Cassis

There was so much interest in Restaurant Week that I was able to send two groups to restaurants both Wednesday and Thursday. Andrenne led the group that went to Cassis on Wednesday and volunteered to send me a review. I haven't changed her words at all, just made it fit into the normal format.

Date

7/15/09

Location

One of the first restaurants when you turn onto Water Street, before Mono Loco

210 W Water St, Charlottesville VA 22902

What I ate
I ate pan-fried oysters, medium-rare strip steak with fries and mustard sauce, and finished with an apple tart a la mode

Who went

Myself, Jose, Robby

Website
http://www.cassisrestaurant.com/menus.php

Thoughts
Jose and Robby agreed that they were happy with their meals, who both got salmon as their
entree. Personally, I wasn't a fan of my steak, which they described as medium rare. As someone who grew up eating medium rare steak (basically still bleeding) at home every Friday night, I felt like I was eating a giant hunk of raw steak at Cassis. It was barely seared on the outside, and not even pink on the inside-- just a dark raw color. Because it was so uncooked, it was impossible to chew, and I couldn't finish the whole thing. It was just too unpleasant.

The oysters were good, but both Robby and I agreed that the apple tart left something to be desired. The crust was tasty and the ice cream high quality, but the apple filling was just half a skinned apple. The apple itself was a mealy texture and didn't have many spices to complement its flavor. I expect buttery layered apple slices with a healthy dose of cinnamon!

I'm not sure if restaurant week was a deal. The prices on the regular menu at Cassis are high-ish, but even if I got an appetizer, entree, and dessert, I could still easily come in under a pre-tax total of $25.

Recap
Pros - cool atmosphere, live music, good service

Cons - food less than impressive (even somewhat horrifying), restaurant week not a better deal than going there otherwise

Overall - Also, a con of restaurant week in general, why the boring menus? A lot of these restaurants are serving the beef/chicken/veggie standards, not really allowing for the spirit of adventure, unless they're daring enough to put something unconventional on the appetizer list. I would expect more creativity from these chefs who take so much pride in running the best kitchens in Charlottesville.

I would go to Cassis again, given that Jose and Robby were happy, and the tastes that I took of their dishes were pretty yummy, but I would definitely avoid the steak, or ask for a more thoroughly cooked version.