Cassis: Dine About Town 2009

I apologize for my blogging hiatus; work and other activities have been keeping me busy. I've also been dealing with two health issues that are fairly unfortunate for a food blogger -- stomach acid reflux and a mild onset of carpal tunnel syndrome. I think my body is warning me about certain aspects of my lifestyle? (Oh caffeine, how I miss thee.)

But fear not, the foodie explorations have continued! For this year's Dine About Town, we tried out Cassis, a casual-chic French restaurant in the lower Pac Heights area.

Loved the ambiance and decor

Our table. Three courses for $34.95. Ready, set, go!

Warm goat cheese salad with bacon and pine nuts

The actual salad part of this first course was nothing particularly special, but the warm goat cheese was so damn good that I wished I could just order more slices of it separately. Super soft and creamy, and the slight warmth made its texture even silkier.

Grilled lamb tenderloin with provençale sauce, served with crispy polenta

The lamb tenderloin was decent, tender and properly cooked. I thought the provençale sauce was a tad too heavy, but another friend liked how it masked the gamey taste of the lamb. The polenta was wonderful though -- a perfect golden color, slightly crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.

Mmm ... delish.

Vanilla crème brulée with a touch of bourbon vanilla

My favorite dish from the meal overall was dessert. The crème brulée was textbook perfection, and the extra dash of vanilla really pulled everything together nicely. I was quite sad when I ate my last spoonful. Judging from my friends' expressions, the other two dessert options -- fresh strawberry tart and cream puffs with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce -- were just as pleasing to the taste buds.

'Till next time! Au revoir!

Cassis
2101 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
www.restaurantcassis.com