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Basil Café celebrates the cuisine of the Mediterranean with a variety of textures, flavors and colors, in a cozy and casual atmosphere. Owner and chef Ray Akhlaghi and his wife Arezoo, who oversees the front of the house, are originally from Iran and brought with them the rich flavors of the Mediterranean. “In 1996 we moved to Germany, where Ray studied to become a Chef,” Arezoo shares. The couple relocated to Boston and worked for the Marriott for a few years, Ray as an Executive Chef and Arezoo in hospitality, before settling in St. James and opening the Basil Café in March 2017. The café gives off a laid-back vibe inside, and outside you can dine al fresco when the weather allows, in a romantic garden of greenery. In a relatively short time, the Akhlaghi’s have amassed a loyal following of satisfied foodies. Ann Sutter, one of their regular customers, was very enthusiastic about sharing her dining experience at Basil Cafe. “Most restaurants start out strong and then fade. They have kept on going strong. Ray and Arezoo do a great job of making everything unique,” she says. “Ray is just amazing. The food here is always delicious.” Exotic flavors and aromas spring from the open kitchen, where you can catch a glimpse of the open flame as Ray prepared grilled kebabs. Instead of a bread basket, pita bread with pesto and tangy parmesan cheese was served that had a delicious bite and was very tasty. A favorite appetizer, according to Joe our server, is sautéed eggplant with crushed walnuts and blackened mint. Served with pita bread, the eggplant literally melts in your mouth. We sampled some other freshly-made appetizers including shrimp kebabs served with fresh vegetables and a chili mango sauce. The dish was outstanding, and the perfectly grilled shrimp dipped in the sweet-spice sauce was the perfect combination. For our entrée, the word “succulent” gets tossed around far too often, but it’s the only way to describe Basil Café’s lamb shank that literally falls off the bone. The lamb was served with jeweled rice, named for its beautiful colors. Caramelized onions, almonds, pistachios, orange zest, Persian barberry, cumin and saffron over fluffy basmati rice, was bursting with flavor. We finished with Warm Bread Pudding, Ray’s signature dessert that not only tasted delicious, the aroma of cinnamon made your mouth water even before you lifted your fork. Small plates deliver big flavor at this establishment. At Basil Café, you can bring your own bottle of wine to enjoy with your meal. Arezoo shared that many of their customers call ahead to request a special tasting menu, which Ray enthusiastically creates. They bring their own wine for a delicious evening out. Authentic, healthy, rich in spices and naturally delicious, Basil Café serves Mediterranean food that loves you back. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 12-9 pm Friday and Saturday, 12-9:30 pm Sunday, 4-9 pm Monday, Closed 413 Lake Avenue, St. James, NY 11790 631-862-4444 Open for Lunch & Dinner Reservations Suggested

How Your Donation Can Help The Guide Dog Foundation of Smithtown $25 - Provides water dishes, a leash and a collar $50 - Feeds one dog for two months $75 - Provides a year's supply of heart-worm preventative $100 - Goes towards a specially designed harness $250 - Provides vaccinations and vet exams $500 - Goes towards travel costs for incoming students Learn more about The Guide Dog Foundation of Smithtown and their mission at guidedog.org Inside Every Service Dog Beats the Heart of Their Puppy Raiser The mission of the Guide Dog Foundation of Smithtown is simple—to provide guide dogs and training, free of charge, to people who are blind or visually impaired. The training process can take up to two years to complete, but almost half of the dogs don’t make the cut, mainly due to a temperament that’s too high-strung or too calm, or for health reasons like hip problems or poor eyesight. The ones that do graduate and become guide dogs significantly improve the quality of life for people who are blind, have low vision or other special needs. The cost of breeding, raising, training and then pairing them with the right person is over $50,000, but volunteer puppy raisers who have been properly trained, can make a tremendous difference in the outcomes for their puppy student. Every donation raised makes a difference in helping to provide care for the dogs during their training and to advance the foundation’s mission in the local community. The foundation needs volunteers to answer phones, walk dogs and give tours, and most importantly, they need puppy raisers. “We are grateful for the support we receive from Competition BMW. Funding is vital to continue our mission and comes from individual donors, community fundraising, sponsorships and events that we do, many in partnership with Competition BMW,” says Jaime McGrade, Community Fundraising Events Manager of the Guide Dog Foundation. Because of the Competition BMW guide dog events, some clients have volunteered to become trained as puppy raisers. Puppy raisers take the puppy in at about 8 weeks old. They socialize the puppy, teach basic obedience and care for them until they are about 14 to 18 months old. It’s the job of the puppy raiser to take the puppy with them everywhere they go so they become comfortable in every situation. The more the puppy is socialized, the less training they will need later on. After they are between 14 and 18 months old, they are returned to the organization to begin their certified training program and then are matched with a blind person, creating a team that will give them greater independence and create a bond that makes ordinary moments extraordinary. Often the person paired with the dog is so grateful for the gift, they make sure to keep puppy raisers updated on the positive ways their work has changed their world. Competition Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1