The restaurant Sweet Basil is tucked away on a side street in Vail, Co.  All streets are side streets in Vail.  Inside the tiny restaurant stands a visionary chef who feeds us through our eyes.  Chef Paul Anders is a visual artist as much as he is a culinary one.  Each dish measures up to color, composition, contrast that any critic dare impose on a masterpiece.

Off the Grid is how we describe holidays.  It’s not a vacation from technology as much as a departure from obligation. The Internet is found everywhere. Even between sky high mountains and at 8160 feet above sea level, Vail is one interconnected city.

Our choice is not between human connection THROUGH electronic devices or NOT THROUGH said devices. Our choice is bosomed under pristine skies, comforted by icy river flow and embraced by 3 days of Lacrosse as a tournament.

The scoreboard is bigger than wins and losses on the field.  It’s bigger than the biggest bite or the gourmetiest gourmet restaurant.  It’s about connection through shared experiences.

Costen with Quatro and Oliver on the assist moments before half time.  Our pulse flutters from the sidelines. Drew with a save at the crease seconds before the  buzzer. We forget to exhale.

Greg and Trish wandering by find the two empty seats next to us at the bar.

10 courses for 4 people. Every dish stands on its own merit for flavor and artistic expression.

Focus your attention on the layout in the round.  The pinks and greens.  The milk foam and the earthy meat. The gelatin with raw salmon. The haloed jalapeños on the sea of coral cod.

Each pictures shot with a Samsung Galaxy S3 should hold up to the rigorous standards at Food Porn Daily. We offer them as a silent tribute to a meal of laughter and fellowship with people we trust with our first born.

Some days pictures are worth more than words.  And actions of the heart are more precious still.

Eat with you eyes.  Share with your words. Embrace with your hearts.

Cheers.