Food review blog from San Francisco.

Restaurant: Maverick (San Francisco)
Food description: Grilled peppercorn crusted Broken Arrow Ranch antelope loin with grilled black mission figs, creamy Texas long grain wild rice with carrots and leeks
Food rating: 8 out of 10
Times ordered: 1

Well...as an antelope virgin I'm not totally qualified to review this dish, but I'll definitely give it a shot. The flavor of antelope falls into a happy-medium spot somewhere between venison and steak--not too gamey and not too bland. The texture of the loin cut was excellent, tender and gristle-free, and on the lean side. It was cooked medium, which turned out juuust right, very pink and juicy but not bloody. The portion was sizable, and larger than expected, given the modest price of $28. Though the antelope was grilled, I prefer a little more char and felt that the grilled flavor was completely overtaken by the intense sweetness of the mission fig reduction. I learned to avoid overdrenching each bite with the fig sauce--it only needed a teeny smidgen and could've been toned down a lot. So you can imagine what it was like eating the figs braised in their own reduction. I had to pass on dessert after that. I actually enjoyed the rice because it was a refreshing alternative to those heavy sleep-inducing mashed potatoes typically served with steak dishes. Definitely a winner in my book.