Last night I had the pleasure of joining a nice group of folks for dinner at Maverick in the Mission. It was a gorgeous and quite warm evening outside and a lovely occasion for a fun dinner out. Located just off Mission Street on 17th Street, Maverick is a small place but one with style and class for sure. Clean, minimal decor, brick walls, nicely finished hardwood floors and simple furnishings lend an elegant feel to the ambiance, and one which meshes well with the somewhat simple yet delicious menu options. The glass windows which stretch from floor to ceiling and form the front of the restaurant were opened throughout the evening, allowing us to enjoy the warm weather while at our long table just near the entrance to the space. The restaurant uses fresh, seasonal ingredients in combinations which aren't always one you may have had before. We ordered family style so each of us were easily able to sample quite a few of the menu items. To start the evening, I ordered a glass of Tocai Friulano David Noyes, North Coast, 2004. The nose was somewhat grassy yet clean and the finish was refreshing and tasty. A perfect choice for the wine ranging food options to come. We started with Sugar Pie Pumpkin Fritters, which come with toasted cumin and coriander yogurt sauce and are served on a bed of arugula. The fritters were light yet crisp and quite sweet, and the yogurt sauce was a nice cut to the fry. We also sampled the Maverick Salad, which is baby mixed lettuce, Thompson seedless grapes, Persian cucumber, aged goat cheese lightly dressed with champagne vinaigrette; Lobster and Shrimp Salad, which is butter lettuce, sugar snap peas, diced yam and Yukon gold potatoes with flambeau radish; Baltimore Crab Fluffs, which have a nice amount of lump crab meat and are served with tartar sauce; and Barbecue Meatballs, which are beef, veal and lamb meatballs with pomegranate and smoked chili barbecue sauce, creme fraiche and sliced baguette for soaking up the tasty sauce. The meatballs were delicious and really had the sweet/savory components working nicely in tandem. I wasn't a huge fan of the Lobster Salad as I thought the creamy dressing was a bit overdone and didn't allow the essence of the lobster and shrimp to shine. For entrees, we tried the Grilled Caribbean Cobia, Braised Creekstone Farm Beef Short Ribs, Grilled Broken Arrow Ranch Antelope, and Southern Fried Chicken. The fish was perfectly cooked and served with warm farro salad, roasted brussel sprouts, chestnuts, carrots, celery and leeks with a gremolata sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet and the balsamic vinegar essence was very tasty and a nice complement to the fish and vegetables. The Short Ribs were melt in your mouth tender and delicious and the chanterelles they were served with soaked up all of the rich sauce and were very tasty. I had never had antelope before and was quite pleasantly surprised by this dish. The antelope wasn't all that gamy really and had a nice, earthy flavor. The pesto-like sauce it came with was delicious and didn't overpower the flavor of the meat. The Fried Chicken was, not surprisingly, delicious and decadent. The chicken meat was nice and moist and the fried coating wasn't too thick but was crispy and tasty nonetheless. It's served with blue lake green beans, smashed fingerling potatoes and with andouille sausage gravy which is salty and has great depth of briny sausage flavor. Maverick is an elegant yet approachable venue, as is its menu, and really a lovely spot to spend time and enjoy a delicious meal. I think the group generally all had a really positive experience. They also do Saturday and Sunday brunch, which I am curious to go back for.
Maverick
3316 17th Street in San Francisco
Maverick, self-described as an American Eatery and Bar, is a charming, neighborhoody spot in the Mission which has various regular events, including Junk Food and Wine Pairings, as well as Cheap Wine Nights on Mondays. The already reasonable wine list is offered at a 40 percent discount, making some of the selections downright cheap. The space is small but simple, elegant and comfortable. The brick walls and clean lines work well with the muted colors of the tables and chairs and lend a somewhat airy vibe but still one that you want to be in. The food menu is fairly limited but certainly covers all of the bases. There are around 8 each of appetizers and entrees and a few desserts on offer. We dined last night on gorgeous mussels cooked in a white wine sauce with tasty and rich pancetta and served with several creamy dollops of a smoky aioli which was gorgeous with the luscious bivalves. We also shared a side of asparagus which was well-seasoned and served with a nice amount of butter but not too much. The stalks were delightfully crisp and were of a green color that you can only get with very fresh product. We also had the Southern Fried Chicken which is rich, crispy and utterly decadent. It's buttermilk-soaked Mary’s free range chicken served with bacony collard greens, Nora Mill “Georgia Ice Cream” grits, and brown chicken gravy which was obviously started from the luscious chicken drippings. We shared two bottles of white wine, a Grüner Veltliner Der Pallerhof Österreich from Austria followed by a Pinot Gris Claudia Springs from Anderson Valley. At $34 and $30 pre-discount they were both certainly a deal. The Gruner was nice and refreshing but a bit floral for our taste. We thoroughly enjoyed the Pinot. The staff is knowledgeable and courteous and definitely can enhance your dining experience in a positive way. All in all a great way to start off the week, and one that hopefully fits in with the budget as well. Enjoy.
