My first time at Sassafraz

My delicious steak 

The beautiful interiors

Sometime last week, I caught up with some friends over dinner at Sassafraz (100 Cumberland St) -- my first time there after years of hearing about it and passing by it on my way to some other restaurant in Yorkville.

I'll have to admit that a small part of me assumed it would be a bit overrated, stuffy even, given its location. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a new go-to for a lovely dinner out.

From the outset, service was excellent. Our server was kind and accommodating. When a friend commented that she could not find the burger she meant to order on the menu, our server quickly clarified that it was on the bar menu instead and that she should be able to order it, no problem.

The food was phenomenal. I felt like having a steak and ordered a 6 oz tenderloin, which came with potato gallette, charred cippolini, Brussels sprouts, and mushroom duxelles. It arrived more done than the medium I was expecting, but it was delicious nonetheless. The duxelles were a nice touch, and the potato... It was exquisite. It had a bit of crisp on the outside and a softness and flakiness on the inside. I wanted more of it.

I didn't get to try any of the dessert, though the caramelized banana sounded pretty enticing. For those curious, it comes with coconut pastry cream, pineapple, phyllo crisp, and passion fruit sorbet... In other words, it is perfection. I will definitely try it the next time I find myself at Sassafraz.