The Basin invents new ways to serve Saratoga
For chef Daniel Nally of The Basin in Saratoga, who hails from LA, the past year has been an interesting one. After taking over the restaurant in July, the 26-year-old rolled out a whole new menu.
“Things were going great, and then COVID hit,” Nally says. “We went from 1,200 reservations over four days to nothing. We were doing a lot of corporate dining. It all went away.”
He and his family returned to LA and sheltered in place for three weeks.
“I was in this bad and scary place, thinking it’s all doom and gloom,” Nally says. “But then my family figured out a way to diversify by doing boxed groceries and takeout. We launched our new format on Monday, April 6, and it’s been going pretty great.”
Nally was able to bring back two of the employees he had to let go.
“Nobody who filed for unemployment has gotten a check yet,” Nally says, citing the labyrinthian process of filing a claim. “As a cook, the first thing you learn is that you focus on one thing at a time, not eight things at once, because nothing gets done.”
Nally, who earned an economics degree at Santa Clara University, began his culinary career at age 15 at the Hollywood Bowl, where five-course dinners were served in the pool section. After college, he moved to Mexico, where he worked for chef Donnie Masterton in various restaurants in San Miguel Allende.
“He taught me a lot,” Nally says, “but my grandmother was getting older and I decided to come back to the states.”
Nally had the senior community in mind when deciding what to offer to customers who are sheltered in place. He’s offering produce boxes in two sizes, for $40 and $55, along with meat and seafood boxes, starting at $55, that will be ready on Tuesday and Thursdays for pickup from 2-7pm, or for delivery within a five-mile radius. Subscription boxes are available at $5 off on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.
“There are a lot of older people in Saratoga who don’t want to shop at the supermarket, and we don’t want them to, either,” he says. “Children of Saratoga residents who live in San Francisco are buying these produce boxes for their parents.”
He’s also offering Basin Basics, a la carte groceries like toilet paper, coffee, fresh deli meats, butter and eggs.
Nally sources from Hector Sandoval of Chef’s Choice Produce in Santa Clara to assemble boxes including Suncrest lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, eggplant, onion, shallots and herbs. Mixed fruit and produce boxes are also available.
Fish boxes might include salmon, halibut, prawns, bay and sea scallops, all from Pacific Harvest. Nally vacuum seals everything. Meat boxes feature cuts from Bassian Farms and Chef’s Warehouse, and can include skirt steaks, New York steaks, rib eyes, hamburger meat (buns included), Petaluma chicken and house-made braised short ribs. Boxes are $130 for 8-10 lbs. and $240 for 16-22 lbs.
“It’s a mix of fresh and frozen, so people can put stuff right in the freezer and have something to cook that night,” Nally says. “We’re also offering wine to go at retail prices. We know people need something to drink during this time.”
The Basin’s takeout menu will change weekly. “We sold out of our three-course Peruvian chicken dinners right away,” Nally says. “Next week, I’m thinking about a Cajun theme, with jambalaya, gumbo and maybe a shrimp po’ boy. We’ll do cuisine from around the world.”
The Basin also has fresh hand-rolled pasta and cookie dough, and Nally is thinking about putting together soup boxes with stock, root veggies and lentils. “We want to give them the tools and recipes, so they can do it at home and still get cred.”
One customer who ordered a chicken dinner with fries, baguettes and a bottle of MacRostie chardonnay texted, “This is the best meal we’ve had since the lockdown!”
Says Nally, “That really brightened our spirits. My mom actually cried. It’s all worth it knowing that we are helping people feed their kids in a safe way.”
To check out The Basin’s retail offerings and see the current takeout menu, visit https://www.thebasin.com.