Chappaqua foodies can now rejoice thanks to Basso by PXK, an Italian restaurant formerly known as Basso 56 on Lower King Street. The restaurant now features a new Culinary Director celebrated chef Peter X. Kelly, a James Beard Foundation nominee behind some of the county’s hottest restaurants including the much beloved but now shuttered X20 in Yonkers.
Inside Chappaqua had the chance to speak with Kelly and see what plans he has in store for local diners as he trades the down county restaurant scene for the more bucolic environs of northern Westchester.
Chappaqua was a natural fit for Kelly who over the years has amassed a great following of local clientele at his other now defunct restaurants including X20 in Westchester and Restaurant X and Freelance Café over the bridge in Rockland County. He is excited to bring his culinary talent to our town and bring his four decades of delighting guests to the 10514. “I love it when I see a phone number with 238 in our reservations system with OpenTable or on our website,” he proclaims. The “X” by the way is for his middle name Xaviar.
Kelly does not plan on completely overhauling the restaurant. “I wanted to keep what was wonderful about the restaurant but add a new signature style to it,” he explains. He was excited to focus on one cuisine as many of his other restaurants have featured a combination of different cuisines. He’s always had an affinity and a great appreciation for Italian cuisine. In fact, Kelly is a self-proclaimed “wine nut” and has visited the Chianti region of Tuscany and Milan many times which helped to inspire some of his dishes at Basso by PXK. “There is something very welcoming about Italian food. My wife and I have a deep respect for it and always crave it. (He has been known to frequent Arthur Avenue restaurants closer to home) It is not overwrought and it is more relaxed,” he explains. “Working within one cuisine is stylistically fun and eye opening. It really gets the creative juices flowing.”
So, what can diners expect when they step foot in the newly named restaurant? Besides the immediate feeling of warm and welcoming hospitality, some new appetizers include veal sweetbreads with beach mushrooms and fennel pollen plus a parmesan polenta or a butternut squash spuma with local vegetables and crushed pistachio. Traditional favorites such as Caesar salad and chicken parmigiano were kept on the menu but if diners are looking to expand their culinary palate, options abound. “There is a spirit of discovery on the menu,” he adds.
Basso 56 was always known for its in-house pastas and Kelly continues to make homemade pasta with some new dishes thrown in the mix. For example, hand-cut chitarra pasta with shrimp and uni butter. He also introduced some new entrees that are proving to be popular such as a breast of duckling with marsala sabayon. In addition, Kelly brought in a new grill so that diners could enjoy simply prepared items such as a sirloin Fiorentina or a grilled Atlantic swordfish. Meals can be completed with sumptuous desserts including an olive oil panna cotta or warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato.
Brunch has always been a favorite meal of Kelly’s and a crowd pleaser for those lucky enough to score a reservation at one of his restaurants. Inspired by a dining experience in Milan, Kelly has started a “POTS, PANS, and PASTA” brunch on Sundays at Basso by PXK with no menu. At the Milan restaurant, the servers kept on sending a variety of dishes to the table – a braised meat, a nice piece fish and a pasta with dessert. “It was so relaxing.” Diners at Basso by PXK can expect a table adorned with soppressata, fruit, imported cheeses, olives and bread and then the culinary parade starts coming out. “We start sending out dishes until you cry zio or uncle,” says Kelly who aspires to recreate his memorable Milan experience. The menu also features $5 bellinis with the same recipe originated at Harry’s Bar in Venice. Realizing that Chappaqua is a community with many young families, children under 8 dine free and the youngest diners will be sure to love the palate-pleasing pastas or chicken parmigiano.
Being embraced by the community is so important for Kelly. With that in mind, the restaurant wants to be known as the go to celebratory spot-on Saturday afternoons for occasions such as bridal showers or anniversary parties. As Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation is on the horizon, Kelly and his staff are busy creating dishes that are special and reflect the celebratory nature of these events. Indoors, the restaurant can accommodate up to 80 people. Kelly is also embarking on renovating the outdoor space in the back of the restaurant to accommodate diners in warmer weather. He’s not sure yet what iteration it will become but creative ideas are brewing.
He also spent many hours observing how the restaurant worked before taking over the helm. “I needed to see how everything worked from the dishwasher to what was being served at the bar.” Implementing a new cocktail and wine list was key as previously the bar was an underutilized space. By adding high top tables and the new drinks, the bar has become a buzzy area with diners even clamoring to sit by the high-top tables. Kelly suggests that for busy Friday and Saturday nights, diners make reservations at the restaurant a few weeks in advance.
“At the end of the day, I want to be a great local restaurant that you return to over and over again. Whether it is enjoying a plate of pasta at the bar with a glass of wine or celebrating a special occasion where you sit in the restaurant. We are aiming to provide great food in an approachable way,” he said. He’s incredibly grateful to the co-owners Sherif Nezaj and Sammy Ukaj, long-term friends of his in the culinary world, for bringing him in and allowing him to give the restaurant a boost. “Thanks to their commitment this place is happening. It was a great but quiet restaurant before. We’ve gone from 10 miles per hour to 110,” he said but Kelly is, as ever, always up for the challenge.
