"Where-To-Wednesday" Adventures: February 2012

You know it, I know it. The day after the new year begins, otherwise known as known as get-your-ass-to-the-gym day. Flooded with people magnetically drawn to those treadmills with hopes of resolutions being made true before their very eyes, the gym gets rockin’ like it never has before. For us, that day was pushed back a bit…to January 18^th. And instead of going to the gym, it was all about eating your face off. Come on, what would you rather do? At our latest Where-To-Wednesday adventure to Maverick, our “come one, come all” mantra rang as true as ever, and we had our biggest group yet – 11 of us, including two newcomers: Jen and Leala (we love our newbies!) Full of anticipation for the first where-to-Wednesday of the new year, Maverick offered a warm embrace from the brisk weather, a table that could actually accommodate our entire group (take notes Boxing Room) and an enticing menu full of first, second and side plates that looked so much more fun than a treadmill, we just had to order them all. The entire menu, that is. And make that two rounds on the side dishes, ahem. What can I say…new year, new food…yes, it gets exciting. Many thanks to Neva for brushing off the pressure and flawlessly planning the latest Where-To-Wednesday adventure that myself, Lindsay, Chelsea, Neely, Jocelyn, Terra, Jen, Leala, Elizabeth and Becky enjoyed. So…was Maverick a top gun experience (oh come on, you knew I’d throw that in there) at 10 or a nose dive at 0? Throw on some Righteous Brothers, sit back and….read on to see just how the night went.

Ambiance 6.5: I’m suddenly reminded of the “there was an old woman who lived in a shoe” classic, yet disturbing, nursery rhyme. Don’t get me wrong, we were fed. We were fed well. And the only thing being whipped that night, was cream in the kitchen. But the restaurant was indeed small…in fact, smaller than that condo-sized shoe they picture this old woman inhabiting in Wikipedia. Just how many children were in fact living there? Maverick felt a little more like…a ballet slipper. Simple, unpretentious, and built to cater to its main function. In Maverick’s case, that meant that the kitchen was displayed front and center as you walk in, giving you a sneak peek into the delicious dishes the chefs were mastering as they hurriedly worked their way around the kitchen. We had front row seats to the show, as our table took up the front room of the restaurant, literally backing us up to the kitchen counter. I was hoping the small stature of this brick and mortar would allow for a charming, quaint feel to envelope the atmosphere, and although on the upside the set-up did let us pretend that we had our own private room (do you know who we are??) it fell short on what could have been a warm, cozy ambiance to bask in. This is where I typically like to rave about the décor, the little details that make all the difference, but...I’m coming up empty. The front room we were in was geared more towards functionality than enhancing the decor: an over-sized table to accommodate a large party (which we are grateful for), ease of food delivery and close proximity to the staff for what should have been great service..but we’ll get to that later. The second room was a bit bigger than the front room, and held 7-8 dining tables..and the same ambiance. If you’re looking for a place to hit with a few friends for a no-frills dinner that will fill you up…this, my friend, could work. But bring your imagination, some fun friends to create character where Maverick falls short, and your glasses so you don’t miss the door if you blink.

Wine 9: By now you should know that Where-To-Wednesday is more than dinner, it’s about friends. And that night we met a new friend: Palmina. Yes…wine is our friend. We treat them well. Before, during and after dinner, Palmina was enjoyed by all. This winery originally introduced itself to us by the name of Tocai Fruilano, and we were instantly smitten. This delicious, crisp white wine had a perfect balance to it, showcasing notes of peach and apricot – making it a perfect accompaniment to the dishes we enjoyed, as well as holding its own without food. It wasn’t until later, well into the meal, that we met its older brother: Dolcetto. Graduating to red, we slipped into this velvety soft wine quite easily. Just as smooth as the Tocai, we finished up the night smacking our lips to the balancing act that the soft spice and lively fruit seem to master effortlessly. Points to Maverick for knowing a good winery when they see one, and featuring both a red and white from Palmina on their wine list. These wines are available both by the bottle and the glass, so if my overview didn’t quite sell you…grab a glass and let the grapes do the talkin’.

Food 7.5: Hold on to your seat, because we’re about to take a wild ride through the entire menu of Maverick. Yes, the entire menu. The good, the bad, and the fried. I’ll say it right now though, we skipped the salad. Two orders of mac and cheese ? Yes. Salad? No. We walk on the wild side. Try to keep up. For the second time tonight…let’s take a walk down memory lane, and visit the famous contortionist who, unlike us, could always easily simply “stretch out” to make room for any extras he ate (damn him): Gumby. Able to be pulled into almost any position, the food at Maverick seemed to do the same to us and our opinions. Some dishes were phenomenal, while others tasted like sneaky replicas of others. Some of us ooh’d and ahh’d at the fried chicken served right after the butterfish, while the vegetarians starred on hungrily. The lows and highs left us second guessing ourselves as soon as we’d made a statement about the dish only to hear a surprising rebuttal, but it certainly never left us at a loss for words that night.

