Elite’s Turn Up The Heat At Basico

I loved this event. All the staff of the restaurant were happy to interact with us and answer all of our questions, and I really appreciated that they served everything individually and we got to try nicely plated portions of their winter menu offerings.
I was especially impressed by their confit octopus. It was awesome! My second favorite was definitely the chicken tortilla soup. I may have had 3 servings, it was that good.
I can’t wait to use my hot sauce!

This event was hot hot hot!
I have been wanting to try Basico for quite some time and was so thankful they worked with Scotty and allowed us to come in and try their new offerings.
It was laid back, which was really nice. They had different tables with each item available. They had the large plate, to show how it would be served in the restaurant and tasting available of each one. Each one was presented so elegantly, I didn’t want to touch them! Each item we tasted was delicious. Things I wouldn’t normally try, I did and loved it. I will certainly be going back for the full sized plates.
The hot sauce making process– wow! Who knew what went into making it. They use fresh ingredients from their own on-​site garden, too. I absolutely love that.
The staff on site were simply wonderful. All so friendly and knowledgeable. If I asked a question they could not answer, they were sure to find the answer for me.
Thanks, Unilocal Charleston (Scotty!) and Basico for hosting this wonderful event. Can’t wait to come in and try the rest of the menu.

What a great event! I didn’t even know anything about Basico until the event, and now that I do I am looking forward to re-​visiting for to try some of Basico’s other dishes.
At the event we were introduced to some of Basico’s new selections on the menu that included octopus confit with forbidden rice, paella, and some of the best chicken tortilla soup I have ever had. All the food was wonderful, but the soup stood out to me with the powerful and delightful flavors including a hint of curry.
All the servers did a great job from serving the food samples, pouring drinks, to cleaning up the dishes. And the chef did an awesome job with a hot sauce demo. I am looking forward to trying the sample of hot sauce Basico presented us a gift.

Delicious food, very attractively plated, served in a classy, comfortable environment. All of the dishes were great. I especially appreciated the variety of squash to give a New World, autumn season twist on classic paella.
The staff was consistently friendly and attentive.
I am excited to return in a few weeks to sample the bourbon barrel-​aged salsa when it is finally opened.

My friend and I had such a great time at this event! It was my first time at Basico and was surprised to find out that it is such a great space.
Of the various dishes we sampled, the Chicken Tortilla Soup was my favorite. As an additional plus, all of the dishes at the event are on their regular menu. I may be back to have some more!
To top everything off, we were each given goody bags at the end with our choice of hot or mild hot sauce.

This was such an excellent event! The food that Basico dished was phenomenal and unique — I mean, octopus confit? Where do they come up with this stuff??! It was surprisingly delicious. The crowd of new Elites was overwhelming, I’m so happy to see so many Unilocalers coming out of the woodwork in Charleston! The hot sauce demo was fun and I loved that we were able to take some home with us. The only thing I noticed was that the pours at the bar were a little small, but I understand the intention isn’t a free for all bar and that everyone get a little bit to drink — it’s just that they were really small and the bar was kind of a pain to get to because of the small walkways and number of people. Anyways… can’t wait until the next event!

I had the best time at this event! Since it was chilly outside, I couldn’t wait to Turn Up The Heat with Basico and the Elites! When we arrived, I realized I had been in this area before and hadn’t even heard of Basico (which I will be changing now — their menu looks incredible!). The atmosphere was really chill and inviting. The staff was made up of some of the friendliest people around, and they knew their food! Every time I had a question, I could tell they knew what they were talking about. While everything was delicious, I have to say the Chicken Tortilla Soup with extra jalapenos was my favorite. Could there have been more chicken in the soup? Yes. Am I complaining? No. It was amazing. I really enjoyed the passion these folks have for their food — more than one of them mentioned how they are big on texture! I also appreciated that you got to see the full plated version. Their plating was perfect, and definitely made me want to order one of each when I come back.
Who knew how much work went into making hot sauce? Not I! I loved that the chef went over their process so you can see what it takes to create something delicious from scratch. I also loved that I got to take some home (with a copy of their fall menu!) to try out in my own kitchen. All of the thought and passion that went into this event gives it an A+ for sure!

Who knew this great little places was tucked into this part of Charleston?! This place is straight up adorable and feels like a little villa tucked away in a foreign country (I mean, it was dark, but that’s what it felt like to me)!
The soup (which I thought was oh so tasty) and the surprise of such a cute little area was the highlight for me. My husband got quite a kick out of trying octopus… I couldn’t do it… as much as I wanted to just so I could say I had tried octopus.
I did try the Beef Belly, which was interesting and fun… I love it when I can try something I’ve never had before without having to commit to a plate of it. Whenever I think of anything «belly» I get a little nervous about it being greasy, but this was not greasy at all. It was actually really tender and I would do it again.
We got little bags of hot sauce, which was so nice of them! It was interesting to hear the hot sauce demo and get to smell the sauce that had been/​will be sitting in the barrel while it ages… it’s just really nice to see foodies loving their art.
So, also included in the bag was their menu… I definitely want to hit this place up again. Their drink menu looks excellent, they have a lunch, dinner, brunch and drink menu along with some happy hour specials. A special thanks to Unilocal Elite and Scott C. I would have never found this place otherwise… such great perks to being Elite, getting to find all these great places and be inspired by those that love what they do. Kudos to you Unilocal,Scotty C. and Basico… much appreciated.

