So if it weren't for a similar-looking pastry case that caught my eye just inside the door of Abigail's Bakery and Cafe a few weeks ago, I probably would have ignored the unassuming brown facade and continued walking.

I'm glad I didn't.

Neighborhood secret

Abigail's opened a few months ago just off Fillmore Street in San Francisco's Cow Hollow neighborhood, and though the area gets quite a bit of foot traffic, the tiny restaurant has yet to be fully discovered.

The beautiful pastries are crafted by owner Cuong Do, but it's chef Josh Bush who has created the California-French menu that makes Abigail's a spot that has the potential to become a neighborhood staple.

Presentation is also a hallmark when it comes to savory dishes. Plates like the beet salad ($9) and the seared scallop entree ($21) remind me of Impressionist paintings -- strokes of color run together in a pattern that looks purposeful but not manipulated.

It sparks a brief admiration of the plate, but allows you to genuinely appreciate the flavors -- supple beets and earthy mushrooms in the starter salad, and caramelized, buttery scallops in the entree.

With the concentration on the appearance of the food, the decor of the restaurant plays second fiddle. The interior is cozy but subdued, with cream walls and dark wood tables in the back, and only a few scattered French paintings to breathe life into the otherwise unadorned space. It's small enough that you can hear what's going on at every table and see into the kitchen from every seat, which makes it feel a bit like eating in someone's home.

The fact that our server was the same on all three visits only added to this mood. She was competent and friendly, and smiled with recognition each time we returned.

Bush's menu focuses on seasonal ingredients with a selection that changes often, but some dishes, like a bright ring of ahi tuna tartare ($13), seem to have a permanent home on the menu. Served with fried wonton chips, the gems of tuna are tempered by a smooth avocado mousse.

An arugula salad ($9) is another wise choice. The peppery greens are given an inventive treatment marked by the caramelized flavor of roasted apples and spiced pecans.

Not all starters were as exciting. The fried calamari ($9), for example, had a chalky coating that wasn't as crisp as I would have liked, and a tiny ramekin of jalapeno-wasabi tartar sauce didn't have the curing effect that a good cocktail sauce can have on otherwise dull seafood.

Rich offerings

The risotto ($9), enhanced with goat cheese and garnished with a smattering of fried basil, needed work as well. It was overly rich, impairing our appetites for subsequent courses.

Like those at a good French bistro, many of the entrees are rich but satisfying.

Tagliatelli al funghi ($18) features crescents of tender mushrooms nestled in a tangle of fresh, wide pasta. The sauce, redolent of creme fraiche, herbs and cheese, has a creamy viscosity that makes it worth saving for a night out.

The grilled skirt steak ($21) is also delightful, fanned over half of the plate atop a sweet, crisp corn pudding. The side is a beacon of late summer produce, and is one of the better dishes on the menu.

However, the kitchen does have a few missteps in the entree department. The texture of the steamed lingcod ($21) was mushy, and the sour lemon-rhubarb compote on top was a strange match for the fish.

Pork chop flops

Likewise, the jasmine-scented pork chop ($19) arrived overcooked and chewy, with an oddly tame stuffing given the inclusion of bacon.

Similar to a few of the patisseries I found in France, it's almost impossible that the taste of dessert -- although satisfying -- will top the outward appearance. Abigail's was no exception.

Because there's no dessert menu, diners must walk over and select from the case. Pastries range from $4 to $5, and though they were housed in what appeared to be a temperature-controlled case, we were disappointed.

The apple tart was cold and hard to cut through, while a mini cheesecake topped with flawless raspberries was surprisingly warm. We did, however, enjoy a ring of chocolate mousse cake and a piece of tiramisu.

Though the dinner menu is the most interesting, diners who have found Abigail's are delighting in breakfast and lunch as well. It's likely to be only a matter of time before it's a neighborhood favorite.

I know I'll return, even if it's just to peruse the pastry case.

Amanda Gold is a Chronicle staff writer. E-mail her at agold@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle