Basil 1791, Hamilton Ohio

I hated to see Ryan's Tavern (a Hamilton tradition operated by great friends) go last year, but I was interested to try Basil 1791, the new restaurant that took its place at 241 High Street in Hamilton (the “1791” part of the name is a reference to the year Hamilton--as Fort Hamilton--was founded).

The inside of the restaurant looked bigger than Ryan's, but I couldn't figure out why, because the bar and the staircase still define the west and east walls of the restaurant, and some of the furnishings seemed unchanged. But the menu was quite different. It's an Asian bistro (stir fry, sushi, Pho, Pad Thai, etc.) but with burgers and vegetarian options as well. I ordered the pineapple rice stir fry with chicken, and it was delicious. And a huge portion. I took a good bit of it home. 

According to a newspaper article on the restaurant, more is planned: a garage door (at right in the photo above) will allow for outdoor dining and a thirty-bottle bourbon bar is in the works. 

Basil 1791 is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m.