Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, November 23, 1995                   TAG: 9511290027
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BUSINESSMAN'S GAME IS SELLING FARM-RAISED MEAT

Now there's also a fail-safe proposition for hunters, although that's not exactly what Paul Grice had in mind when he started Virginia's Buffalo Meats.

Grice, who lives in Roanoke, is a broker of wild meat. Some of his clients will be serving wild turkey today - not birds they bagged, but birds bought from Grice.

It is all legal. Grice deals in farm-raised wild game. He doesn't ask his clients what they tell their guests when they serve a wild turkey or Canada goose or slab of venison. That's their business. But sometimes he wonders.

``I know there are a lot of hunters out there who go out and don't get something, and now they can purchase meat that is ready to put in the freezer and they can say, `Look, I got lucky this year.'''

But you don't have to be a hunter to serve or enjoy wild meat. The new frontier for Grice is the growing number of people who want to savor rabbit stew without chasing a rabbit, or who want to carve into an elk steak without spending time and money in Montana with an outfitter. He calls it the enjoyment of the blessings of another time and place.

``As we approach the 21st century, it is ironic that we consider game dishes as a new culinary trend when, in fact, game dishes are the oldest legacy of our cooking heritage,'' he said.

Buffalo meat has been Grice's biggest seller, but people are beginning to try different dishes, he said. He has a wide choice, antelope, caribou, wild boar, rattlesnake, kangaroo and alligator among them.

Packages are more likely to be shipped to New York than delivered in Roanoke, he said. But the locals are beginning to show interest.

``I am finally starting to sell venison,'' he said. ``That has been slow. People in Roanoke have long been known to really take their time to make any changes at all. That is a nice way of saying it.''

Not only that, Roanoke is the heart of deer hunting country.

``Venison in this area is a hard sell because there are so many successful hunters out there who bring home enough meat not only for themselves but for their neighbors,'' Grice said.

If you are a hunter, you can get an idea of how valuable the game you toted home is when you take a look at the prices Grice charges. Elk or deer tenderloin goes for $17.50 per pound. Saddle chops are $11.50 per pound. A wild turkey, which weighs 8 to 9 pounds, sells for nearly $40.

But don't try to charge your buddy these prices, or any price. It is strictly illegal to sell game you kill in the wild.

Wild game abounds in health benefits, including low fat and only about half the calories of beef, Grice said. What's more, it is free of chemicals, such as hormones, antibiotics and steroids.

The key to preparing game is to ``cook it low and slow,'' said Grice. Too many people attempt to overcook it.

The fact wild game is being rediscovered as a gastronomic delight is reflected in the growing number of fine restaurants putting such dishes on their menu. Among them, said Grice, are the Hotel Roanoke, Montano's International Gourmet, Chateau Morrisette and Rutledge Inn.

A price list and other information is available from Virginia's Buffalo Meats by calling 362-1387.