Intimate Dining…

Intimate Dining…

Review of: Canteen

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Flipping through the 1961 Michelin Italy guide (the Red Book) while pondering what to have for dinner, I already felt that there was something special about Canteen, and I was right. From the simple decor to the amazing food and better than average coffee, Canteen is a force to be reckoned with if you’re looking for modern interpretations of comfort food.

Dinner started with a drink, which tonight would be beer – a $6 bottle of Pilsner Urquell (yeowch!), followed by a challah dinner roll and a heavenly creme of green onion soup with prawns. I haven’t had a cream soup this good since leaving Munich.

The main courses were all in the mid $20s. I elected to have the poached duck breast with lentils and a mustard crust – rich and flavorful without the grease that accompanies most preparations of this tasty bird. I finished with the vanilla souffle and a cappuccino.

Unlike many restaurants, Canteen selects two different sets of beans: Jeremiah’s Pick for the drip coffee and Mr. Espresso for the espresso drinks. Both were well selected for their purpose.

The wrap up:

Service: 4 of 5. The waiter was knowledgable, friendly and truly interested in everyone’s dining experience. The service was prompt but professional, considering they had a strict 90 minute seating policy. Providing a bottle of water at every table to reduce the load on the staff is brilliant. The only rub is that the bus-woman could have been a little more personable.

Food: 5 out of 5. Exactly what you expect – reinterpreted classic American comfort food.

Prices: 4 out of 5. The beer was outrageously priced, but the food was appropriately priced based on the great portion size and overall quality of the daily-changing menu.