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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob HillTue. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wed. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fri. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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The Tuesday night prix fixe has been on "my list" for awhile, so I was very excited to finally experience it a few weeks back. I was not disappointed in any way.
I knew the place would be small, but it was really small, though some how that added to the experience. We almost felt like we were at someone's house...someone's house that made the most decadent dinner rolls ever and served us unique food that kept making me smile. There was nothing "weird" on the menu, but everything had an unexpected twist that took it to another level. I usually like to give details of what I ate (b/c I always look for that in others' reviews), but with the Tuesday night dinner I see no point, since it's just going to be different next time. Bottom line: It was GREAT.
PS - If you haven't been to The Sentinel you must check it out. The sandos are amazing!
I don't complain about food at all (usually) because most of the places that I eat are really good, but I was so disappointed that I had to get on Yelp right away and talk about it!
My sister ordered the three egg thingee and I ordered the Rockfish Hash. The Rockfish Hash sounded pretty good on the menu, but when it came out, I was disappointed. It was overcooked (burnt) potatoes, heavy cream sauce, and very monotone in flavor. I tried to fix my plate with some Tabasco and pepper, but it still tasted bland. It was like something I could make myself. I was disappointed and tried to like the food, but I ate another potato and spit it out because it was burnt. Not only was it not very good, it was expensive. My sister then got boxes to go for our food, but I didn't even want to take my food home, not only that, one of the boxes that the server gave us was really dirty. I didn't want to complain because I knew they would be upset, but my sister insisted and when I told them about the potatoes the server responded with a defensive look on his face,"well thats the first, everyone likes this dish, and most people like their potatoes crispy and this is the way we serve our potatoes". I was thinking in my head this is more than crispy , its burnt! Anyway, he proceeded to take the check without taking my portion of the money, then came back and took my dish and said he would take the dish off our check, but with lots of attitude. First of all, he didn't have to be rude about it and second he didn't have to give us the stink eye. This was just a bad experience and I don't think I will go back there again. The only thing that was good was my sister's food and the brioche. Other than that, I had better. I still tipped them and was cordial, but never again. Ok food and don't complain about your food or else you will get the stink eye!
This place does not miss a step -- then again it helps when Dennis is in the kitchen and is "hands on."
So many big name chefs are not in the kitchen anymore, granted they are good teachers and hire talented executive chefs but its not the same when they are not in the kitchen.
With Canteen you see Dennis and his work is exquisite. Was here the other night for one of his "theme" nights and he decided to do pig and it was a memorable meal.
Well done Dennis -- keep it up.
Its refreshing and a treat to have a top chef making your meal. I loved Dennis Leary's work at… Read more »
My friend had the Benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham because he's Jewish and "doesn't eat that pig stuff." It was delish. My smoked salmon scramble was solid, but not as yummy.
It was our waitress's first day, and my other friend asked for a side of salsa, but she got a side of sausage . . . My friend doesn't slur or mumble, so I'm not sure how they messed that one up.
Main reason for 3 stars: 3 out of 4 of us walk in. How many? Four. Are you all here? No. Sign in and we'll seat you when everyone is here. I look around and see all but one of the tables are empty. I'm confused. In the end, I had to practically beg to be seated before our late 4th person arrived so we could get some coffee. That was awkward and unnecessary. If there are open seats, we should be seated, right?
Canteen scratches me right where I itch. If you love really good food in comfy casual settings, Canteen will be right down your alley. On the other hand, if you feel meals are enhanced by pomp, snazzy decor, high-falootin' faloot, Canteen probably not quite do it for you.
I'm probably pre-inclined to like Canteen because I love old-school diners, and Canteen is essentially a shoe-box sized diner complete with counter and four small booths (the restaurant literally seats 19 people max, so make sure you call ahead). You get the charm of the diner with the sophistication of any of the top restaurants - how could that be a bad thing?
The menu is short, just four choices per course, but I studied it for ages as everything looked so interesting and delicious that it was hard to choose. My main course of braised lamb neck with spicy romesco crust and cranberry beans was one of the tastiest plates of food I've had in ages, almost like a haute cuisine version of birria de res. The standby vanilla souffle doesn't disappoint, but I was even more impressed by the almond cake with a roasted peach.