- Brussels Sprouts: Sweet tang meets dirty grit when these brussels sprouts are tossed with preserved lemon and kicked up a notch with pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate seeds burst in with a pop of flavor against the otherwise average brussels sprouts. Sorry Maverick, Restaurant Zero Zero has a strong hold in the brussels sprout race.

- Foie Gras Torchon: I think I’m the only one who actually had this dish. And I have to say, y’all missed out. Rich, buttery, creamy…delicious. But as much as I probably need another liver in me to digest all the wine we drank…there’s only so much foie gras for one I can handle.

- Baltimore Crab Fluffs: “Crab Cakes and football, that’s what Maryland does!” Well, you were half-right there, Wedding Crashers. You take the “crab” cake…but you can leave the football to the the professionals. Zing! Better luck at the ‘bowl next year, Baltimore. Sorry, it had to be said. Okay where was I? Yes, crab cakes. Delicious dish – crispy coated outside gives way to the warm, delicious, buttery inside. Tangy capers hidden in a creamy sauce were the perfect accompaniment, as were the delicate springs of lettuce alongside the cakes.

- Tempura Black Trumpet Mushroom: Crunchy and salty – extremely fried. Tiny little buggers but they’ll make you instantly feel bigger.

- Truffle and Black Trumpet Mushroom Fritter: I typed this out twice trying to figure out what the difference was between it and the one above. From the title..it doesn’t look like much. (Replicas…don’t say I never told you). When I look back on my notes I see that I never got a taste of this dish unfortunately, so I really can’t judge. 11 girls…2 fritters..you do the math. I did get some of the tempura though..so in a way, I’m all set.

- Mac & Cheese: Vegetarians unite on the first of the only 5 dishes you can enjoy. Luckily for you, this one’s a heavy one and you won’t even need to eat the ones that actually contain vegetables. For the rest of us, this one is simply just heavy. Nothing special about it – rich, a little bland, and nothing too special to bring it to the next level. Just…heavy. Just…a reminder of why-didn’t-I-get-my-ass-to-the-gym-like-everyone-else? Sigh. Keep eating.

- Stuffed Calamari & Crispy Pork Belly: Stuffed calamari? Whoa curve ball. I’m pumped. What a very unique-seeming dish that was in actuality…a little bland. It could have used a bit more flavor to really resonate better. I will say that it was NOT overdone which can often be the case, and the texture and consistency was just right.

- Crispy Sunchokes: This needs to become a household name. If not everywhere, at least in my household. I’m in love with these. Unbelievable little delicious, delectable bites! All we love about the artichoke wrapped up in crunchy goodness. In a word: addicted.

- Hawaiian Butterfish: Raw butterfish is phenomenal. Baked butterfish with baby fennel, butter beans and arugula broth…is, in a word, a dream. Buttery, creamy, moist and bursting with flavor, this dish is unbelievable. Easily a favorite.

- Cauliflower: Another absolute favorite. First of all, the presentation of this dish was so unique in and of itself. Amongst the typical browned cauliflower, lay little sprigs of purple cauliflower dressing up the dish, and a bubbled froth alongside everything. Winner winner: cauliflower dinner. Now for the real test..the taste. Get these guys a medal. A slight crisp to the cauliflower bundles gave way to a perfectly done consistency inside. Indonesian long pepper seasoned the cauliflower, and left spices dancing in your mouth and a kick to make sure you remembered it.

- Flat Iron Steak & Oxtail Croquette: Perfectly done with the outer edges of the steak giving it a crunchy and slightly salty consistency, giving way to a juicy inside full of taste. The oxtail was even better. Also cooked to create a crunchy texture upon bite, the oxtail then surprised with a burst of orange peel flavor tucked away into its soft meat.

- Tagliatelle: This was a standard pasta dish covered in a mushroom cream sauce that didn’t do much to evolve the overall taste. It was also a little too al dente for my personal taste. If you’re going to do a pasta, and include only one on the menu…you’ve got to do it better than this. Long story short..leave the pasta to the Italians, Maverick.

- Southern Fried Chicken: Usually the best fried chicken is served in a restaurant whose menu consists of items such as grits, taters, greens..you get it. Seeing none of those here, I had my doubts. Well, slap my ass and call me Sally. This, my friends, is some damn good fried chicken. This is so good, I wish I would have ordered it again for dessert. And for good reason, the batter it was fried in tasted a little too similar to a donut. In a good way, of course. A delicate crispy outside with a hint of sweet, salt and spice all rolled up, gives way to moist, perfectly done meat inside. This dish is a do-not-miss!

- Massachusetts Day Boat Scallops: Well Maryland, Mass pulled through, and the Northeast got their second chance on this menu. And wow, you sure came through this time…just like those Patriots. These delicious, delicate scallops were cooked to perfection, dancing in the juices around them giving them a big flavor for their light consistency.

