Basilico

It constantly amazes me how big and diverse Melbourne is. After staying here for such a long while, it's easy to fall into a routine and let the months drift by in a cloud of ennui. I cook the same food, do the same things at home, and go to the same few restaurants. There is comfort in familiarity, but every so often, I get bored of the same ol' things and start looking for something new. 

Basilico is just 5 minutes away from our usual Glen Waverley spot, but 'round that area, it feels totally different. I've been accused of going into a new suburb and without fail, exclaim how amazing it was, and how much better it is compared to where I live. In all fairness, almost any place would be more exciting than Clayton. Even this residential area, which, doesn't exactly scream Terrific Italian Joint. Still,  this makes uncovering a restaurant like Basilico all the more pleasing, and I'm glad we took a chance on it. 


We had the Mix Fish Grill ($25.90), which came with an abundance of well-grilled squid, mussels and prawns. The fries were pretty good as well. I passed on the grilled vegetables, but my tablemates loved it. If I wanted to eat vegetables I would have stayed home. 

The excellent Fish Grill set up our expectations for the rest of our orders, and the pizzas did not disappoint. The Basilico Special ($20.90), which came with bocconcini (small balls of mozzarella cheese about the size of an egg), leg ham and salami, was filled with gorgeous slices of meat. I approve.   

Basilico Supreme ($20.90) was the other pizza that we had, which was described as "the lot without anchovies." It was top-notched as well, with a blistered crust that I just couldn't get enough of. 

The Verdict
We had a tremendously good time here, and I would definitely be back for the impressive pizzas.



Whoops! Updates on our second trip:
Service was as great as the last. We had the Seafood Pizza/Pesce Misto (L - $18.90), and the Meat Lovers (L - $17.50). 

Both pictures taken by N. Used with permission.

Both pizzas were generous with their meat ingredients, though more cheese would have done wonders. Good options, but the pizzas we got on our first visit were far more impressive. (My trick is to order whichever dish that bears the restaurant's name - and it hasn't failed me yet!). Good dishes nevertheless.