As a devoted breakfastian, I really need to come back to Canteen for brunch, which, if half as good as dinner, will be seriously memorable.
I really wanted to like Canteen as I am a huge fan of the Sentinel and Dennis Leary, but I have to say that I was kind of disappointed. I came here for dinner and though the service was great, the food was forgettable except for the brioche. That was the best part of the meal and that isn't even a menu item! I think my expectations were too high.
Maybe I should try brunch next time.
What's the fastest way to turn me off a restaurant that (supposedly) has awesome food? Lackluster service, and this place has it, sad to say.
I wanted to like the food and it was OK but when 3 of us get served and I have to wait...and wait...and wait for my plate to arrive, well, it takes the shine off the experience. For such a small place I expected the service to have been polished and efficient and seamless - a no-brainer.
There are far better places with far superior service that won't take away from the experience of enjoying a meal. Together. Sad, realy.
Huge conflict for me. I love Canteen with all my heart. And you should try it. BUT, it is very small. If you go then I may not be able to.
Love breakfast here, from the good coffee to the very best eggs Benedict. It is a small menu, and I've seen a lot of people walk in, look at the menu, and leave. Don't. Order something, anything, and you will love it. The french toast alone is worth coming for, if they have it.
I've been for dinner once. Be careful who you bring with you, they have to be somewhat adventurous as the small menu can present more of a challenge for dinner. But, there is an amuse bouche, there are hot rolls out of the oven, and there is really good food and a well priced wine list. And again, good espresso. And I love the servers here, as a rule. Very friendly and professional. I can't even remember the dessert, off hand, so maybe you can skip that. Or, just don't go. That way I've fluffed my karma by telling you about it, and I can still get a seat at the counter.
Canteen is one of those restaurants that is full of surprises. Chef Dennis Leary (yes, same name as the actor) is incredibly innovative and creative when it comes to planning menu and dishing out gourmet, high quality meals with affortable prices.
The best way to keep up with Chef Leary's menu is to sign up on his email newsletter where you'll receive menu updates and special dinner event annoucement at his restaurant. In addition to his regular weekly menu and Sunday brunch, Canteen also hosts special dinners like a roast pig dinner, or halibut flown in from Alaska among other exotic ingredients.
The toughest challenge with Cantee is space, is a very small restaurant that sits about 15 people at one time and majority of the seatings are at the bar, which I prefer really so you can watch Chef Leary performs his culinary skills before you. A show and a dinner.
I have an addiction to the dinner rolls that they made in-house. It is buttery, warm, fresh out of the oven that all I need really is couple of the rolls and a nice bowl of soup. But of course I wasn't going to deprive myself so I order my usual 3 course meal. Among all the dishes I had from my numerous visits throughout the years, my fondest memory was the duck breast appetizer. It was tender, not over cooked and sliced thinly and dressed with an addictive red wine reduction sauce. The portion was very generous that is was almost like anentree.
But my fellow foodies, beware as you should make reservation for Chef Leary only serves 2 seatings a night.
Come to Canteen early because it gets so crowded in this whole in the wall restaurant. The curry and fish breakfast was amazing and you can't find this dish anywhere else for breakfast. It is fun eating at the counter and I here dinner is great here too!
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH ONLY
BRIOCHE ($3)
Rating: 10/10
This was a revelation. I forgot how good warm, soft bread could taste. For the Filipinos out there or those in the know, it's basically freshly baked warm pan de sol dusted with powdered sugar. The trip is well worth it just for this. Eat it quick though because the less warm it gets the less melt in your mouth it is.
FRENCH TOAST
Rating: 8/10
PIc: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Soft texture of the toast with the sweet cream spread across. This is good start to your morning if you have a sweet tooth.
PORK w/ SOFT EGGS and BLACK BEANS
Rating: 6.5/10
Pic: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The dish was mostly not salty. They did salt or season the avocados, which was an excellent thing to do. Pretty heavy for breakfast. Be ready to go back to bed after this dish.
Complimentary brioche rolls yummmm. If you finish them they won't bring out more unless you ask. They're damn good but also really filling. It must be all the butter.
Had the lamb shoulder and chicken. Both were really tasty. The lamb shoulder was super tender and flavorful while the chicken was some of the most tender chicken I've had in a long time.
