I had the pleasure of meeting Canon’s owner, Clay Nutting, last week as we were looking for a delicious and healthy restaurant for a night out. They had so many healthy options that we needed a bigger appetite to try all their dishes, but we did a pretty good job trying. All their plates are meant to be share and portion sizes are very reasonable. I would say that you could share 1 plate among 2 people and order about 5-6 small plates or 3 small plates and one heartier plate.
Service and ambience: The service was extraordinary; the ambience was casual, relaxing and very well-spaced outdoor sitting.
Menu: Everything we tasted was delicious, the menu is what they call “hyper-seasonal contemporary American”. Very easy to navigate as they label whichever plates are gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. They change their menu about every season, so these recommendations are based on their summer menu (edition #104).
Here are my top pics:
Pickled vegetables (gluten free, vegan): house pickled seasonal veggies.
Summer Peaches (vegetarian and gluten-free): tamarind giardiniera, mint, basil, black garlic labneh (I would suggest to try this as a dessert).
Yellowtail crudo (gluten-free): calabrian chile and walnut pesto, lemon puree, parsley, radish, olive.
Grilled octopus (gluten-free): green garbanzo bean salad, hibiscus, pineapple chips, poblano puree.
Succotash (vegan, gluten-free): grilled squash, blistered peppers, corn, cranberry beans, huitlachoche (Mexico’s “truffle”).
Charred broccoli di ciccio (vegan, gluten-free): homemade kimichi vinaigrette (this was my favorite, plus you get some probiotics from this fermented kimichi).
Green beans: lap xuong sausage (homemade so doesn’t have any perservatives), tomato conserva, burnt cheese powder.
Whole roasted trout (gluten-free): marinated tomatoes, tarragon butter, crispy wild rice.
Dessert: great for sharing and pairs AMAZINGLY with coffee, hazelnut crunch bar. It was still a big portion so we had a few bites and brought the rest of it home.
For more about Canon Restaurant on East Sac, visit their website: www.canoneastsac.com
