Classic Tables: Canteen

The indefatigable Dennis Leary gives us heart palpitations.

Any given day you can see him scurry across downtown San Francisco, from his brand-new venture, Golden West, to his lunch window, The Sentinel and finally to the restaurant that launched his mini-empire, Canteen.

You might think that Leary's nearly six-year-old, 20-seat diner on the edge of Nob Hill would suffer. A recent meal proves such doubts unfounded.

A puréed black mussel soup ($9) was enveloped in the earthy musk of saffron and brightened with chives, dill and house-made harissa. Rice flakes encrusted seared scallops ($13), the bivalves' sweetness complemented by the zip of an avocado-green tomato relish and verjus speckled with ground coriander.

Leary's distinctive style coursed through two mains, each a classic shattered into a new dish. Silky albacore ($24.50) was poached in olive oil and served with green beans and potatoes on a slick of sauce gribiche--the posh cousin of salade niçoise--and the South rose again with roasted pork leg ($25) over polenta with dandelion greens and bacon.

Even the buoyant pleasures of the signature vanilla soufflé ($8.50) prove that Leary's splintered attention might be an asset.

Canteen, 817 Sutter St. (at Leavenworth St.); 415-928-8870 or sfcanteen.com