For dessert went with the pie and vanilla souffle. Great! They need the dessert orders ahead of time so just keep that in mind.
Canteen is one of those restaurants that you know you'll get great tasting food that will satisfy your stomach and taste buds without eating a whole lot. Rich food + decent portions + moderately high prices.
Limited seating and small too. I guess the chef's are content with taking their time with each dish instead of a mass production line. Fine by me.
Since then
The servers have been uber-nice
We therefore rate them a ten
And though we sometimes roll the dice
We're happily there almost every weekend
Oh Dennis, I love your food and your focused concentration when you crack an egg, toss an omelette… Read more »
I'm still melting from dinner here a couple of weeks ago. Dennis and staff -- I love you.
Been wanting to try it for awhile, as I have a love affair with the Sentinal and adore tiny restaurants. Hubs did some excellent research, and saw that they take reservations for dinner at 6pm, 7:30, and 9pm only. Gives you a lovely hour and a half to enjoy your meal. And it must be said, the wait staff is super efficient with their method of taking all the orders and pacing the meal to be served as soon as the dishes are made. Everyone gets a bottle of water, and my wine glass was never left empty. No complaints on service :)
The FOOD!! Menu is constantly rotating, so I'm already looking forward to going back. Perfectly warm brioche came first. Started with a super fresh, clean tasting zucchini salad with a light dusting of parmesean and toasted almonds, barely tossed with oil and lemon. It tasted like summer; I'm dying to recreate it at home. For my entree, I had salmon with a sauce of fresh tomatoes and basil; definitely a combo I wouldn't have thought to create in my own kitchen. But the acid of the tomato worked nicely, and didn't overpower the salmon at all. Hubs had these perfect little veal medalions that were (almost) too pretty to eat. Moo.
Ended with the only dessert that is always on the menu -- the vanilla souffle. Had to fight off the husband so he would stay on his half of the plate, the bastard. Came ot us straight out of the oven, perfectly sweet and light. I left satiated, but not stuffed. Pleasantly full and cozy.
* le sigh *
My second time here for BRUNCH. BRUNCH is delicious. I ordered the Oyster mushroom omelette with gruyere and my friend had the Prawns Benedict and we also ordered the big pancake, might I say it's a little bite of HEAVEN!
I think we were also starving, but it was heaven.
As for coffee, I would take the espresso over the drip.
It's a cozy place where there's not a lot of seating, but there's booths that fits 3-4 people and counter seats.
Reading the dinner reviews, I'll have to go back for dinner, but Brunch has not disappointed me yet.
Yummy blueberry french toast. Fish hash needs some type of acid - monotone flavor. Don't get the whatever-hash!
Waltzed in for primetime brunch around 1130 am. We happened to score the lonesome one remaining booth. Thank god we didn't have to wait! :)
Food here is QUALITY deliciousness. Portions are small for the price, but everything I had was superb. I had a mimosa which was definitely on the stronger side and had the 3 egg breakfast. Over medium (yolk was the perfectly runny), with potatoes and bacon. I tried to go the healthy route and substitute tomatoes for potatoes, but they didn't have any/do that. Thank goodness. Those potatoes were awesome. Cooked to perfection. Speaking of perfection, the BACON @ Canteen was the best bacon I've ever had. I love bacon and hate when it's not crispy. This bacon is 120% crispy...I loved it!! Mmmm, I can't stop thinking about it and how I wish I wouldn't have given my brother the last piece. Next time you brunch at Canteen, definitely get the bacon, even if it doesn't come with your breakfast!
Small, hip and supposedly ran by a former chef from Rubicon I believe? Went here a few years ago and remember the breakfast being really good and special. Decided to go back 4 years later.
Got there with my wife. Eye candy was limited at best.
Got a seat at the counter which was cool. For how small the place is it is really cute. Ran out of brioche, which was upsetting, but it was 12pm so I guess we got there a bit late. The filipino women serving was terrible. Made no eye contact , we had to ask for water on three different occasions. Not sure what her purpose as, as she was not getting much work done.
I ordered the chicken hash, poached eggs and a side of bacon.. My wife ordered the Chupacabra. I have to admit the Chicken Hash was no bueno. It was covered in Hollandaise sauce which was not on the menu, might want to change that. I sent it back, which they were cool about. The bacon was the best bacon I have ever had. The latte was solid as well. I traded up for eggs, potatoes and bacon which was solid. My wife gave the Chupacabra a goat blood sucking two thumbs up. Cool place for b-fast.
