Basil Restaurant, Upper Arlington

When Basil Restaurant opened in 2009, the Columbus Dispatch reported on owner Rhome Ruanphae's inspiration: his mother’s string of successful Thai restaurants that she ran with her husband while he was growing up. Rhome borrowed his mother’s culinary mastery for Basil Restaurant and has now found enough success of his own that he's opened a second location in the Brewery District.

Like the chefs at the first location, the chefs at the new location create stir-fried crispy noodle dishes and a rainbow of curries, soups, salads, and appetizers that keep ravenous diners from eating their napkins. Eventually, bar food will be added to complement the sleek new space, which blends industrial and antique-style decor.

Glittering chandeliers suspended next to exposed ductwork illuminate slate-gray walls. Above the black-and-hardwood bar rests glowing letters that spell out "LOVE," and in a separate lounge space with tufted dove-gray couches, the word "SMILE" shines above a vintage mirror.