Canteen (San Francisco, CA )

Leary Surpasses All Expectations at Canteen

Our destination tonight was Canteen, one of the hottest restaurants in San Francisco and the home of rising star chef Dennis Leary, formerly of Rubicon. As of two days ago, I did not expect to be dining at Canteen. I received a surprise call last night confirming a reservation that I thought did not exist. I had called the restaurant a few weeks ago to see if it would be open on Christmas Eve and assumed the worst when I never heard back. Nevertheless, I accepted the reservation immediately, cancelled my reservation at Piperade and informed my parents of the great news.

Upon first glance, the restaurant is extremely unassuming. It is set just off of the lobby of the Commodore Hotel right in downtown San Francisco. The dining room looks like an old diner complete with counter seats, small booths, and an old worn clock. The restaurant has a maximum capacity of 20 so every meal is small, intimate, and personalized. Dennis’s work can be observed firsthand via the open kitchen and one certainly feels as if they have a personalized chef for the evening. For this Christmas Eve, he had prepared a special four course holiday prix fixe menu.

Having had an extremely hectic, line filled travel experience we were all desperately in need of a relaxing meal together. We arrived exactly at 6 PM and were seated after a brief wait. We were greeted by a very friendly server and I ordered a glass of the Borgo di Colloredo Aglianico, Italy 2001. The wine was a mixture of three different grapes, was full bodied, and had an extremely distinctive taste that I enjoyed.

Our meal began with a perfect piece of brioche. The soft, warm buttery bread simply melted in our mouths. The brioche was so rich it could have been served as a dessert and none of us would have complained. The amuse bouche that followed consisted of smoked duck, green tomatoes, orange puree, and a small piece of toast. This dish has an interesting combination of sweet and sour flavors as well as a mixture of different textures. The coarse toast, smooth orange puree, tender duck, and crunchy tomatoes complimented each other beautifully. The dish had an overall uniquely sour flavor that I greatly enjoyed.

Our first course was a spare rib salad with prunes, escarole, and cranberries. Both my parents and I adored this dish. My Dad, who normally does not like spare ribs, commented that this was the best spare rib meat he had ever had. The meat was unbelievably tender, had a strong smoked flavor, and was devoid of any fat. The cranberries could not have been any fresher and were a perfect match for the rib meat. The greens were crisp and fresh. This is one of the best salads that any of us have ever had.

After finishing another piece of brioche, we received our second course which was chanterelles soup pureed with walnuts and red wine. The mushroom had a fair amount of cream but it was deftly prepared so that the cream was barely detectable. The walnut puree gave the soup an extremely earthy flavor. I appreciated this different take on what is often a disappointing soup in my opinion. The large portion was also impressive. Overall, all of the portions that we received were generous and the meal provided an unbeatable value of quality and quantity.

Our final savory course was wild salmon with artichokes, Tuscan kale, and sauce “soubise”. This dish was a real standout due to its incredibly unique composition. The salmon sat on a bed of kale, pureed artichoke, and onion sauce with whipped cream. Thinly sliced pieces of fresh artichoke adorned the top of the salmon. This dish demonstrated a fresh, earthiness that was similar to the chanterelles soup that I likewise loved. These two dishes were very reminiscent of Bradley Ogden’s style which consists of extremely fresh, organic ingredients. I had enjoyed his cooking when I was in Las Vegas two months ago. The salmon was moist and strongly flavored.

Our meal concluded with gingerbread and caramelized pineapple, with whipped cream. All of three of us were floored by this dessert. The gingerbread was exceedingly moist and light, a pleasant contrast from the typically dense presentation of gingerbread cake that I am accustomed to. The caramel sauce, caramelized pineapple, and whipped were all excellent.

Canteen gets my highest recommendation. The ingredients are of the highest quality, the quality of the dish preparation is superb, and the dishes themselves are extremely creative. The small room and attentive service make for an intimate and personalized experience. The simple dining room is the perfect place for an unpretentious culinary odyssey.

The Facts
Name: Canteen
Address:
817 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
Phone: (415) 928-8870
Cuisine: Californian
Price: 4-Course Holiday Prix Fixe ($40)