Startlingly Bad Dining Experience
Monday, March 27, 2006
Went to Canteen with an out-of-town guest for Sunday brunch. Seemed like a beautiful fit. Utterly wrong. As a big booster for San Francisco, I was embarrassed by Canteen. The food was okay, tad pallid, not hot enough, dubious taste mixtures. But the service was horrendous. Long wait, food unprofessionally delivered/removed, and attitude in abundance. The staff, one almost my age, were rocking like teenagers to questionable 80s-style booming dissonant rock that was clearly making every guest surveyed uncomfortable. We politely asked about the volume and mood and were told by the waitress that the staff were "very alternative." My date, who is a nationally-recognized NYC art photographer, almost spat up her tea at the pretentiousness to a gentle suggestion. In short, most of the staff seemed indifferent to customers' needs, food serviceable but unspectacular and tepid, poor value, the wait unmerited. So many better spots in our lovely burg.
Pros: Offers brunch
Cons: Bad service, Mediocre food, Poor value