Off to see the wizard? Don’t ask for mint jelly. Basil Karakatsanis, owner and head chef of Basil’s Legends restaurant in Hightstown, has been donned the “Wizard of Lamb Chops” by the Star Ledger and has received numerous other accolades from New York Times and other restaurant critics over the last 14 years. His restaurant serves many Mediterranean influenced dishes, but specializes in lamb chops prepared in the Greek culinary tradition.
PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Above: Basil Karakatsanis, owner and chef of Basil’s Legends grill in Hightstown, prepares a salad and other lunch menu items in the kitchen of his eatery Feb. 5. Below: The garlic, mustard and Parmesan crusted lamb chops served at Basil’s Legends. “Greeks love lamb chops and know how to cook them,” Karakatsanis said. “A lot of people don’t like lamb and many who do ask for mint jelly to kill that hasty taste of lamb, but not here. We don’t have that taste.”
For Karakatsanis, who as a child in Greece had the weekly duty of carrying home three kilos of lamb for Sunday family gatherings, lamb chops are a “seductive desire without compromise.” At Basil’s Legends, he offers three varieties of lamb, grilled plain or with various marinades like his mother used to make, such as garlic, lemon and oregano or balsamic vinegar, rosemary and apricot chutney.
Karakatsanis left Greece in 1966 at the age of 14 to cook on cruise ships crisscrossing the Mediterranean Sea. When one of those cruises docked at 57th Street in New York City, he jumped ship at midnight, having decided to make his way in the United States.
In the 70s, he moved to New Jersey and found work in North Brunswick and Edison diners. In 1977, he opened a food stand in the Route 18 Flea Market in East Brunswick, but soon relocated to Florida where he had the opportunity to open a gourmet restaurant that sat 450 patrons. “The Quay” in Key West was an exciting and profitable business venture for Karakatsanis, but he said the relationship among the five partners involved turned sour. In 1992, he moved back to New Jersey, where he re-entered the diner world and helped re-establish the Americana Diner on Route 130 in East Windsor.
“After I put it back on track, I decided to take on a bigger challenge,” Karakatsanis said.
In 1995, he and his wife Renee noticed an inconspicuous space for rent at the Days Inn on Route 33 in Hightstown.
“The challenge is that this place is incongruously located,” he said. “We are just off Exit 8 on the New Jersey Turnpike, but we are not allowed to advertise on the Turnpike.”
Despite its location, the restaurant quickly became legendary in New Jersey for being the first-ever Garden State eatery to be called a lamb chop house and for annually selling more lamb chops than any other restaurant in the state. For these reasons, Basil’s Legends grabbed the attention of restaurant critics from the Trenton Times, the Star Ledger and the New York Times.
Although the Karakatsanis couple enjoys the positive reviews, it takes even greater pride in customers’ word of mouth.
“We pride ourselves on making every customer feel at home,” Karakatsanis said. “They become our friends. And, we would like to thank all of our friends who have been so loyal coming here and suggesting it to their friends.”
The chef cooks all menu items to order on a grill visible to patrons. And, Karakatsanis doesn’t only serve lamb chops. The menu features appetizers like maple-horseradish wings with pineapple mango relish, char-grilled octopus and chicken escarole, spicy sausage, chickpeas and shaved pecorino soup. Lunch items include black angus cheese steak, souvlaki and various salads that can be topped with chicken, salmon, filet mignon or lamb chops. Dinner items include wild salmon in ginger-garlic sesame sauce, crabmeat cakes with orange-chili vinaigrette, shrimp wrapped in bacon with horseradish aioli sauce, stuffed lobster tail and a variety of whole wheat pasta dishes.
The wizard’s lamb chops range in price from $25 for New Zealand lamb chops, $35 for American lamb chops and $45 for organic lamb chops.
For complete menu information and hours of operation, visit www.basilslegends.com.