Cute little place by the Commodore Hotel. Had breakfast there and was very pleased with the quality of the food.
The decor of the place is very Euro trendy but efficient. It's a small place with a few tables. I sat at the counter and was very comfortable.
We booked a place about a month in advance on a night that they were serving suckling pig--one of my favorite dishes after spending time in Segovia, Spain--probably the capital of suckling pig.
It's a fixed price menu.
We arrived 15 minutes early and though there were seats open, they ask you to wait so they can serve everyone at once. The only place to sit is in the lobby at a youth hostel /residence type place where their bathroom is also located. It's quite a grimy lobby which people who don't look happy about sharing their place with you.
Once seated, the service was friendly but not able to really serve everyone at once.
The first course was good but small (a reconstructed tomato salad).
The suckling pig was disappointing.
The wines were very reasonably priced and a good selection but nearly every other patron brought their own bottle.
The chef never came out from the kitchen to meet the customers which you half expected in such a tiny, intimate place.
A hip and cozy spot for a sweet, though small proportioned and possibly overpriced, breakfast or brunch with mimosas and good vibes. I recommend either the blueberry french toast with sweet cream cheese or the big pancake with peaches and vanilla syrup. The espresso isn't that great despite their adorable little machine.
This is the third time I've been to Canteen. It just seems to get more exquisite every time. (Though I have determined that I prefer their dinner to their brunch.)
Tonight was a three course prix fix menu. I guess they usually have prix fix menus on Tuesdays, but today the chef had a special inspiration (as he, apparently, often does), and created a prix fix menu for tonight's meal. Dear God above!!! It was incredible.
I've never have a meal this good for only $38 before.
Aperitif: (actually non-alcoholic in this case) was a tomato "juice". I would call it more of a delicate nectar. It was completely clear. There was no trace of red in it. Perhaps it was from a yellow brandy wine tomato or something. I could look right through it, but the flavor was so fresh and full and aromatic. I wish I could drink this with dinner every night! Incredible!
First course: A Halibut & Shrimp terrine in a porcini mushroom sauce. Oh. God. How many time did I (in my head) cry God's name during this dinner? I don't know. VERY MANY. I have never had fish so tender before. It was more like a cloud. A perfectly seasoned cloud of seafood, with a warm fleece blanket of mushroomy goodness. I'm dying inside just thinking about it.
Second Course: Albacore with summer vegetables and smoked eggplant purée. I've never had anything like this before. And let me tell you, as a self proclaimed SF foodie, that is truly refreshing! The Albacore was tender and flaky, and laid on top of a pool of "tomato curry". Or at least that's how they described it. It was a light, robust tomato sauce, with the lightest hint of the curry. I couldn't identify that flavor until they told me it was there, but it completely changed the complexion of the dish. And then there was the smoked eggplant purée. They had a more exciting name for it. I can't remember it. It was DELICIOUS! Though I have to say, I preferred it on it's own. When eaten with the albacore it dominated the palate more than I would have liked. But fantastic none the less. The finishing touch? A small serving of the freshest green beans I have ever tasted! Mmm.
Desssserrrrrrt...:
Corn Pudding with Roasted Peaches. I didn't sound like much when I looked at the menu. But now that I've tasted it... I don't know if I cam remember the last time something tasted so decadent and so light at the same time. The corn pudding had a similar consistency to a very very fluffy and moist bread pudding, only more smooth and refined. The peach half was perfect baked, and sat next the pudding atop what seemed to be a light cream sauce that sewed the two flavors together beautifully.
Truly the best meal I have had in a very very long time. Surprising, orgasmic, subtle, bold, and very very satisfying!
Seated at the counter for the 6 p.m sitting and was not disappointed. $38 pre fixe menu was superb, with fresh rolls and butter server by a marvelously friendly staff.
Crab and tomato salad with eggplant and peppers vinaigrette was followed by various cuts of suckling pig with figs, and finally a fresh and tasty dish of white peaches with creme fraiche, which I loved, and I don't even like peaches.
