The lights inside Cassis glow. Really glow. At first, I wondered about the purpose of the glossy finish on the subway-tiled walls. Just for aesthetics? But when my table was in a spot that gave me a panoramic view of the dining room and bar, I got it – soft, warm light from the sconces and ceiling pendants ricochets off the tile, bursting into sparkly little glow balls.
Inspired by French bistro culture, Cassis – glow balls and all – feels jarringly hopeful. It is beautiful and upbeat and busy. Since co-owner and chef Kyle Knall took over Birch + Butcher in 2020, rebranding it and surpassing its predecessor as simply Birch, it has felt like Knall has the Midas touch. Cassis, the culinary showpiece of the new 333 Water high-rise building kitty-corner from Milwaukee Public Market, is further proof of that.
Although Knall and his wife and partner Meghan worked with architects (Milwaukee’s Dan Beyer and Chicago’s Kuchar) on the build-out, Meghan was the visionary for the design. With seating for 200 – in cozy nooks, or banquettes next to huge windows facing the river, or classic wooden “bistro chairs” that cluster in front of the two-sided bar that is stocked with bottles almost to the ceiling – Cassis has fulfilled its mission of transporting us to the land of great wine and steak frites…