Basil T’s continues to impress critics and guests with its fresh Italian meals and homemade beer.  The 24-year-old restaurant has become a local favorite and one of the best restaurants and bars in Red Bank.  The Red Bank microbrewery features a minimum of six hand crafted ales each season.

All of the beers are brewed by Gretchen, who is only the second Head Brewer in Basil T’s history.  She has been brewing beers for over 14 years and is a graduate of the American Brewers Guild’s Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program, in Woodland, CA.

Basil T’s was recently featured in Draft Magazine’s Online Exclusive: Top 10 Beers Brewed by Women, honoring Basil T’s brewer Gretchen Schmidhausler.

Gretchen and Basil T’s have also received recognition for The Original Basil T’s Maxwell’s Dry Stout:

• Gold Medal Winner, 2006 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), “Classic Dry Irish Stout”
• Bronze Medal, 2003 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”
• Gold Medal, 2002 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”

The next time you’re looking for an evening out, Basil T’s will not disappoint you.  Plan an evening in Red Bank to enjoy a fresh, authentic Italian meal and a refreshing, cold, award-winning beer at one of the finest restaurants and microbreweries in New Jersey.

Basil’s owner Victor Rallo is passionate about creating incredible Italian food with the highest quality ingredients.  Rallo’s passion for food goes hand-in-hand with his zeal for life and humanity.  To that end, he is adamant about using sustainable sources of food for everything on the Basil Ts menu.

Sustainable foods are defined as: a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, supports and enhances rural communities and provides that food sources will be abundant for future generations.  According to Rallo, the most important aspect behind using sustainable foods is putting good food on the table that is fresh.

“A lot of restaurants are looking to save money on ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms, and other fresh fruits and veggies.  The chemically processed food is cheaper. But when it comes to my family and my customers, I make sure that we only serve sustainable foods, foods that promote a healthy way of life that is good for us and good for the planet,” says Rallo.

Rallo also supports local farmers by going to green markets and the local farmers’ markets.  He says supporting local farmers and eating sustainable foods is a winning situation for everyone. “The farmers need our support and you can be assured that their food is grown in the right conditions. It is not grown with pesticides or chemicals, it’s better for us and for future generations.”

Victor Rallo and the staff at Basil Ts invite area residents to experience what fresh food really tastes like at their famed Italian restaurant, where nothing but the finest and freshest ingredients are used to make incredible Italian cuisine.

The Basil Ts menu is available online.

Red Bank Italian restaurants

Since 1750, Mastroberardino has established a tradition of excellence in the mastery of Italian wine making. Basil T’s, a  Red Bank Pub and Brewery, was pleased to celebrate this historic vintner with an evening of fine wines and good friends.

Mastroberardino’s well balanced, versatile wines were perfectly paired with a selection of fruits and Italian cheeses, which optimized their complex characters for the attendees of this Basil T’s special event. Guests were treated to a complimentary tasting of some of Mastroberardino’s most popular selections, such as the earthy Falanghina 2008, which patrons of our Red Bank restaurant enjoyed as an aperitif.

Attendees of Basil T’s Mastroberardino wine tasting and meet and greet special event also enjoyed: Fiano di Avellino 2007, Greco di Tufo 2007 and Radici Taurasi 2004, which is one of the most famed wines in Italy and very well prized by the best known wine magazine, as Gambero Rosso and Espresso.

These exquisite Mastroberardino wines were available for sale at special pricing to all attendees of Red Bank bar’s event.

Please join us for our Bed Bank restaurant’s upcoming for a wine dinner on July 21at 6:30 with Siciliy’s Tasca d’Almerita wines. Basil T’s special guest, Import manager Pasquale Depinto,will host a tasting of the following wines at dinner:

Regaleali Le Rose 2009
Regaleali Bianco 2009
Regaleali Rosso 2007
Regaleali Rosso del Conte 2006

Our Red Bank restaurant is currently working on a menu with all fresh seasonal ingredients which will be sure to delight patrons of our special event.

