have probably seen Cordelia, for she appears as one of the gossips in Norman Rockwell’s famous painting of the same name.
The pot stickers, served in a light curry sauce, featured a thin wrapper; the filling was juicy and gentle.
Fried dumplings with homemade soy and sriracha sauces
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