laurafrofro's Profile
Need help with romantic Napa dinner....
Agree on Ubuntu. It's my favorite restaurant on the planet right now. Redd is also excellent. Pass on Go Fish. 25 Degrees Brix is v. good - lovely atmosphere and same owner as TWO in SF.
Places photos not showing up in profile
Hi - I've added photos to several Places, but none are showing up in my profile. For example, added photos here http://www.chow.com/photos/228898 - but when I click on "more photos from laurafrofro" my profile page says I haven't uploaded any photos. Thanks in advance for looking into this!
Dinner recs near Divisidero and Fell ?
If you like sushi, Tsunami on Fulton and Divisadero is excellent.
Resataurant Cassis - to occupy Winterland space
Here's my take on it:
Except for a few phrases, I know very little French. French fries, on the other hand, I know pretty well. That's why when I heard Restaurant Cassis was serving delicious takes on traditional French dishes, I enlisted my favorite Francophile, Rebecca, to join me for dinner there on Thursday night.
I wanted to love this place -- I really did -- especially after reading such a glowing review on Vagablond. However, all I can say for my experience is, "Quel dommage." "Pourquoi" you ask?
For starters, in spite of having a reservation, it took about 20 minutes to be seated, and almost that much time for someone to even seem like they cared that we were waiting. I wondered if they were trying to replicate the leisurely European experience right here in San Francisco. The rest of the evening proved that they were, since the three-course meal took almost three hours. I'm not kidding. It's a good thing Rebecca is such good company!
On to the food...
As mon cher Papa always says, you can usually judge how good a restaurant's food will be by its bread. Truly, there's nothing like slice of crusty French bread with rich, salty butter spread on it. Close your eyes and savor that in your mind for a minute. OK, now wake up because that's not what they're serving at Cassis. The bread was forgettable. In fact I almost forgot to write about it until I had a flashback to the tug of war I had getting the ice-cold butter onto my butter knife.
My first course was the Tuna Tartare. Perhaps I should stop ordering this dish, because every time I do, it's never as good as my favorite at La Goulue in New York, and you people are going to get sick of hearing that. However, if you like a very small rough dice, with rock-hard toast accompaniments, head straight over to Cassis. In its defense, the presentation was lovely, though.
Then came what Rebecca and I had hoped would be the pièce de résistance, the fries. What actually arrived looked and tasted like curly fries from Mel's Diner. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Mel's curly fries (believe me), but we were hoping for real French frites.
Fortunately, things turned around with my main course -- the evening's special, Filet Mignon in Peppercorn Sauce with Chickpea French Fries. If you couldn't already tell, I love fries. I also love chickpeas. The result was quite good. Reminded me a bit of polenta fries, but even better. The beef was cooked just the way I like it (medium rare) and the sauce was flavorful and not too heavy. Which was nice because I needed room for....
Tarte Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert. The tart was buttery and easy to sink a fork into, the apples were sweet, delicious and the perfect consistency. The ice cream was creamy (always a good quality in ice cream, I suppose) and flecked with vanilla beans.
The tableware was lovely, particularly the colorful floral espresso and coffee cups. The decor is also quite nice, and the place is filled with natural light (especially now since it's light outside long into the evening).
Would I recommend the place? Well, at the risk of being hunted down ("Cherchez la femme!") I'll say that if you enjoy French food and are looking for someplace new to try, Cassis should be on your list. Would I go there twice? Non.
Favorite SF Restaurants for the Money
I have to disagree with you on Chez Maman. Had a very disappointing brunch there. Sat outside and gazed wistfully at Rose's across the street. Thoroughly agree with you on Capannina, though. I live nearby, and when I first moved to the neighborhood, I ate there six times in eight weeks. Love Garibaldi's on Presidio too.
looking for "wow"...
Went to Coi for the first time recently and loved it. I agree with gemster, too - Quince is always a good choice - I've been to two birthday dinners there so far and both were wonderful.
Report: SF, Napa, Dry Creek Trip
Sorry I didn't get to you in time -- next trip to Napa, don't miss PRESS. The steak, sides and chocolate souffle are to die for.