In such a small space in Nob Hill is an incredible dining experience. Make reservations in advance,… Read more »
Went to Canteen for breakfast on Saturday. I tried to take a friend to Dottie's, but... of course the line was to long, so we came to Canteen instead. This was the third time I have had breakfast there, and had dinner there about a month ago.
Their menu is small, but it very well picked out to cover the wide range of breakfast options. I had a good cremini mushroom, asparagus, and goat cheese omelet. My friend had a rock fish, curried hash, which was also very good.
The food here is consistently good, and tries to stay seasonal (which I always appreciate). The portions are on the small side, but honestly I prefer smaller, high quality portions to larger portions of mediocre food.
Great food; wish i could give 3 1/2 stars but can't. honestly 5 stars for food when we were there. just ok service - almost nonexistent. got a nice espresso after dinner. asked for another - while my wife and i were conversing. came out flat and watery (made by someone else), sent it back and asked for another = got a really shity look and sort of nothing the rest of night. . gimme a break - i would have given this place 5 stars but the ending left me a bad taste in the mouth. I dunno - just b/c its intimate and hyped up doesn't mean you can get away with mediocre service.
I am in LOVE with this restaurant, I wish I lived in SF so I can go eat here!
This past July 4th weekend, my friends and I were lucky enough to dine here on the friday, without any reservation. We had to wait 45 minutes but we didn't mind since we had a big lunch and wanted to walk around the city. The waitress was so accomodating, making sure we all sat together at the counter despite them being busy, and she was also very friendly :)
The food was amazing and I was impressed by the chilled tomato soup in particular. This was a clear soup that was so light but flavorful and doesn't look anything like a regular tomato soup, but tasted far better. We also tried the suckling pig (incredible!!), the lamb (I didn't try it ), the corn pancake with mushrooms and parmesan cheese on top (this was really yummy..) and the sea bass (the sauce was amazing and the fish was cooked perfectly). The vanilla souffle was out of this world!!!! It was also fun to watch the four chefs cook in the tiny kitchen...This is not a cheap restaurant, but I don't mind paying for quality food! Great for special occasions for a small party of people.
Canteen is definitely is on my list of favorite restaurants and I will be going again when I visit SF :) :)
Overall, I was disappointed. I did the $38 pre-fixe, featuring suckling pig (see my photos). The brioche dinner rolls were fantastic; probably the best brioche bread I've ever tasted. However, that was it as far as meeting or beating expectations. The prix fixe included green beans with eggplant and crab vinaigrette, followed by suckling pig (various cuts) with figs, and for dessert, berries and apricot puree with creme fraiche.
It was well executed, but not the "To die for" experience I was expecting.
A quaint little place with an adventurous palette of flavors. I went there for dinner and was blown away by their steak tartare, pork tenderloin, lamb neck (yes neck) and delicious desserts. Everything was cooked to perfection, and beautiful in presentation. It almost feels like a diner - and while I liked the decor (unpretentious and comfortable), it wasn't the most romantic place in the world (if you're looking for a date).
This quaint little restaurant reminiscent of a small town diner, with a hip and modernized flavor to it, serves up a solid brunch! The blueberry french toast is always nothing short of sweet awesomeness. The standard breakfast fare of scrambled eggs, country potatoes, bacon and toast with homemade marmalades is a winner, but then again it's tough to do wrong. The egg custard pancake with strawberries that I ordered during my most recent visit was pretty good and quite unique.
Brunch during peak hours can sometimes be a little bit of a wait, but luckily there is ample waiting room in the lobby of the adjacent Commodore Hotel that it's connected to. Canteen is easily a favorite brunch spot of mine near home but I still need to check it out for dinner.
This joint gets 2 stars because my lamb dish was pretty good. Other than that, it seemed the place was too small and so why was the service so slow when there were like 5 tables? And unfortunately the pino noir was crap too. Sorry, short review or a short place....
What a great little place! (Emphasis on little, as everyone says.) We'd left a really bad play at intermission and saved the evening with dinner at Canteen.
The weekly menu has four appetizers, four mains, and four desserts. We split two apps, two mains, and had the deconstructed chocolate pot de creme (out of this world) for dessert.
