Venison at Mitch & Toni’s in Albertson

“Venison has enjoyed a rise in popularity in recent years, owing to the meat's lower fat content with a quarter of the saturated fat of ham, salmon or lean roast beef,” says Mitch SuDock, owner/chef of Mitch & Toni’s in Albertson.

What’s in It: roasted deer meat with sweet potato puree, roasted autumn vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots and cauliflower, with a red wine sauce with huckleberries. The venison is farm-raised from New Zealand.

How’s it Taste: the venison is velvety in texture, tender and has no wild or gamey taste. It plays well off of the hearty vegetables and the rich sauce and tangy/tart berries. Because the venison is domestically raised it is not very gamey.

SuDock doesn’t marinate it at all, just seasons it with salt and pepper. “If you start with a good product, you should not have to mask its flavor with seasoning or marinades – let the meat speak for itself,” he says.

Sides: this is a complete and doesn’t need anything else.

Cost: the dish sells for $36.