Photo by Heidi Reuter
“What’s for dessert today?”
You won’t find a printed list of Chef Gianluca Longo’s desserts at Basil’s. But rest assured: there’s something marvelously sweet waiting for you at the end of your meal.
This master chef, this gastronomic genius, loves to keep his dessert creations so fresh that absolutely no one knows — even himself — exactly what will emerge from week to week. Dominic Gentile, the general manager of Basil Restaurant and Pizzeria explains the process: “The art of pastry is very Zen-like for Chef Gianluca. He makes everything from scratch, baking up sponge cakes and setting up fillings and so on the night before.
“Then he comes in early to be by himself, before everyone else gets here at 10. He prefers to be alone when he works his magic.
“He melts chocolate morsels, prepares homemade caramel, and his own whipped cream. And he just lets inspiration take hold,” he says.
“It’s like meditation for me,” says Chef Gianluca.
Gesturing towards the large cooler where the latest luscious goodies are displayed, including numerous multi-layered cakes, Gentile concludes, “So the reason we don’t have dessert labels is because every time it’s a different variation. Every time it’s a different cake.”
On a recent visit, there was a tri-layered Chocolate Cake with Caramel drizzled on top, a two-layer Pistachio Cake, Triple Chocolate Cake, Chocolate with Nutella, and — most intriguing of all — a Vanilla Cake with Peaches and Mini-Honeybuns on top. As you might expect, there’s almost always a Tiramisu — “a staple Italian dessert,” notes Gentile. Another popular pastry is the Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake. This is a layer cake to literally swoon over. It’s chocolate through and through, including the frosting — but with a creamy filling and unexpected notes of strawberry in each bite. The cake itself is at once light and rich, like those in the finest of European bakeries.
Upon meeting this chef, or even simply watching him move, you immediately sense and know that this is a man who lives to cook. Creating delicious and visually stunning food is as natural as breathing to him. So go ahead: place every ounce of hope and trust in Basil’s unwritten dessert menu, and ask your server, “What’s for dessert?”
You’re in for a surprise — and a unique treat — every time.
