37 New Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA | (415) 284-9960 | Mon – Fri 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Technically it is a block south of market, but it’s really an area that can be considered the financial district as well.

Imagine my delight when I found out that I was going to a weeklong training right next to Dennis Leary’s latest enterprise called The Sentinel. It is easy to miss because it’s just a tiny corner counterspace that only serves food-to-go. But there seemed to always be a line formed in the alley to order and a small crowd on the sidewalk where people waited patiently for their name to be called. I was obsessed by the handmade sandwiches and went there at least once a day, one day I went several times… The chef was formerly at Rubicon (which I was dismayed to read is closing) and left last year to open Canteen, a small 20 seat restaurant in the Commodore Hotel with a small staff dedicated to creating pretty highbrow food in a spare cramped diner. Now he and a small crew tackle what’s got to be a fairly grueling task of artfully preparing hand crafted sandwich lunches for an appreciative but in-a-hurry financial district clientele. Chef Leary personally prepares everything by hand, from the pickles to the mustard and uses quality ingredients bursting with fresh flavors. That’s him in the background intently whipping up a delicious sandwich. The woman at the register was really nice and friendly, she remembered me after my first visit! That’s always the sign of good customer service…

I started my day with a delicious and filling blueberry muffin and a very fine cup of coffee. They also had brioche and coffee cake, and did not have serve any savories for breakfast that week. The muffin had an eggy density that balanced the sugar speckled muffintop and enveloped the tart juicy blueberries. It had that fresh from the oven appeal and I wished it were served warm along with some pats of butter!

They have a nice assortment on the menu which includes soup and salad, which you can see tucked up on a shelf when you finally walk through the door.

Here is the fantastic Corned beef sandwich on flatbread with russian dressing, gruyere cheese and coleslaw (8.25) and a big crunchy pickle.

It was a well made sandwich, the adjacent items were well placed and the ingredients were perfectly proportioned. It was the best sandwich ever, gooey melted cheese with creamy tart dressing, thin slices of lusciously tender meat, crisp bits of savory coleslaw surrounded by warmed spongey bread with a lighty crisped crust.

I had the Chocolate Chip Nut cookie (2.75), it was light and crisp with lots of chocolate and nuts. The cookie itself was not very sweet, but the lots of chocolate made it seem like it was…

Here is the Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cucumber, fennel and horseradish cream cheese (8.50).

This was light and crisp, full of paper thin slices of crunchy fennel and cucumber and with a thin layer of salty smoked salmon slices that melt in your mouth, along with a few leaves of spinach.

My co-worker Chris got a Fig, Feta and Walnut salad (6.50) to supplement his lunch. I really wished that I had tried it because it looks so fresh and fabulous…

I had this Buttercake with Nectarines (4.75) as an afternoon snack one day. It was an old fashioned dessert made with really fresh ingredients… another where I was wishing for a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I gobbled the fruit first and then the cake, which had a rich and chewy texture.

Ahhh, I was sad when the week of training was over but am consoled by the thought that I could order ahead of time, pick up and run back to the office. Yes indeed, it really is that good. I am a notoriously lazy luncher but will travel the mile or so necessary for such rich nurturing of my tastebuds…

Tagged as: dennis leary, hand crafted sandwiches, the sentinel