A Moody Street MUST!
Background:
We first discovered Sweet Basil at their Needham location and met the owner Dave. He is passionate about what he does and it really shows via dining experience and the food they present.
He started his journey in the food industry as a child, with his first job being a dishwasher. Over the years he continued to learn as he stepped into many different roles and now is the proud owner of 3 successful establishments in Needham, Waltham, and Wellesley.
Location:
Sweet Basil has 2 locations in Needham and Waltham.
Needham: Plenty of street parking around the area
Waltham: This location is on Moody Street, super busy but if you can’t snag a metered spot, there are plenty of public lots behind the businesses!
Experience:
Today we’ll be talking about the Waltham location! We all know Moody street has plenty of food options, as they take over the sidewalks with patio seating options in the Summer.
As you walk into Sweet Basil, you’ll notice many life sized trees with beautiful flowers hanging over your table, really creating that immersive dining experience.
The Waltham location is much spacier than Needham and you could comfortably bring larger parties here, they can definitely accommodate and the atmosphere is nice.
We let Dave pick out our dinner and we were blown away! Presentation wise, everything was BEAUTIFUL! Going to an Italian restaurant, we were served MULTIPLE pasta dishes and each was flavored perfectly (pasta here is made fresh). They offer anything from pasta dishes with meats, to stunning vegetarian pasta options (see pictures below).
After visiting both Needham and Waltham, here’s a very quick comparison:
Needham: BYOB concept, you can see the kitchen at work, a much cozier vibe.
Waltham: A spacier location, can definitely fit large groups, decorations here are extravagant and there is a full bar here, serving everything from cocktails to wines and beer!
Food:
Here are a few things you MUST try from Sweet Basil:
Chicken Marsala (over Riccia) - We love a good chicken marsala and the one here was everything we hoped and dream of! Dave recommended having the chicken marsala over riccia and it was not only beautiful but added to each savory bite!
Beet Rigatoni - For those who are looking for vegetarian options, this is game changing. If you haven’t already guessed it, the Beet Rigatoni here is PINK! It’s the most beautiful vegetarian dish I’ve ever seen in the area.
Spaghetti & Meatball - Sweet Basil does a really good version of a spaghetti and meatball dish. The red sauce is amazing BUT the meatballs themselves are the star of the show. About 3 inches in diameter, and 4 on your dish, it was beautiful! It is soft in texture with a hint of sharpness and comes with a pleasantly surprising cheese pull! You can’t go wrong with this classic.
