Canteen – Didn’t Quench My Thirst or My Appetite

I’m a huge fan of Chef Dennis Leary’s Sentinel (takeout shop serving some of San Francisco’s best muffins and gourmet sandwiches), so I was looking forward to finally eating at his dinner establishment, Canteen. What a disappointment.

The restaurant feels like a cozy diner. The space is tiny and narrow with just 7 seats at the counter and a handful of small booths against the wall. But that's where the similarities with a diner end. The menu changes weekly depending on what’s in season and what the chef feels like cooking. Unfortunately for me, the food was mediocre and bland the night I dined there. And unlike many diners, the service was slow. They only have 2 seatings a night, and everyone comes in around the same time for each seating. This causes their 1 waitress to get slammed and leaves guests waiting. It also feels like a bit of a cattle call, shuffling people in and out at the same time.

Sea Scallops with Sweet Onion Puree, Coriander, Verjus – the only well executed dish of the night. The scallops were perfectly caramelized, while still soft and sweet on the inside. The sweet onion puree tasted wonderful and was light and frothy.

Veal and Ricotta Meatballs, Corn and Fava Bean Succotash – the meatballs were bland and boring. They needed some spice or flavor, which would have provided a better contrast to the fresh vegetables.
Gratin of Artichokes, Porcini Mushrooms, and Parmesan – this was more like mashed potatoes mixed with artichokes and mushrooms than a gratin. There was no golden crust, only mushiness. I’m surprised they served this as an entrée since its simplicity seemed more appropriate for a side dish. The mushrooms were good, but the artichokes were tasteless and added nothing to the dish. A very unsatisfying, one-note dish.
Lamb Loin with Ratatouille, Fresh Chickpeas, and Lamb Broth – the lamb was chewy and bland. They also didn’t give me a steak knife so was a pain to cut the meat. The only appetizing part about this dish was the smoky eggplant puree in the “deconstructed” ratatouille.
Butterscotch Pudding with Salted Hazelnuts – flavor was good, but the pudding was thin and runny. The watery consistency was a turn-off.
For the most part, my meal at Canteen was a bust. They made so many basic mistakes – poor seasoning, not serving food at the proper consistencies, and overcooking meat. The flavors and textures are so spot-on at Sentinel; it’s shocking that both places are run by the same person.

BITE METER: Canteen – 2.0 bites (out of 5.0)