Basil's Cafe is the latest of Essie Azar's culinary endeavors. Azar originally trained as a civil engineer at the University of Houston in the late 1980s, but his love for cooking led him into restaurant jobs as a college student. Azar experimented with recipes and worked his way through several inner loop restaurants before taking the plunge as a restaurant owner himself 20 years ago, he said. Azar owned Basil's Restaurant in the inner loop, then opened Chanterelle Bistro and Wine Bar near his home in Bellaire. Both restaurants have since closed, said Azar. When his daughter moved to Katy, Azar said he found the area hard to resist. "My daughter came out here, and my friend started showing me around I decided I'd like to retire here one day," Azar said. Azar opened Basil's Cafe in 2013. Although he has yet to move from Bellaire, Azar said he does drive in to manage the evening service Monday through Saturday. The dining room seats 60-65 guests, with capacity for 20 on the patio. "It's not super-sized, but I want to keep it small, it's cozier this way," Azar said. "When you have a big dining room, it's hard to see everyone. I like this size. Marked by a decidedly low-key atmosphere with cloth napkins and subtle lighting, Basil's Cafe is a neighborhood restaurant tucked away in brick building just north of Kingsland Blvd. It would be easy to miss, if not for the line of tables along the side patio and the green overhang with matching signage. As the weather warms up and spring arrives, Azar said he will plant an herb garden on the patio for guests to enjoy. "I started out in Rice Village with seafood, mussels, [and] European [food]," Azar said. "It's exciting to start something new, and a lot of people welcomed us here. It's a neighborhood kind of place." Azar focuses on what he calls a continental menu. There are several seafood dishes, from the classically French garlic butter and snail dish, escargot a la bourguignonne, to Azar's take on filet of sole, which is sauted in blue corn and almonds then served with a pineapple avocado topping. The lunch and dinner menus include several non-seafood options including lamb and beef kabobs and two types of veal scallopini. Stuffed chicken or beef is a restaurant specialty, said Azar. He experiments with fillings, such as goat cheese or artichoke, to complement the meats. He also creates off-menu specials several times each week. "We specialize in seafood, most of our specials are seafood items. There are a lot of Italian restaurants in this area, so I try to be a little different," Azar said. For families, Azar will cook kid-friendly dishes for children under the age of ten. "We'll make things for kids sometimes, like Italian-style dishes or things kids like," Azar said. "We have a small kitchen, so we stay with the continental food." Basil's Cafe is open for lunch and dinner, with a two-hour break in between. The restaurant hosts indoor and outdoor private parties and events.

Customer favorites

  • Grilled chicken stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and goat cheese, served with tomato vodka sauce ($14)
  • Parmesan crusted chicken scallopini, served with mushrooms, Roma tomato, capers and garlic butter ($13)
  • Grilled beef stuffed with artichoke, served with barnaise sauce ($18.50)
  • Escargot a la bourguignonne, baked imported snails in garlic butter ($7)

Desserts to try

  • Triple berries crme brulee ($6)
  • Frangelico-flavored cheesecake ($6)
  • Double-layer chocolate mousse cake ($6)
  • Homemade Key lime pie ($6)
  • Homemade fresh apple tart with vanilla ice cream ($6)
Basil's Cafe 918 S. Fry Road, Katy 281-206-7470 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m.