Editor’s note: This article has been updated since its original publication to correct the spelling of Ansten Construction. 225 regrets the error.
From trotting around via food truck to setting up shop in quaint digs on Highland Road, Kalyn Lindsly Anderson’s eatery Basel’s Market has taken her just about everywhere in the Capital Region. Now, the mom of two is embarking on a new journey with the concept as she gears up to re-open Basel’s Market in a new St. Francisville location on March 8.
The market’s new spot is at 5951 N. Commerce St. and provides more room for customers to sit and enjoy gourmet sandwiches, salads and snacks. Additionally, the space has a spot for a bigger market area, which will allow Basel’s to offer more handmade grab-and-go items. This location marks a new beginning for the cafe which closed its doors on Highland Road in 2022.
“I wouldn’t be at this chapter without that chapter,” Anderson says. “I had two girls at that old location. I became a mom. I learned how to run a kitchen and how to work in a kitchen coming from the food truck.”
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Basel’s Market will occupy a former barber shop, which was heavily updated and expanded by Anderson’s husband Luke through his company Ansten Construction. Anderson says the new spot can seat about 10 more customers than the old Basel’s with two indoor seating areas and a few outdoor tables.
Though the restaurant is in a new town, Anderson made sure to capture the cottage-core essence of the first brick in mortar. The new space pays homage to the Highland Road days with a similar, yet larger setup complete with familiar decor, including the sign from the first location hung proudly in the kitchen. A few notable design choices include a Ralph Lauren-inspired bathroom and a dining area with walls full of plates in vintage and artsy patterns collected by Anderson herself.
“I really wanted you to still get that home feel,” she says. “Everyone would camp out at the old Basel’s. I loved that, and I want you to stay. I still wanted to be familiar because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That old location was so good in so many ways. But, this one has a little bit more of a market room for actual goods.”
With the new market space, Anderson plans on selling products like boxed pastas and fresh bread while also stocking kitchen-made items like grab-and-go sandwiches, smoothies, beverages and even a new basil cream cheese dip. The market area also hints at her family’s grocery store, Calvin’s Bocage Market, with an orange juicer and murals based off of the art in her father’s shop. Of course, chicken salad will be available at Basel’s Market, too.
The St. Francisville spot also gives Anderson a brand-new, larger kitchen space to cook up breakfast and lunch items for customers. She says she’s excited to get back in the kitchen and enjoy the extra room to move around while completing orders.
Other things to look forward to include the addition of a beer and wine menu. Anderson says the selection will be small, but will contain “basic favorites.” She hopes adding these beverages will encourage customers to stick around and enjoy the space. Additionally, Anderson is bringing back a hot roast beef sandwich that she says her real fans will remember from the food truck days.
“It’s the same menu,” she promises. “I just added like two new things.”
Though the cafe might be new to St. Francisville, Anderson and her family are no strangers to the town. It’s where she married her husband, and it’s where she stays for holidays when visiting her family. Anderson and her family plan to soon make the move with Basel’s to St. Francisville so she can be close to her business, too.
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“It’s really a romantic little town,” she says. “Trust me. I looked at a lot of places in Baton Rouge. I truly tried. But, nothing felt quite as charming as the other Basel’s. I didn’t want it to be one of those things where I was like, ‘Oh, this is good, but I loved the other one.’ I needed it to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, it was worth the wait.’”
The new location may be about a 45-minute drive from its former spot, but Anderson says Basel’s new home offers plenty of things to do. Anderson hopes her business in St. Francisville will spark day trips for her old customers while bringing in some new faces, too.
Basel’s Market will open Friday, March 8, complete with giveaways at its new location at 5951 N. Commerce St. Basel’s hours will be Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.