Chef Basil, a lifelong chef, opened his first restaurant at the age of 21, with his two brothers, and supportive parents. Soon after, his loving wife, and growing family, rounded out the family business and helped each step-of-the-way.

Chef Basil brought traditional Mediterranean flavors to the Midwest, using family recipes that dating back to the early 1900's. Over the course of four decades in the restaurant business, he passionately created dishes that were balanced, flavorful, and hard to forget. Generations of families were brought up on Chef Basil's cooking, and customers often would tell him that, as they traveled the world, they could not wait to return to enjoy one of Chef Basil's specialty dishes, salads, or pasta.

Along the way, Chef Basil created his own seasoning blends, which became favorites of customers, family, and friends.

Chef Basil's passion for bringing happiness to people through his cooking lives on through Basil's Foods.

One of Chef Basil's first seasoning blends, now called Everyday Mediterranean Seasoning, because its great everyday on just about everything, was a customer favorite. Its known among family and friends, as "Papou's seasoning". Papou is the Greek word for grandfather. And, what better way to capture the love and passion of Basil's Foods, than through a nickname like "Papou's seasoning"!

Thank you & Opa!