Reservations are $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Please RSVP as availability is limited. Contact Basil T’s Brewery and Italian Grill in Red Bank at (732) 842-5990.

It is estimated that less than 1% of craft brewers are women, and one of them can be found in Red Bank, NJ, at Basil T’s Italian Restaurant.  Basil’s is a brewpub and Italian grill noted for their famous microbrewery which features a minimum of 6 hand crafted ales each season, all brewed by Schmidhausler.

The beer which won a deserving spot on Draft Magazine’s top ten beers brewed by a woman is the Basil T’s Maxwell’s Dry Stout.  This Guinness-style Irish stout is made with fresh coffee and offers a medium body with a rich chocolate and toffee flavor.

Schmidhausler has been brewing beers for over 14 years and is a graduate of the American Brewers Guild’s Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program, in Woodland, CA.   She is only the second Head Brewer in Basil’s history, taking over for Bob Hettmansperger in September of 2001.

Gretchen’s work with Basil T’s has garnered national recognition and awards including:

• Gold Medal Winner, 2006 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), “Classic Dry Irish Stout”
• Bronze Medal, 2003 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”
• Gold Medal, 2002 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”

Basil T’s was also the recent recipient of the Best Beer award for the 2009 Readers’ Choice Restaurant Poll in NJ.  Basil T’s won the Best Beer category for Central New Jersey.

Learn more about Basil’s award winning beers.

Gretchen Schmidhausler, the critically-acclaimed masterbrewer of the Red Bank microbrewery, has had a hand in the latter process since she joined Basil T’s in 1999.

Gretchen is serious about her beer.  Evident enough in the award-winning selection at Basil T’s, further proof lies in her scholarly approach to the topic.  She studies the subject closely and travels to breweries far and wide to learn more about her passion.

Gretchen shares the growing popularity of Italian beers and details of her trip to visit a special friend of the Basil T’s brewery:

We all know about Italy and wine. But, Italy and…beer? Yes, Italian beers are gaining popularity with the younger set as well as traveling Europeans and American tourists. You may be familiar with the large brewers of  “traditional” lighter-bodied Italian lagers – such as Peroni and Moretti. In recent years, Italy has become caught up in the microbrew revolution with smaller breweries producing stouts, classic pale ales, herb-infused beers and other more unconventional styles.

Brooklyn Brewery was recently the venue for a gathering of an international cadre of professional brewers, among them several Italian craft brewers. We had a chance to taste many, many beers and compare them to our own craftbrews. It makes sense that many of these breweries are located in the northern part of Italy, close to the beer-loving countries of Belgium, Germany and Austria.  Less usual, though growing in number, are craft breweries in southern Italy. One of these is Birrificio Cunegonda in Calabria, run by our friends Francesco “Frank” Barritta and his brother Pasquale who hail from the small town of Spilinga. The brothers brew a light-bodied ale in the American tradition. Some of you might remember we did a pilot brew of that beer here at Basil’s a few years ago and called it Primo Amore.

It was seven years ago that the Barrittas came in and introduced themselves to owner Vic Rallo. They wanted to learn to brew, so Vic asked me to give them a call. They’ve been honorary “Friends of the Brewery” ever since, providing physical labor in exchange for technical brewing knowledge and hands on experience, and becoming good friends in the process.  Frank spends his winters in New Jersey so you may have seen him helping me out in the brewery when he’s around. Three years ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit the Barrittas at their brewery while on our honeymoon.  The next time we go, I hope I’ll have more time to brew with them!

Make Basil T’s your next choice for a bar in Red Bank and taste the award-winning beer, learn about the process that goes into making it and become a friend one of the finest microbreweries in New Jersey.

Links to the NJ Microbrewery, Basil T’s:

Stay current with Basil T’s on the web:

http://restaurant.basilt.com/

http://www.basilts.org/

http://www.basilt.com/

Become a fan of Basil T’s on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheOriginalBasilTs

One of the first New Jersey brew pubs, Basil T’s has provided Red Bank bar goers with a fine selection of hand-crafted ales since being established as a brewery in 1995.  Basil T’s beer menu features six distinctive varieties of beer, including an award winning Dry Irish Stout.

