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Maverick
3316 17th Street (between Mission & Valencia)
San Francisco, California 94110
(415) 415-863-3061
www.sfmaverick.com
Cuisine: American
Loved: service, fresh coffee, intimate atmosphere and cool bathroom
To Die For: Texan migas, stuffed chicken breast, pecan-crusted French toast
Prices: $$-$$$ (Moderate-expensive)
Hours: Lunch: Tuesday through Friday 11:30 – 2:30 pm; Brunch: Saturday & Sunday
11:00 am - 3:00 pm; Dinner Monday through Sunday 5:30 pm – 11 pm
Noise Level: High
Service: Excellent!
Romantic: Yes
Reservations: Accepted, but walk-ins accepted
Good for Kids: No
Good to Know: gift certificates available, wine bar open between lunch and dinner
Recommended / Rating: 4 Stars (0=Don’t Bother to 5=Highly Recommend)
One of the great things about living in San Francisco is having a great
group of friends who love to eat out. Take my friend John, for
instance. On a recent rainy Thursday evening, John and I needed to
discuss some business and decided to have dinner at Maverick, a Mission
restaurant he’s been “singing the praises” of for weeks and weeks. I’m
glad he did.
Chef Scott Youkilis and Wine Director Michael Pierce have created one
of the best restaurants in the city, with delicious food, impeccable
service and a cozy atmosphere. Previously, the dynamic duo worked
together at Sociale in Laurel Heights, but knew they wanted to open
their own restaurant.
“We wanted to create a relaxing space where you can come after work and
have a glass of wine and eat some great food,” says Pierce. “I think
we’ve really taken old classics and added a different spin to them in a
really fun, no-attitude atmosphere.”
Atmosphere
In a small space in the Mission, formerly occupied by Limon, Pierce and
Youkilis worked with interior designer Jen Jordan of Jordan Designs to
create a cozy space with tall wood-framed windows, dark chocolate brown
and warm pumpkin-colored walls, polished wood floors, and one of the
best restaurant bathrooms I’ve ever had the pleasure of using. “The
entire renovation took about two months,” says Pierce. “We added new
windows, floors, walls, and a completely new bathroom because, frankly,
the old one was a big mess.”
The result is comfortably elegant and modern, although I did find the
noise level a bit loud due to the birthday party at the next table.
Before ordering our meal, we decided to have what I like to call the
three champagne tasting menu ($11) consisting of a dry Prosecco from
Italy, a tart Michigan Brut Rose, and a Gruet Blanc de Blancs. Of the
three, I liked the Prosecco’s apple and pear dryness. The other two
didn’t do much for me, not because they were poor choices, rather, I
was too distracted by the drunken patrons sounding like a gaggle of
geese honking at the previously mentioned birthday party table.
The Food
With monthly menu changes, Chef Scott Youkilis and his staff strive to
serve American classics with a twist. Their menu succeeds beautifully.
While I didn’t try the buffalo wings made from frog’s legs, I loved the
fresh simplicity of the baby beet salad with organic golden, chiogga,
red beets, shaved pecorino cheese, and horseradish vinaigrette ($8).
Other “first plates” include a tangy California citrus salad with
Satsuma tangerines, blood oranges, watercress, and a Meyer lemon
vinaigrette ($8) and Baltimore crab fluffs with succulent fried lump
blue crab meat, micro celery, and tartar sauce ($11).
As for entrees, the stuffed chicken breast with Hedgehog mushrooms,
collard greens, grits, and gravy ($17) was moist and tender. The
Creekstone Farms grilled ribeye steak, with smashed fingerling
potatoes, broccolini, and bordelaise sauce was juicy and quite filling.
Other entrees include root vegetable stew with a Kabocha squash bowl,
roasted celery root, parsnips, turnips, and green lentils ($15) and a
succulent grilled pork tenderloin with Boston baked beans and butternut
squash ($19).
Since dinner was so enjoyable, I decided to have brunch the following
Sunday with several of my friends. The coffee was some of the best I’ve
ever had, aromatic and strong. The Texan migas with scrambled eggs,
tortilla strips, tomatoes, roasted chilies, queso fresco, pico de
gallo, and home fries ($8) were tangy and delicious, with just the
right amount of heat from the pico de gallo. And you should not leave
until trying the pecan-crusted French toast with bacon and warm Vermont
maple syrup ($7). Its sweetness is the perfect wake-up dish for a lazy
weekend afternoon. Other brunch items include a fried oyster po’ boy
sandwich ($8), a roast turkey sandwich ($7) and fresh fruit and cheese
plate ($8).
If you’ve been looking for a fun wine bar or a great new place to have
brunch, lunch, or dinner, Maverick is one of the best new restaurants
in the city that should not be missed.
Bio & Past Articles
Past Articles
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Betty's List Restaurant Review
Columnist David Grabstald.
An enthusiastic freelance writer, editor and copywriter with marketing, media and daily newspaper experience, David serves as senior food critic for Betty's List. His articles have been published by Macy's Westbound, Mervyn's, The New Filmore, SF Examiner, Marina Times, North Texas Daily, And Baby Magazine and others. He is an experienced writer of grant proposals, documentation plans, feasibility reports, press releases, employee procedure manuals and other formats. David has written news scripts for NBC and produced video packages for the Irving Community Television Network. David can be reached at dgrabstald@gmail.com. His website is http://davidgrabstald.blogspot.com/ |
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