Sweet Basil Thai House, Marshall Street’s newest dining option, will feature a menu with half Thai food and half Vietnamese food.

The new restaurant opened its doors on Sept. 5, replacing Cosmos Pizza & Grill. Sweet Basil, featuring a menu of half Thai and half Vietnamese cuisine, was previously located in Mattydale. The Mattydale store, located on Brewerton Road, was very popular and the restaurant’s success prompted the move to Marshall Street, said Tom Tran, Sweet Basil’s manager.

“There are so many students and potential customers in this area,” he said. “By opening up this location, we’re offering something new on the market.”

Tran said he hopes to provide “authentic Vietnamese food” to Syracuse University and the surrounding area. He added that the restaurant would be sticking to its Vietnamese menu at first, and would be rolling out its Thai menu later on, most likely beginning with Thai curries next weekend. Sweet Basil’s menu offers many gluten-free and vegan friendly dishes, making it appealing to a wide range of clientele.

Tran also said that he has been hiring from the student body to meet the considerable staffing demands of the new Marshall Street location.

In addition to the throng of new student hires, he brought several long-time employees over from the previous Mattydale location with him.

As for the SU student community, reactions to the new opening have been positive. Raelle Alfaro, a junior public relations and psychology major, said one of her friends already went to Sweet Basil and enjoyed it, and she’s looking forward to trying it herself.

Other students like Imani Howard, a senior political science and African American studies major, are excited for the future of the new dining option, but will always remember what came before it fondly.

“The new Vietnamese place looks cool and I’m looking forward to trying it out,” she said. “Still … I’m always going to miss Cosmos. It holds a special place in my heart.”

Published on September 16, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Thomas: tjbeckle@syr.edu