BBE Editor's Pick

Canteen

817 Sutter St., San Francisco (Tenderloin)

Dennis Leary pulls together what he calls “French diner food”—in Canteen’s matchbox-size kitchen, without pretension. Rabbit, lamb, quail or fish often supply the rustic framework on which more delicate sauces and purees are applied. The menu at this former coffee shop on a well-worn downtown street changes nightly, but is based on a selection of four starters, four entrées and four desserts. The first bite of a vibrant artichoke salad hints at the kitchen’s focus on substance over style; a simple piece of salmon is cooked to lovely, uniform perfection from its surface to its center. The desserts are always tempting, but the seductively rich vanilla soufflé has been on the menu since the Boston Red Sox won the World Series, and fans tend to feel that both events are well worth waiting for.

menu musts*

Raw artichokes and Treviso salad
Morels and oyster mushrooms gratin
Guinea hen with braised cabbage, lentils and bacon
Vanilla soufflé
*menu changes weekly view full menu here

sweet seats

At the counter you can watch an exuberant chef delight in the creation of each dish.

chew on this

The warm brioche rolls that arrive at the table after menus are cleared are the chef’s homage to the famous Parker House roll, which was created at Boston’s Parker House Hotel, in whose restaurant he worked as a teenager.

hours

dinner: Tue.–Sat. 6 PM–10 PM
brunch: Sat.–Sun. 8 AM–2 PM
closed Monday; prix-fixe menu only on Tuesday

price range

$20.50 (morels and mushrooms gratin) to $26.50 (guinea hen)

817 Sutter St. (between Leavenworth St. and Jones St.), San Francisco, CA 94109; 415-928-8870 www.sfcanteen.com $$$