I was full. The evening started off with me being oh so very full. After 3 days of craft services at a shoot, I didn't want to ever eat again, except I had dinner plans. With my mother. I could not cancel. First, I am not home in Greensboro very often, and second, well, it's my mother. Enough said. 

So I arrived at their house and expressed that I wanted nothing heavy. Everything she mentioned would have been. The Chop House is not light. So finally I said, can we do tapas? She agreed that was fine but didn't know where to go. Thanks goodness for UrbanSpoon.com. I don't just post there - I use it. 

We came across Basil's & Co. This is funny because we had just eaten next door 4 nights earlier. Mother and I agreed the menu looked good, so off we went, hopeful for a delicious meal. 

We were not disappointed. This little bistro is a gem! They aren't really a tapas restaurant, but more of a bistro that serves standard sizes of entrees and then half portions. The food was beautifully presented and tasted wonderful and fresh. While Basil's & Co. does not have a gluten-free menu, their kitchen is conscientious and made adjustments as needed so that we were happy.  I had the risotto balls  with duck confit in them and a wonderful fennel orange cream (light right? I am a glutton sometimes). 

If I was stuffed before I got there, I was way stuffed afterwards. Any discomfort was worth the taste of this dish. Mom had lamb chops that looked lovely. She said they were. Here's a picture of the small sized plate to give you an idea of portions. 

Both were complimented by wonderful wine, half price that night! The meal was also accompanied by a nice singer playing guitar. 

My only complaint on the whole meal was the noise volume. Considering this place also does a late night menu and has music, it feels like a hybrid bar and bistro so perhaps that's why it is so loud. Basil's & Co. is one of those places desperately in need of some sort of baffling to absorb sound to make dinner more enjoyable. It is difficult to hear one another, and so should be avoided by those seeking romantic evenings or are hard of hearing.