More than 3,000 representatives of smaller brewers from around the world attended the Craft Brewers Conference, which featured a trade show, beer tastings, brewery tours and seminars for brewing professionals.

Gretchen took time out for a photo op with George Wendt, best known for his portrayal of “Norm” on the hit television show “Cheers.”

Wendt’s famous character, a beer connoisseur in his own right afters years spent in the fictional Boston bar, was the perfect addition to a conference geared toward brewers and other industry professionals.

Gretchen’s work with Basil T’s, one of the best bars in Red Bank, has garnered national recognition and awards including:

• Gold Medal Winner, 2006 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), “Classic Dry Irish Stout”
• Bronze Medal, 2003 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”
• Gold Medal, 2002 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”

The Red Bank microbrewery was voted “the best” microbrewery in Monmouth County in the 2009 Asbury Park Press Reader’s Choice Awards, while receiving the Best Beer award in the 2009 Readers’ Choice Restaurant Poll.

To learn more about Basil T’s award-winning beers, visit http://www.basilt.com/beers.php

Links to Red Bank bar and restaurant,  Basil T’s:

Read up on Basil T’s at its other blogs:

http://restaurant.basilt.com/

http://www.basilts.org/

Follow Basil T’s on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/TheOriginalBasilTs

Basil’s first introduced Burger Night in November and the response was overwhelming.  Basil’s comfortable and laid back atmosphere paired with a delicious and hearty cooked burger was just the thing to beat the Monday blues for plenty of Basil’s patrons.  This time, Basil’s is enhancing the evening by adding their fresh tomato and mozzarella salad to the Burger Night menu.  The salad is tossed fresh with juicy house ripened tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, red onion and extra virgin olive oil.

According to owner Victor Rallo, customers greatly appreciated the value of Monday’s Burger Night and voiced their request to see its return via the restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter sites.  “We embrace the ability we have to connect with our customers on a meaningful level through our social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter,” says Rallo.  “Our customers voiced their opinions and we heard them loud and clear.   Because of this, we are bringing back Burger Night to satisfy their request and appetite!”

Basil T’s embraces their online community by sharing their knowledge of food and wine online, cooking up video recipes requested by customers, posting travel videos with owner Victor Rallo on the best cuisine locations in Italy, and keeping fans updated on the latest specials and events. 

Became a fan of Basil T’s on Facebook!

Basil’s is one of the most notable Brew Pubs in NJ and has won several awards for their premium selection of micro-brewed beer, all hand crafted on site by brew master Gretchen Schmidhausler.  Basil’s also features a delicious menu of homemade Italian cuisine as well as a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads soups and more.

View the Basil T’s menu online.

Links to Basil T’s:

http://restaurant.basilt.com/

http://www.basilts.org/

http://www.basilt.com

The Basil T’s menu is overflowing with homemade Italian delicacies including pasta that’s served with fresh tomato-based ingredients — tomatoes that are ripened in-house to ensure that they have the best flavor and consistency, seafood, soups, pizza and salads.  The favorite Red Bank Italian restaurant also ensures that they use locally grown produce when possible, purchasing local New Jersey tomatoes when in season, and importing high quality ingredients from Mexico and Florida in the off-seasons

They also create their own signature beer in-house and bake hot, delicious pastries in their expansive homestyle kitchen.  Basil’s famous micro brewery features a minimum of 6 hand crafted ales each season, all brewed by brew master Gretchen Schmidhausler.  Schmidhausler has been brewing beers for over 10 years and is a graduate of the American Brewers Guild’s Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program, in Woodland, CA.   She is only the second Head Brewer in Basil’s history, taking over for Bob Hettmansperger in September of 2000.

It’s no wonder the restaurant is known as the place Where Fresh Is Fresh And Homemade Is Really Homemade. 