Dessert: Maybe it’s because they thought we left. Sure, everyone in the restaurant is gone. But us? Hell no, we won’t go. Oh? We’re still here? And we want dessert? That’s right. Cue what I hope was scramble-mode cause and effect. So maybe, that’s why we got the stale carrot cake from last week’s left overs… Benefit of the doubt is my gift to you, Maverick. First of all, four desserts does not a dessert menu make. We need options, people. And “cookies” are not one of them. If I really want cookies, I’ll head straight to that blue wrapping the double-stuff O’s are nestled in at my nearest grocer. Which…bring us down to 3 dishes. And yes, we’ll take all 3. Obviously. Now, I would assume – as would most of you I’m sure, that this index card-sized menu which holds such limited desserts, meant: judge me on quality, not quantity. That this little mini-menu represented the best of the best, discarding the so-so options to the wayside. And so, Maverick, I need to ask: is this really your best? Come now. I just can’t believe such nonsense. A quick solution to improve the menu? Add the fried chicken to this menu too. Can you really have too much fried chicken? (That was a rhetorical question, people. The answer is no. The answer is always no).

-          Carrot Cake: I’ve never had the chance to travel to the Mohave Desert, but thanks to this carrot cake, I’ll never need to. Dry and leaving me with mirages of good food, this seemed to do the trick. And remind me to drink more water. See...my glass really is half full.
-          Winter Wonderland: This looked more like a science project than an actual dish. It was creative and unique – I’ll give it that. Recreating a “winter wonderland” this dish consisted of animal-cracker-tasting stick reindeer, hazelnut macaroon and chocolate marshmallow. The presentation was pretty impressive, but the taste left much to be desired.
-          Pineapple Upside Down Cake: The one dish we thought would be bland…was amazing. Absolutely delicious! I wish we would have ordered four of these puppies. It was served warm, with a taste sensation mix of crunchy and gooey all at the same time, with a hint of French toast to it all. Topped with huckleberries, and served with a side of rosemary ice cream (which was amazing in its own right) this was a huge hit.

Price 8.5: With a round of just about the whole menu…and then some, we ponied up just $60 each. In our world, that’s pretty darn good. Especially when the wine keeps flowing..and you’re paying for that too. (“On the house”..oh pretty phrase, it’s been too long since I’ve heard your voice). I will say, however, that if you’re coming with a small group keep in mind that the portions are rather small – especially given the price point. The more dishes to share and disperse – the cost evens out a bit more; the smaller the group, the more the price will affect you so take a long glance at the menu before heading out and adjust your pocketbook accordingly.

Noise Level 9: We essentially had our own room, so the noise level was…amazing. The only thing even mildly distracting was the kitchen in the background but honestly, it really didn’t affect our hearing in the least. Very easy to converse, even with a large group. Now…if you were to ask the other people there who sat in earshot of our loud, boisterous group…I can’t promise they would say the same.

Service 6.5: Who’s on first? Caught in an Abbott and Costello routine, I still don’t know who our waitress really was. All I know is that multiple people came over to help us, periodically. Not when we had a question, or needed a new fork, or wanted to order…but just…~~periodically~~ sporadically. Yes, that’s a more accurate word. Which brings me to another rendition of “Seriously?” Maybe we all need to have a refresher course on picture-taking. People, this is no longer the polaroid wait-game it used to be. We’re not going to grab 6 whole minutes of your time while you peek through a teeny-tiny hole to take what you *hope* is a good picture, only to wait with bated breath as we leisurely shake the color right into our captured moment, and give you the verdict: success or… “can you take one more?” No. Seriously? 7 seconds and you’re out. That’s all we need. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has 7 seconds to spare. So when we ask our waitress (or one of her stand-ins) to take a picture for us and get a page from the book of Bar Agricole yet again..I’m just at a loss. Seriously? No, it’s not okay for you to come back 30 minutes later when the moment has passed when it fits in with your schedule. Seriously? Just push the button before you push ours. After all, isn’t calculating a tip a little more difficult than pushing a little button? Zing! And yes, that’s right, another rhetorical one for you. I’m taking all the guess work out because that’s just the kind of person I am. I can also take pictures. That’s right. Go ahead. Throw the ball, I’m on first.

All About The Area: You have seen by now that the Mission is an area we frequent. The restaurants are plentiful whilst unique from one another, and they call to us like a sketchy scavenger hunt dangling the potential prize of unforgettable food before our eyes, while simultaneously scaring the bejesus out of me with the thought of taking a wrong turn and having to ask a creepy stranger at the BART stop/playground-esk/checkerboard-tiled/turned scary hangout at night corner-area (what IS that place) on the corner of 17^th and where-everything-is-sort-of-close-to-but-not-close-enough, where I am. Stranger danger, beware: I WILL be wearing my blackbelt to the next W2W here. Unfortunately, that’s all it is..a black leather belt. But cabs we will take, and restaurants we will conquer because…Mission you big Stud, you’ll never lose that lovin’ feeling. Oh come on, you knew I had one more in me.

Overall Grade: 7.8

And for our next stop? Jen leads us to our 13^th adventure in the Where-To-Wednesday world. Many thanks to Terra for inviting newbie Jen and we can’t wait to see where we’re heading! Check in next month to catch our latest adventure. Until then…reread some of our past adventures to see the hits and misses along the way. There’s so much to do here! Join us...“like” us…“tweet” us...or just love us.