What a great evening. Really one of the best Elite events I can remember. I really thought the food served was delicious other than the fact I did not like the Paella. but after talking to my wife I think I just don’t like and was a little undercooked. But the Octopus Confit with the Forbidden rice was just too good. And my wife actually liked it and normally would not be game for a dish like that. What great texture helped out greatly by the oyster mushrooms. Looks to me like everyone loved the Tortilla Soup. To me it tasted more Thai than Mexican but wow did I love it! I could have just had that and been happy. Warming and tasty! Then the Beef Belly. Oh, that Beef Belly! On a perfect little slice of cornbread with the apple and the sauce was just to DIE FOR! Scottie was the perfect host as always and made us feel very welcome. Seeing how they make their sauce was a real treat. The Chef actually showed us some of the process before the one for the group and we were quite impressed and to go home with a bottle just soidified another great Unilocal Elite experience. The setup was great and we met a few more Unilocalers and will be back to this venue. Worth the drive. See you Elite again soon I hope!

This was my first Elite event as an Elite instead of a +1 and it was great!
I loved the casual feel in the restaurant and the food was awesome! Basico was serving up food from their new winter menu and we got to try:
Chicken tortilla soup — at this station, the server went through the ingredients step by step, starting with the mole chicken soup base, then adding crunchy tortilla, sliced radish, and jalapeño bits for a dish with tons of flavor and different textures! I think this was my favorite.
Paella– The rice in this was a little dry but the meats in it were really good!
Octopus and oyster mushroom over black rice– this was awesome. It looked intimidating, but the octopus and mushroom both had really great flavor!
Beef belly — uhmmm why isn’t this more of a thing? Pork belly is everywhere but beef belly needs some more love. So. Good. I wonder what other kinds of belly meat taste good. «Bellybuster Elite party,» anyone?
Finally, the short talk on the creation of the salsas was really interesting! I liked how all the ingredients were laid out and talked through each one. Can wait to try my sample!
Thank you, Scotty and Basico, for hosting another great Elite event!

The Elite event at Basico last night was really fantastic. it was my first time in the Mixson neighborhood which was very impressive in itself. The food was unique and delicious. I really enjoyed the oyster dish… not something you eat on a very normal basis. The staff was fantastic… from the owners, to chefs, to bar staff you really couldn’t find a friendlier bunch. I very much look forward to making a return trip to Basico and the Mixson neighborhood. As always, thanks to Scotty C for putting on a great event.

My first Elite Unilocal event and now I’m hooked. Basico’s was great. The food was fantastic, especially the chicken tortilla soup. I’m already craving it and can’t wait to try it again. Although wine and beer was included, I had to try a margarita. The spicy grapefruit marg was also fantastic. The Unilocal group was a lot of fun and very laid back. I’m so glad to be part of this group and I can’t wait until the next gathering.

Getting to be a part of the elite Unilocal events really has become a highlight for me. Not only because of the events themselves, but getting to see and socialize with all the other fun Unilocalers.
When I saw the event was at Basico, I had my friend Breanne finally set up a Unilocal account so she could come with me. She lives around the corner and is a member of the Mixson club. She loves it over there and should have been making commissions last night on all the Unilocalers she told about how great being a member there is! :)
The new fall menu options Basico had prepared for us were all excellent. My favorite bite of the night was from the octopus and black rice. You could tell the staff and manager were all very interested in our opinions about the food and really listened to our feedback.
Thanks again to Scotty C. for organizing and making it so much fun to be elite. I can’t wait until the next event!

What a wonderful event! The venue was great and loved Basico’s décor. The staff here was incredibly friendly, polite, and informative! I really enjoyed being able to talk to the staff about the ingredients and execution of each dish. Our two bartenders were also attentive and helpful when choosing from the wine and beer selection which was also quite nice.
The food presentation and service was fantastic. I loved that they had a display plate showcasing the food as it would be served off the menu next to the sample plates/​bowls/​spoons. Big plus — the food was delicious! I will definitely have to return to Basico to get more of my two favorites of the evening — Octopus Confit with Forbidden Rice and the Chicken Tortilla soup.
The octopus dish was executed very well. The seafood was cooked well, the rice was perfect and the flavors that were brought to the dish were truly superb! As for the soup, I’m not usually a tortilla soup fan but the flavors they brought in using the mole chicken in the soup base and the crisp tortilla strips, radish strips, and a lovely jalapeño and avocado salsa.
The other dishes were OK. The paella rice was a little al dente for me and the flavor profile was a bit different from what I would normally expect from a paella but I was impressed that it seemed to feature some kind of Iberian Sausage Chorizo which is a cured meat product I absolutely fell in love with when I visited Spain.
Also, the hot sauce demonstration was very interesting. I couldn’t see much of what was going on but even just listening the care and consideration they put into their hot sauces was so impressive. And I’m definitely intrigued about their bourbon barrel hot sauce which we were told will be ready for serving at the end of this year.
Lastly, I was so excited they ended with churros! The sauce they served with it seemed to be a dolce de leche inspired sauce which, by itself, was wonderful (and is probably excellent on a nice vanilla bean ice cream or gelato?) but with the churro sort of got lost in cinnamon-​sugary goodness.
Overall, I loved the event and was so excited to be able to attend!

