Countdown to Canal

I’ve had this ridiculous two-month-long craving for a dish that sounds both absurdly pricey and really damn tasty: Canal’s 30 Dollar Sandwich. Since I first blogged about it, it’s been embellished with watercress and avocado as well.

Well, I only have to hold out one more week, because Canal, the newest eatery to bust out on the world at Fred Unger’s stylish SouthBridge development, is set to open on October 16. (Yeah, you might be sick of hearing about SouthBridge by now, but get used to it — the place is only going to get more attention over the next several months, especially in the way of restaurants.)

Chef Justin Beckett’s finalized dinner menu just came out this morning, and, as usual, I’m making myself hungry just looking at it. (There will be lunch service as well, starting October 30.)

Among a dozen salads and small plates (nothing’s listed as an “appetizer,” mind you), look for sweet corn cakes with avocado salad, cotija cheese, arugula, and red pepper puree; duck confit-layered tostadas with peppered Georgia peach tomato salsa and chipotle jicama slaw; and grilled artichoke with Manchego, arugula, and whole-grain mustard dressing.

The list of sandwiches and entree salads includes the aforementioned 30 Dollar splurge; a Canal chop salad with romaine and butter lettuces, dried cherries, aged cheddar, and pine nuts; and a grilled cheese sandwich with aged cheddar, fontina, Manchego, crisp pancetta, and a side of tomato bisque. Main dishes look good, too. How about grilled Sonoma Valley lamb chops with minted couscous, spiced tomato jelly, and herb-infused jus, or braised pork belly with fennel-leek saute, stone fruit chutney, and maui onion black pepper reduction?