Text Size:
A|
A|
A
Email
Print
Cassis, which opened on the North Side in October, is a cozy sort of hideaway, the kind of place that looks much smaller from the street. The decor has a slightly mismatched quality, like that of an English tea room, from the walls painted in shades of warm red, blue and green, chintz-patterned upholstery and homey vases of flowers. A real fireplace casts a cozy glow on the well-shined wood floor.
The bar, tucked away to the side and up a short staircase, has an art deco look that inspires an assignation over classic cocktails. I was a bit surprised at the lack of a drink list, because owner Dianne Porter worked as a bartender at Morton's for 15 years before opening her own place. It would have been nice to get a sense of Porter's favorite drinks, but there is an interesting, affordable wine list (with a few bold, pricier options for the Morton's clientele), and bartenders handily whipped up an Old Fashioned ($8) and a Sidecar ($9), although they're as likely to suggest a distinctly less distinguished blackberry Mojito ($8).
The menu, created by Porter and executed by a kitchen staff, gives diners a peek into Porter's aesthetic. It's easy to imagine her whipping up a few of these appetizers for a cocktail party, such as the creamy smoked trout mousse served with slices of apple and well-buttered toasted bread, or the olive tapenade served with long spears of daikon radish, a surprisingly tasty and very healthful combination.
Food:
Service:
Atmosphere:
Overall:
900 Western Ave., Allegheny West
412-586-7794
- Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday brunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Basics: This cozy neighborhood gathering spot emphasizes simple dishes with eclectic flavors for an affordable price. The menu emphasizes small plates, salads and sandwiches, with just a few entrees supplemented by daily specials.
- Recommended dishes: Smoked trout spread with sliced apples and toasted baguette, black olive tapenade with sliced radish dippers, dandelion salad with hot bacon vinaigrette, wine-braised hot beef sandwich, grilled peanut butter and bacon on rye.
- Prices: Appetizers, $5-$13; salads, $7-$10; entrees, $6-$19; desserts, $2.50-$8.
- Drinks: About a dozen white and red wines, many available by the glass, organized by flavor profile. More than half less than $30 a bottle. Wine markups are generally low, typically hovering around 200 percent. Full bar and well-trained bartender with good general knowledge of the classics. No cocktail list, although there are a few sweet drinks on the dessert list.
- Summary: Wheelchair accessible; credit cards accepted; reservations accepted; corkage $10.
- Noise level: Not able to determine.
A number of the sandwiches would be well received at any sports-viewing event, especially the glorious peanut butter and bacon on rye bread ($6; get it grilled) or the hot beef with a thick spread of caramelized onions ($9).
These types of homey, simple dishes have a place at a neighborhood restaurant, especially when they're this well priced. They inspire "I just don't feel like cooking" eating out. But in Pittsburgh, and especially on the relatively sleepy North Side, I suspect a restaurant can't survive on that kind of dining alone. At some point, simplicity starts to resemble a lack of sophistication.
Even at only $6, curried lentil salad that consists entirely of lentils and a curry vinaigrette garnished with a ruffled piece of kale seems a tad steep.
The dandelion salad ($8) was a much better choice, the substantial greens rounded out with slices of hard-boiled egg, a warm bacon vinaigrette and yet more bacon as a garnish. It was lovely to taste properly cooked bacon that still had some chewiness, and the slight bitterness of the greens was pleasantly tempered by the meat's saltiness.
The list of entrees is relatively short, especially if you're looking for something besides a sandwich, and the specials were often better bets than the regular offerings. The steak fajita ($10), which seemed tough even for flank steak, was served more like a burrito, the steak wrapped up in a tortilla with black beans and tomatillo salsa. Where were the sauteed peppers and onions that are essential to anyone's definition of a fajita?
I fared much better with a sort of oversized lamb meatball in a lovely mustard sauce, served with steamed white rice and asparagus. Almost like an individual meatloaf, this dish was welcome comfort food.
A credible veal and white bean stew ($20) was another tasty option from a specials list. The white beans (happily present in much greater quantity than small, slightly gray pieces of stewed veal) were flavorful and creamy, while stewed whole tomatoes and caramelized onion quarters gave it a rustic feel.
Both a roast turkey sandwich and a coq au vin blanc could have been saved by a smarter choice of protein. Rather than real roast turkey, cooked and sliced on the premises, this sandwich seemed to be made with mediocre deli meat that had a plastic texture and little flavor. The cranberry sauce and smoked gouda cheese were tasty, but so close to Thanksgiving it was impossible to forgive the lackluster turkey ($8).
Everyone substitutes chicken for the rooster traditionally called for in coq au vin, but this is the first time I've seen someone try to substitute chicken breast. It became dry and flavorless and the fennel-laced sauce tasted more medicinal than rich and soothing ($16).
For the most part dishes were as well executed as they could be, but the kitchen hasn't quite gotten the hang of working with phyllo dough, which is no easy task. It was more greasy than crispy in both a savory guise -- filled with softened but underseasoned eggplant, feta and onions -- and a sweet one -- filled with slightly overcooked Granny Smith apples ($7).
The pickled carrots that accompany many of the entrees, while a fantastic idea, didn't quite work in practice. In the batch I sampled, the carrots had been cooked too much, so they were soft rather than crunchy, and they tasted barely sour.
Many of the desserts are brought in, and consequently they're not terrible, but they're not particularly worth the calorie expenditure either. A slice of pound cake tasted frozen and defrosted ($8). It was fun to order an old-fashioned ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce ($6), but the description lead me to expect something much more exciting than a scoop of slightly icy vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, Hershey's syrup and a maraschino cherry.
Everyone loves the idea of a neighborhood restaurant, but at the moment, eating at Cassis seems more like being invited to the home of a fun, casual cook and then being asked to eat without the pleasure of the host's company.
Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
