DIXON — When people walk through the doors of Basil Tree Ristorante, Mili Dalipi hopes his restaurant speaks to them — and that it tells them: “Welcome home.”

On a corner of downtown Dixon, Dalipi has created a place where the warm embrace of its ambiance provides people a respite from the routine of the world outside the restaurant’s doors: a place to relax, enjoy a meal, and get away from it all — all the way to Italy.

It’s the kind of place where waiting for your meal doesn’t feel like waiting at all, as your eyes wander around the walls and soak in the scenery, taking in the character Dalipi has created for the restaurant he opened in 2009.

Time takes a break at Basil Tree Ristorante, where things slow down while friends and family enjoy an Italian dish or couples enjoy a date-night dinner. Quiet conversations linger at the tables covered in white tablecloths while light pools softly over them. The walls are filled with framed photos, old-world textures and visual surprises that reveal themselves depending on where you sit.

The setting’s surroundings are intentional, designed to make customers feel welcome and comfortable.

“When we designed this place, we wanted it to look like an old Italian home, like you’re in Italy,” Dalipi said. “It worked out really good because this is actually one of the oldest buildings here in town, and it’s pretty historic.”

The building itself dates back to 1895 and has lived many lives: a hotel, bank, YMCA, library, and Moose and Elks clubs. When Basil Tree moved in, Dalipi added another chapter to its story, not so much by glossing over that past but absorbing it, adding touches of his own. In spring and summer, electric candles glow at the tables. In fall, locally grown flowers appear. Winter brings lamps and warmth. The effect is subtle but intentional, transforming the dining room into something closer to a shared living space than a restaurant floor.

“It looks real nice for dinner,” Dalipi said. “It makes it a real nice, cozy environment.”

The broad menu is rooted in classic Italian-American cooking, with familiar comfort dishes balanced with a range of traditional preparations. Appetizers include bruschetta, calamari, mussels served scampi-style or fra diavolo, mozzarella fritti, ricotta meatballs and Italian sausage with roasted peppers. Soups and salads feature a rotating soup of the day, house and Caesar salads and burrata paired with prosciutto and tomatoes.

Baked dishes such as manicotti and lasagna bolognese also are available. Chicken and veal entrées are prepared in classic styles including Marsala, Parmesan, Francese and Vesuvio. Steaks, risotto and seafood dishes such as shrimp scampi, salmon piccata, halibut Livornese, scallops with risotto, and a traditional seafood stew round out the menu.

Pasta is Basil Tree’s centerpiece — and there’s plenty to pick from. The menu invites customers to “create your pasta dish,” with nine different kinds of pasta and nine different sauces made in-house, and options to add chicken, Italian sausage, meatballs, shrimp or vegetables. All told, 405 different combinations can be made from these pasta options, or 81 without an add-on.

Pasta selections include angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, penne, gnocchi, ravioli, tortellini or gluten-free. Included among the sauces are the basilica (tomato sauce, basil, wine and garlic), vodka (tomato sauce, vodka, cream) and the newest option: creamy pesto (garlic, basil and cream), which Dalipi introduced last year.

The flexibility is by design: Rather than steering diners toward a single signature dish, Dalipi’s approach emphasizes choice and accommodation, allowing guests to tailor meals around their tastes or dietary needs. For him, the goal is less about limiting options and more about meeting diners where they are.

“There are different types of pasta you can pick from, and different kinds of sauces that we make fresh to order, and you can add some [meat] or veggies to make it your own,” Dalipi said. “If there’s someone who doesn’t like onions, there is something that doesn’t have any onions on it, and if you’re gluten-free, we have gluten-free options. Ninety percent of the menu can be made gluten-free. We try to accommodate everybody.”

Dalipi’s philosophy has carried over through the years as the menu has evolved. While many staples have remained unchanged — “These are traditional items that we’ve kept all throughout our 17 years,” Dalipi said — Basil Tree isn’t afraid to branch out. The kitchen regularly introduces new dishes, often as daily specials first. In recent years, that experimentation has leaned more heavily into seafood. Shrimp, halibut Livornese, and scallops risotto (introduced last year) have all expanded the menu’s reach without straying from its roots.

“We get people here who usually get what they are used to, or try to stick with something that they’re used to.” — but that doesn’t mean they’re not open to trying something new, and Dalipi is more than happy the encourage them. “If they come more than once, we’ll try and kind of push them to something else.”

The approach has served Dalipi well, helping him build up many regulars through the years.

Certain days bring their own rhythm. Valentine’s Day is one of the restaurant’s biggest nights, drawing both regulars and first-timers.

“Valentine’s Day is a huge day for us,” Dalipi said. “We go heavy on specials for that night. We get a lot of first-timers and people who may only go out once a year, so we’ll try to go a little toward something that they may be familiar with.”

Another holiday that draws customers: Mother’s Day. Though the restaurant is normally closed on Sundays, it makes an exception for moms’ special day.

Downstairs, there’s a private party area that can seat up to 45 people, often booked for birthdays, anniversaries and family gatherings. Dalipi says he has bigger ideas for the space — such as a speakeasy-style concept he’d like to carve out someday — but for now it serves the same purpose as the rest of the restaurant: bringing people together.

Inside the lobby, a wall of fame quietly documents the restaurant’s brush with celebrity. Autographed photos and signatures line the space from musicians and actors who’ve passed through Dixon, many after performing at the nearby Dixon Historic Theater. They include notable names such as Styx, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick and Ed Asner — and there’s more coming attractions, Dalipi said.

“As long as we’ve been here, we’ve had people come along who are famous, or are in some real cool bands,” Dalipi said. “I probably have about 30 more [people] to put up there.”

Rooted in history, built on familiarity, and shaped by choice, Basil Tree blends atmosphere and tradition with flexibility in tastes. It’s an approach Dalipi says guides everything he and his staff do.

“With great food and a great atmosphere, we try to please everybody,” Dalipi said. “I have a great staff that’s been here for a long time. We try to accommodate everybody.”

Basil Tree Ristorante, 123 East First St. in Dixon, is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to basiltree2008.com or call 815-288-7555 for reservations or for more information.