Cassis Splits Personality in a French Twist

Cassis is barely three months out of the starting gate, but it’s already one of our better French restaurants. Too bad hardly anyone seems to have noticed.

Perhaps the problem is its contradictory style. Decor and menu want to suggest both the lap of luxury and the feeling of a humble bistro. On one hand, crisp linens and fine wineglasses await at your table; on the other, there are rustic-looking indoor awnings and posters of French wine regions, as in your basic casual restaurant.

The boxy, warehouse-like effect of the huge dining room--its ceiling, walls and exposed air ducts all painted mauve--would go better with something self-consciously hip or festive, such as the previous occupant, the late, unlamented Cabo Coast. And the enormous glass view windows, which display the traffic whizzing by on Jamboree Road, belong to still another school of restaurant design.

By day, Cassis may seem somewhat gauche. By night, though, when the traffic subsides and the lighting is soft and subtle, a grudging elegance comes through.

Owner George Foddai brings a wealth of experience to his new restaurant. He is a French-born Italian who already owns two successful restaurants, Giorgio’s Place and La Grotte, both in downtown Long Beach. Foddai is hoping Orange County diners will respond the way that his Long Beach patrons have, and he’s improved his odds by hiring Byron Gemmell.

Gemmell has been an Orange County restaurant star for more than a decade. He was trained by a chef famous for his touch with delicate foods--Jean Bertranou of the legendary Los Angeles restaurant L’Ermitage. In the early ‘80s, Gemmell was chef-owner of the excellent Gemmell’s in Costa Mesa. Most recently, he headed up the kitchen at Chanteclair.

There’s no doubt about his skills as a cook. At Gemmell’s, he prepared one of the best versions of foie gras I have ever tasted. But don’t expect that type of dish at Cassis. The restaurant doesn’t plan to serve anything over $15, which rules out masses of foie gras.

Happily, that $15 price point still leaves Gemmell a lot of room. The best value is a $12.95 prix fixe dinner of soup, entree and dessert. One evening I had a fragrant pureed green pea soup, followed by rotisserie chicken with potatoes and a spinach timbale, then a crusty apple tart.

On the a la carte menu, the appetizers are generally opulent, with occasional touches of lightness and originality. Gulf shrimp are sauteed to crispness and served on a bed of spinach in a well-balanced balsamic vinegar sauce with just enough sweetness. Roasted goat cheese, which has become a cliche in lesser hands, is a pleasure. Gemmell serves it with slivered almonds and a gutsy handful of sauteed cabbage, a combination that makes sense as soon as you taste it.

Among the other appetizers are marinated salmon with a smooth dill sauce and prosciutto with celery root, capers and shaved Parmesan cheese. Gnocchi with asparagus and foie gras (a little bit of it, diced into a deglazed sauce) is too rich for a first course but not substantial enough for an entree, and the flavors don’t quite go together. “Baby artichoke baked Provencale” is stuffed with a salty mixture of bread crumbs and diced tomatoes.

The entrees frequently showcase Gemmell’s sauce-making abilities. One solid choice is roasted duck, available with either a cassis sauce (that is, a sauce based on cassis , or black currants) or a rich green peppercorn sauce. Gemmell serves his duck in the Nouvelle Cuisine fashion started around 25 years ago in France. The breast is sliced and the leg is served en confit (preserved in salt and fat and then fried). It’s a dish I’d eat any day of the week.

Several entrees are hearty bistro-type dishes, perhaps a bit upscaled. Braised lamb shank is straight-ahead--one large shank with mashed potatoes and baby vegetables--but the pork loin with mustard sauce (thick slices of perfectly cooked meat) comes in a sauce that is much more patrician than you’d expect at any bistro.

The chef’s fish preparations look luxurious beside the bistro dishes. The ethereally light sand dabs are sauteed in olive oil and white wine, then sprinkled with pine nuts. Whitefish is baked with baby artichokes and a sprinkling of a sweet spice. Poached salmon comes in a light parsley sauce with asparagus.

Don’t miss the golden puffs of pureed potato that Gemmell calls Byron’s potatoes. They are a take on the classic French pommes dauphine , and they happen to be exquisite. One of my guests remarked he’d like to eat a plate of them for dinner, with sour cream and caviar. Soon afterward, a side of them arrived--with sour cream. (Caviar is probably too luxurious for the concept here, remember.)

While he was enjoying his potatoes as a dessert, the rest of us had a pear poached in red wine and filled with a light chocolate mousse, plus a lemon tart with a pungent filling and a light crust. But even though our pastries capped the meal off with a flourish, we secretly envied our friend and his dish of potatoes. So maybe Cassis’s oddball mixture of bistro heartiness and lap-of-luxury haute cuisine works after all.

Cassis is moderately priced. Appetizers are $4.50 to $9. Entrees are $12.95 to $14.95.

CASSIS

* 2636 Dupont Drive, Irvine.

* (714) 476-3092.

* Lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner Monday through Saturday 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Closed Sunday.

* All major cards accepted.