My husband and I were invited by Elite Unilocaler friends, Tracy G. And Steve P. to a fantastic event at Basico. The owner, Bryan, was a pleasure to talk to, knowledgeable, and gracious with the offerings. The grilled octopus over black rice was my personal favorite. I hope to see this on the dinner menu when I return… and I promise, I will be back! I really enjoyed the presentation on how their hot sauce is made and I can’t wait to try them! Hopefully I’ll make it till morning so I can try it on my eggs! Thanks for a great event!

I first have to say that the staff was incredible. No matter how busy it was if you turned around there was a smiling staff member right there waiting.
The hot sauce demonstration was so cool! It was difficult to hear the new executive chef but we were close enough to get the gist of it. I tried the samples of hot sauce when we got home and AWESOME! I will be coming back to try their one year barrel (bourbon) aged sauce at the end of this year without question. The food was great. My favorite was the baby octopus confit. I have never had baby octopus but it was so flavorful and perfectly cooked. It also had forbidden black rice, oyster mushroom (AWESOME), charred scallion, pepitas, cured tomatoes, and lime. Our next few dishes were the chicken tortilla soup, paella, and beef belly. My second favorite was the chicken tortilla soup as it HIT you with such a spice and flavor that eventually mellowed out so it was not so overpowering. I wanted seconds but felt so bad!!! My significant other, Kate K., LOVED the beef belly that was on top of a pablano corn bread, roasted apple, and raz el hanout yogurt. The new executive chef really sold us and we will most definitely be back as it is only a few minutes from our house.
Now only if they would accept us into their pool club!!!

I’ve never been to an Unilocal Event before so this was definitely a good first time experience for me. Free food & drinks are always a plus in my book. Lol we had 4 samples of dishes that was all enough to make me full. But I guess it’s because I only weigh like 100 lb.s. Lol I think the dish that surprised me the most was the dish with the octopus & mushrooms. Two things I definitely don’t like. But it was surprisingly good. The mushroom tasted like chicken so I didn’t even realize it was a mushroom until 1 of my friends asked what it was (which was a good thing). This was also the first time for me trying octopus & the way they cooked it was perfect. It wasn’t gooey or tough to eat it was tender & tasty. Definitely planning on coming back to Basico for the full menu experience.

Exceptional food, cute venue, gracious staff… The tortilla soup was luscious and spicy, cooled with sliced radish. The paella was very flavorful with a dry chorizo that elevated the dish. The churros were the best I have had. The space had an open feel and a clean design that makes it suitable for hosting events that encourage mingling. The staff kept our glasses filled with excellent wine and local beer. I can’t wait to try the mole gift. I am excited by the menu and can’t wait to return for a full meal. This teaser definitely peaked my interest.

Tonight was so fun! I got to take Mag G. and Josef R. as my +1’s and we had a great time trying new foods and chatting. Basico did a wonderful job presenting what their food was all about. I was very impressed with all the little details and how attentive and accommodating the staff was.
We started out with the chicken tortilla soup. It was quite tasty and the jalapeño gave it a super spicy kick! I really enjoyed it. Then we tried the paella. Unfortunately for me the rice was a bit undercooked, crunchy and the seasonings could have been amped up a notch. The unexpected favorite dish of the night for me though was the baby octopus confit. Every time i’ve had octopus it was never done right. Always chewy, bland, and rubbery. This dish was all kinds of flavor! The octopus was grilled so it had a nice char on it which was yummy. I really enjoyed the oyster mushroom which was seasoned beautifully and all of it came together with the black rice into a perfect dish that I would love a big bowl of. Last, I had the beef belly which was another bite of awesomeness. It was a perfect pairing with that cornbread, and I ate it all in one bite! I really appreciated that Basico put a full sized dish next to the samplings so you can see exactly what you will be ordering when you eat at the restaurant.
Aside from the tastings we also had a demonstration about the type of hot sauces they have and how they are made. I never knew how much time and effort it took to make one type of hot sauce! They also had a barrel of hot sauce that is aged for a year in a whisky barrel! I really want to try that!
Everything was so unique and the staff really made every detail such a wonderful experience. Good job! I’ll be back to eat here!