The two starters were a halibut gravlax and an arugula salad with pistachios and a parmesan vinaigrette. The gravlax was a little overwhelmed by its sauce and missing the purity of the halibut's taste. The salad, on the other hand, was perfect: refreshing, crispy greens, dressed well, with the bright crunch of toasted pistachios.
As entrees, we had a lamb dish and the vegetarian option, which was a savory corn "clafoutis" with morels. The lamb was very slow cooked, falling apart meat, with lamb sausages and roasted red peppers on the side; while it was good and seasoned well, it was a little unexciting. On the other hand, every taste of the clafoutis was spot-on, both light and transporting at the same time. That's a dish I could eat every day.
I would love to give canteen five stars, but two of the dishes were just good, not great. The other three, though, were sublime. Definitely going back any time I can.
Canteen is an absolute gem in the midst of all the fine restaurants in SF:
Food - 4.5 stars
Service - 4 stars
Performace/Cost - 5 stars
Absolutely a wonderful place to eat without the fru-fru'ness of a top-class restaurant. My friend and I went here on a Friday night - we wanted the coveted 7:30 seating, but to no avail, we were content with the 6:00pm seating. When I walked into the restaurant, I was actually shocked at how small the restaurant was - just four booths and a bar area with maybe 6 stools.
The waitresses seemed friendly and efficient - the one that waited on us was super-friendly and very thoughtful, which is always a plus. She brought out the water, the warm brioche (the best ever...second to the bouchon brioche maybe...) and the amuse-bouche by the chef - goat cheese with picked rhubarb and celery. We ordered a bottle of skylark syrah off of their small but percious wine selection.
We ordered two appetizers - the pea soup for my friend the veal tenderloin with oxtail sauce (i know, it was a bit weird). I loved my dish - the tenderloin was cooked to perfect medium and the little bits of oxtail meat added great flavors to the dish - it was accompanied by julienned endives to add a little bitterness to it, always nice. The pea soup looked very hearty and vibrant in terms of the color. I assume that my friend liked it because I saw the bottom of the bowl!
We both ordered the sweet corn clafoutis accompanies by sauteed oyster mushrooms and swiss chard. It was my first time having the clafoutis as an entree and it was a neat transformation to combine the clafoutis dish with corn rather than cherries or other fruits.
The dessert was a killer - we ordered hazelnut chocolate croquettes and their signature vanilla souffle. What more can you say about the chocolate that is fried? The croquettes were not heavy, instead they were crunchy and silky. I did hope that they used a better quality chocolate though...I tasted a lot of nutella there and no real bits of hazelnut. The vanilla souffle was hot, puffy, creamy and just the right about of sweetness - it was heavenly. Though it looked great and tasted great - their execution could have been better - when we got to almost the bottom of it, I could see the melted butter floating...they could have prepared it better.
The service was efficient and to the point (it had to be since it was such a tiny restaurant)...but I did feel as if the waitresses were roaming to see if we were done or not, which made me cringe a bit, perhaps they could widen the period to 2 hours instead of 1:30?
Overall, what a gem this was - I'll definitely go back to this place whenever I am in the area!
Pretty decent food for basic brunch fare. We were able to get a seat without wait but again we rolled in around 9am.
After a rocky communication start -- waitress couldn't understand that we wanted something sweet to go with coffee. They didn't have coffee cake but they did have brioche which was very nice and buttery.
Menu didn't offer a whole lot of choices but they do have eggs, bacon, toast and country potatoes.
I would come again.
I've been to Canteen three times for brunch and once for dinner. Brunch was very good, but their portions are a bit smaller than most other brunch places, but it's a good size for me (since I'm small). I've had the eggs benedict and panckaes, and both were great.
Dinner was also good. For appetizers, we had prawns and salad. Both were just average. For the main course, we had the sole and pork, both were great (except the sole was a bit too salty). The best part of the meal was the vanilla souffle dessert! Everyone in the restaurant ordered it!
I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.
My lovely boyfriend got reservations on a Friday night for a belated valentine's dinner. Our seats at the counter allowed us to observe the chefs as they magically produced the best meal I've had in a while in the tiniest kitchen imaginable.