The popular Red Bank restaurant, which has been keeping customers satisfied since 1986, is a staple for homemade meals and perfect for hosting a large family dinner.  Red Bank Italian food lovers can come take advantage of these “unequaled culinary delights” and experience homemade food and beverages in a warm, family-friendly setting.

See the full menu of Italian specialties at Basil Ts in Red Bank.

Visit our additional blog sites:

http://restaurant.basilt.com/

http://www.basilts.org/

Get ready, because Basil T’s is rolling back our menu prices to what they were in 1986 — when Basil T’s first opened its doors in NJ.  This roll back special includes drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), appetizers, entrees, and desserts, and is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of a menu that has been labeled as having “unequaled culinary delights”.  This fantastic special is available Monday through Thursday during every week in March.

Select menu items include:

• Vini di Casa – $4
• Calamari Fritti – $7
• Vongole – $7
• Spaghetti Pesto – $12
• Lasagna al Forno – $12
• Salmone – $15
• Cannoli – $5
• Tiramisu – $5
• Espresso – $1

Italian food lovers in the Red Bank area can participate in the month long celebration of Basil T’s 24th Anniversary, and can check out our full list of menu items here: http://restaurant.basilt.com/20100122-basil-ts-24th-anniversary-roll-back-specials/

 •    A subscription to the Wine Society Newsletter, keeping members updated with information, reviews, and exclusive pricing on featured wines of the month
•    Invitations to wine tasting and Wine Society events
•    Weekly wine dinner specials, including half priced bottles of any wine every Tuesday
•    Continued access and updates to the Basil T’s wine list, which received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 3 consecutive years
•    Free, limited-edition Wine Society wine key corkscrew

The wine society was created for both novices and wine connoisseurs alike.  In an attempt to create a larger pool of wine aficionados, the wine society will provide a space where wine lovers and experts can come together to learn about the origins of wine and expand their knowledge, in order to gain a fuller appreciation for Italian wine. 

The wine society will also provide members with tips on wine and food pairings, discounts on glasses and bottles (in an attempt to allow drinkers to further explore other tastes), wine guides with tasting tips and information, and access to special pricing on their award-winning wine list — a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recipient for the past three consecutive years.

Italian wine lovers who are interested in learning more about the Wine Society, can call (732) 842-5990 or stop by Basil T’s Riverside Avenue location in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Burger Night takes place at Basil T’s in Red Bank every Monday night and is now a sizzling $15, down from the previous $20 a meal. Start off with a  choice of a cup of our hearty Pasta e Fagioli, Zuppa de Piselli, or the homemade soup of the day. Dig into our char grilled Black Angus beef burger on a homemade crisp panini roll with crisp romaine and ripe tomato with a side of our famous sea salt shoestring fries. Wash it all down with a pint of our award winning house made micro-brewed beer or a glass of Principato Vini di Casa.

Our restaurant is near the Oyster Point Hotel, giving you the chance to dine like a true Jersey local for just $15 every Monday night.

Basil T’s Restaurant Near Molly Pitcher Inn

If you’re looking for a restaurant near the Molly Pitcher Inn that has built a reputation on its great brewery, delicious Italian food and extensive wine selection, then Basil T’s is where you need to be.

Basil T’s is down the road from the Molly Pitcher Inn and what better way to experience Red Bank then  Burger night. Get a hearty, homemade meal for just $15, including a glass of Principato Vini Di Casa or a pint of our house made micro-brewed beer.
Stop in this Monday night and get a taste of the best Italian cuisine in Red Bank. ?

Basil’s famous micro brewery features a minimum of 6 hand crafted ales each season, all brewed by brew master Gretchen Schmidhausler.  Schmidhausler has been brewing beers for over 10 years and is a graduate of the American Brewers Guild’s Craftbrewers Apprenticeship Program, in Woodland, CA.   She is only the second Head Brewer in Basil’s history, taking over for Bob Hettmansperger in September of 2000.

