Canteen, San Francisco

Comfort food is taken to new heights at this retro-hip diner, run by wunderkind chef Dennis Leary in the neighborhood known as the TenderNob (where upscale Nob Hill meets down-at-heel Tenderloin). Here, in a tiny kitchen wedged behind a lime-green Formica counter, Leary whips up constantly changing menus of hearty, inspired dishes: recent choices include pork-shank confit with chickpeas and mint; roasted duck breast with red cabbage, quince chutney, and lentils; and chestnut soup with porcini oil. The wine list is short and sweet, with six whites, five reds, and one sparkling, and there are usually only a few desserts to choose from (if it’s available, don’t miss the heavenly, light vanilla soufflé)—but nobody leaves here unsatisfied.