Other restaurants give you regular bread; Canteen started us off with warm, buttery, fresh out-of-the-oven brioche. Since the menu changes each week, you probably won't get to order the appetizer that knocked my socks off. I usually dislike celery but this delicious mound of trout (it was like a trout pudding - somewhere between a tuna salad and a mousse consistency) was topped with thin celery slices and it was all wonderful. Our entrees were also great. The service is pleasant; the decor is charmingly off-kilter. I'm a huge fan.
I review thing within their context.
The food here lives up to the expectation. Menu changed weekly. Freshly cooked behind the counter, and they keep serving you up with the freshly baked brioche. Yummm.......
Certainly it is not a cheap place, dinner for two and sharing a bottle of no so expensive wine will set you back about $160. Ingredients are fresh, dishes are simple and not too rich, and portion right.
I love the cozy feeling this place gives, you can see everything from the counter. It is like a high end dinner, strange huh? I would be back to have an intimate dinner with a close friend or a date. Wait staff are pretty on top of things.
I only took off one star for the hassle of getting on the reservation list; having to navigate through the hotel lobby where the restaurant is located at to find the restroom; and the first 4 seats near the door gets the chill every time someone comes in or out.
I went here for drinks soon after they opened a few years ago (the lovely Stellah somehow got us in) and have been meaning to go back ever since. I took Saul last night for his birthday and YUM! I love the vibe here--tiny, super-fast service (almost like a...canteen?), and amazing food. They even have a great selection of old books next to each table to distract you.
While all the food was wonderful, the goat cheese croquette with poached pears was honestly one of the best desserts I have ever had.
After experiencing 2 superb dinners at Canteen, decided to try it out for Sunday breakfast--the fish hash sounded great on the menu, but arrived swimming in a sea of heavy cream. The flavors were good, but the richness of the dish was overwhelming. Also, when I asked for a piece of bread, the no-nonsense waitress said: "oh, so you want a side of toast?" I received two pre-sliced pieces of toast with no butter or jam, and had a $2.50 charge on the bill, that plus the $13.00 fish hash made made for a very expensive so-so breakfast, served with tons of attitude.
Canteen offers the food and service of a formal restaurant, but in a modest environment with (slightly) scaled back prices.
The 6:00 pre-theatre seating generally concludes by 7:30, so if you're looking for a longer, leisurely meal then make a later reservation. We were catching an 8:00 show, and the courses were perfectly timed to get us out of the restaurant with three courses and a bottle of wine in 1.5 hours.
The freshly-baked dinner rolls and small little taste of food before dinner (I forget what that's called) were reminiscent of a more formal restaurant. The small selection of appetizers and entrees looked delicious and it was difficult to decide. They also had a lot of enticing looking reds in the $30-35 range. By far the most memorable course was the vanilla soufflé.
Mushroom soup appetizer: eight dollars. Lamb Neck entree: twenty-four dollars. Vanilla souffle: eight dollars. Enjoying a unique, quintessentially San Francisco food experience? Priceless.
It wasn't until I ate at a few brunch places in West LA did I realize how delicious Canteen was! They have truly set the staple for one of the best french toasts!
Canteen is simple but somehow a "wow" factor is inserted in its recipe. The cranberry french toast is surrounded by a moat of fruit sauce and a heaping dollop of warm, sweet cream cheese. The toast seemed like your normal slim toast from the grocery market (not like the fat or gigantic ones), but held its ground as you pair it with the other ingredients. My friend said the fruit changes daily... sometimes the french toast is paired w/ blueberries, which would have been even more fantastic! Like I said, it's a simple dish without the abrasiveness of show-off chefs. Thin toast, cooked well. Cream cheese, soft, warm and sweet to the taste. Cranberry, you'd think be tart, but works well with the cream cheese spread.
The eggs benedict was fantastic as well. Simple also, but the egg was poached perfectly where the yolk would melt onto the slightly toasted english muffin. The hollandaise sauce was not over-powering, and poured in just the right amount as well.
I was not a huge fan of the deconstructed chicken salad, but mainly because I am just not that into that in general. If you like that salad, then this would be an experience as it actually includes large chunks of chicken and salad where you can distinguish each crunch and pull of salad.
Oh, and not to mention the mom-and-pop kitchen feel of this place makes it less pretentious and more about the enjoyment of its brunch food. It's great!
Complimentary Bottle of House…
Neighborhood: SOMA
$15 Dinner Special
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Neighborhood: Nob Hill
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