The popular brew pub features six handcrafted beers (which includes a seasonal offering) by the Pint, Mug, Growler or Basil’s Sampler.  The Sampler features 5 ounces of all five classic, hand-crafted beers plus their current seasonal offering.

Gretchen’s work with Basil T’s has garnered national recognition and awards including:

• Gold Medal Winner, 2006 Great American Beer Festival (GABF), “Classic Dry Irish Stout”
• Bronze Medal, 2003 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”
• Gold Medal, 2002 GABF, “Coffee Flavored Beer”

Basil Ts was also the recent recipient of the Best Beer award for the 2009 Readers’ Choice Restaurant Poll.  Basil Ts won the Best Beer category for Central New Jersey.

To learn more about Basil’s award winning beers, visit http://www.basilt.com/beers.php

Oh, did we mention that we have the NFL ticket, and 12 premium flat screen TVs for your viewing enjoyment?  It’s the perfect compliment to our Monday night Burger Night! 

Basil’s is the most notable Brew Pubs in NJ .  Out entire premium selection of micro-brewed beer is hand crafted on site by brew master Gretchen Schmidhausler.  So come and enjoy a delicious beer, burger and football.  What could be better?

We also feature a delicious menu of homemade Italian cuisine as well as a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, salads soups and more.

To view our menu, visit http://basilt.com/menus/index.php

Our menu of hand crafted beers and their descriptions can be found online at http://basilt.com/beers.php

There are two places in that hold possibly the greatest tomatoes in the world.  One of those places is San Marzano on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Italy.  The other location is New Jersey, and the local farms throughout the Garden State.

At Basil T’s Brewery and Italian Grill, the best Italian Restaurant in Red Bank, we get daily deliveries of Jersey tomatoes from local farmers.  They ripen in eye’s view and are used in many of our specialty salads.  The tomato bowl with Jersey tomatoes and cucumbers, red onion, calamata olives, red wine and extra virgin olive oil is an all time favorite.  The Caprese salad is an Italian summer time tradition, which  pairs Jersey tomato with hand rolled mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a touch of sea salt.

As the tomatoes ripen more fully, they make their way to the kitchen and into every tomato based sauce that we make (how Italian food was meant to be— homemade).

Come enjoy a summer time favorite, were fresh is fresh and homemade is really homemade at The Original Basil T’s Brewery and Italian Grill in Red Bank New Jersey;  home of the best tomatoes and Italian food this side of Mount Vesuvius.

Check out the whole menu and more at BasilT.com

“Rispasso” means “to pass through a second time, to overhaul.” It implies polishing up, perfecting. When applied to Valpolicella wine, Ripasso signifies that the wine has been refermented in contact with Amarone, the region’s most prestigious red.

“I knew what I was looking for in my first Rallo wine: quality, value, a wine to enhance my food, a wine to please my customers,” Rallo said. He went on to add, “I even knew the specific type of wine, but I had to find the right partner in Italy to make it to my specifications.”

“It has the power of Amarone and the grace of Valpolicella,” according to Mr. Rallo. “It is made from Corvina and Rondinella grapes. These are two important varietals, very local, very Italian. My wine is aged for at least 18 months in large oak casks, also very traditionally Italian.”

To find the right supplier, Victor traveled to the Lessini Hills, just east of the Lake Garda near the fabled city of Verona. He interviewed several wineries. When he met Mara Castellani and her father, Sergio, of the Corte Mary Estate in Marano di Valpolicella, Mr. Rallo knew that he had found the right associates.

“This is an exciting wine. It is concentrated, intense, and flavorful. It will age well, but I like it as it is, young and very lively.”

Rallo Valpolicella Classico Superione Ripasso will be available at Basil T’s and Undici Restaurants in September. You can enjoy this full, warm, rich, dry red with roasts, cheeses, or pasta dishes.

Soon to follow will be Victor Rallo, Jr’s dry white wine selection and an ultra premium red. We will keep you posted.

To see the full wine list for Basil T’s, visit http://www.basilt.com/