Orange County ~ Review Anaheim's "The Ranch"

This is the same review posted on Yelp, with a few alternate photos here.

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There’s so much that has been said about Anaheim’s The Ranch, built within Extron Electronics corporate headquarters and President Andrew Edwards. This restaurant made the Michelin Guide https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/us-anaheim/restaurant/the-ranch - it takes what it does seriously and well. My impression, having been several times over the years, is it delivers.

What I appreciate about The Ranch is that it feels intimate and smaller than it actually is, offering a fairly world-class experience each time. Their service is well managed and from the front door through dinner, they are all very accommodating.

On this trip the star of the show, albeit the appetizer, was the Country Fried Texas Quail - cooked to plumpy perfection with potato salad, smoked bacon, corn and an apricot BBQ sauce about it. All were right accents and a bit of a rare dish for me (the only other haunt I frequent with quail is Napa Rose at The Grand Californian). So this is a bit of a treat to begin with, but plated with composition and finishing notes. Accompanied by their Cucumber Martini - it was a great way to start the meal.

Along with their Quail, we enjoyed a side of Tasmanian Wagyu Beef Carpaccio and a Now You See Me (tequila, triple-sec, lime juice, simple syrup).

For the entrees, I enjoyed the musky notes of the 24-Hour Braised Cape Grim Grass-Fed Beef Short Rib. Served over a bed of spatzle, mushrooms, onion, chard and cabernet sauce - this is a deeply flavored piece of beef. It has a great finish and would go well with a red. The other entree was the Maplewood Smoked Mary’s Organic Chicken - crunchy and tender, this combination of rosemary, cheeses, peppers and tomatoes was likewise delicious. Always get one side - so topped all of this with their Lobster Mac N’ Cheese.

In the course of the meal, the kitchen brought over a shot glass of tomato essence, clear and much like the look of water. A solitary full-leafed sprout floated in it. We were instructed to shoot it. As one would expect, the tomato essence had various notes beyond the heavy taste of tomato. It tasted as if it were a summer day and we were enjoying a bounty of plump, juicy cherry tomatoes. It was quite a refresh in the midst of this heavy protein meal.

As for the interior - it is the epitome of warmth. It is a perfect place for a date, intimate conversations with a small group of quiet friends. I’ve always found the place to be this way - amongst its dark woods and flame lit atmosphere. The booths are tall, reminiscent of the steak houses of the mid-century. There is privacy and relaxation - it was handcrafted in approach and function. My only wish is that you could see more of the kitchen, I find myself always curious and would love a way to see into it while enjoying the meal. orangecountyedwards.com

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