{"id":1568,"date":"2012-03-07T21:59:01","date_gmt":"2012-03-08T05:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendyfulworld.com\/?p=1568"},"modified":"2017-05-23T11:49:59","modified_gmt":"2017-05-23T18:49:59","slug":"the-ranch-restaurant-anaheim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wendyfulworld.com\/?p=1568","title":{"rendered":"The Ranch Restaurant @ Anaheim"},"content":{"rendered":"

OC Restaurant Week 2012 started on the day Allen and I got back from a long 17-day vacation to Thailand and Cambodia.\u00a0 Needless to say, we were trying to recover from jetlag and food overload abroad.\u00a0 On top of that, I caught something and my stomach was having a hard time.\u00a0 I honestly was going to pass until I read my good friend Anita Lau’s blog at diary of a MAD HUNGRY WOMAN<\/a>, in which she said ‘If you dine at just ONE restaurant this week \u2014 go to The Ranch.’.\u00a0 Well, I had no choice but obey!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

The location of the restaurant surprised me.\u00a0 It is nested in an office building occupied by Extron.\u00a0 In addition to the restaurant, there is also The Ranch Saloon which actually opened before the restaurant.\u00a0 I later found out from the General Manager, Mr. Ray Gonzalez, that the Restaurant and Saloon belong to the same owner as Extron.<\/p>\n

\"\"As Allen and I stepped inside, I was drawn to the rich dark wood and leather decor.\u00a0 I was expecting some sort of rustic ranch style but it was rather urban.\u00a0 The restaurant’s bar area is quite big with many booths and tables.\u00a0 We were seated in the main dining room booth as I had requested in my reservation.<\/p>\n

It didn’t take long for us to order as I had already looked up the menu online.\u00a0 We ordered our usual iced tea and then a basket of bread was served.\u00a0 It was a wagon wheel roll with many different rows baked together.\u00a0 I thought it was very cute.\u00a0 \"\"Allen chose Organic Baby Spinach<\/strong><\/span> (Sierra Nevada Goat Cheese \/ Bosc Pears \/ Candied Walnuts \/ Sun-Dried Cranberries).\u00a0 What really stood out for me was the Goat Cheese.\u00a0 It was really creamy which I liked a lot.\u00a0 What fell short for me was the Candied Walnuts that lacked the crunchiness I expected.\u00a0 Nevertheless, it was light, crisp, and refreshing.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"My starter was Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna Crudo <\/strong>(Aji Amarillo Chile \/ Naval Orange \/ Avocado).\u00a0 Now, normally I don’t care for seared tuna, but the way this was prepared was different from any I’ve tried.\u00a0 It was seared so lightly.\u00a0 The melt-in-your-mouth tuna was also the best I’ve ever had hands down.\u00a0 I could easily order 3 plates of this and call it a meal.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"My entree, Confit of Muscovy Duck Leg <\/strong>(Beluga Lentils \/ House Made Guanciale \/ Baby Root Vegetables), came highly recommended by our server and Anita.\u00a0 The crispy skin with the fork-tender meat was packed with flavor.\u00a0 I also enjoyed the Beluga lentils.\u00a0 Tiny little beans with lots of personalities.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Allen’s entree was Petite Filet of Beef <\/strong>(Butternut Squash \/ Sundried Cherries \/ Cipollini Onions \/ Tennessee truffles).\u00a0 It was cooked perfectly medium.\u00a0 I took one bite and it was really tender.\u00a0 Allen finished it all and cleaned out the plate.\u00a0 I think he really enjoyed it.
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Because I have had so many Creme Brulees before, I decided to try something else and went with PBJ & Milk Chocolate Bar <\/strong>(Concord Grape \/ Caramelized Banana Ice Cream).\u00a0 Did you know this was made as a tribute to Elvis?\u00a0 Apparently the chef is a big Elvis fan.\u00a0 How cute?!\u00a0 Besides, who doesn’t like PBJ?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Allen’s dessert was Old Fashioned Pecan Pie <\/strong>(Honey Jack Daniels Ice Cream \/ Candied Kumquats \/ Garden Blackberries<\/span>).\u00a0 I am not a fan of traditional pecan pie but I totally loved this.\u00a0 Soft chewy pecan baked in with the crust, it was just lovely!<\/p>\n

\"\"The evening was really perfect!\u00a0 The food and the service were both top notch.\u00a0 Our server, Aaron, was attentive and very knowledgeable about all the dishes and gave wonderful introductions.\u00a0 A couple of managers, including GM, Mr. Gonzalez, stopped by to say ‘Hi’ and made sure everything was good.\u00a0 The bus-boys cleared out plates and refilled our drinks very promptly.<\/p>\n

Although the restaurant has just opened 2 months ago, it’s gaining popularity and crowds.\u00a0 We know we will return again.\u00a0 Thank you, Anita, for the recommendation!\u00a0 Now it’s my turn to recommend you to try it.\u00a0 Let me know how you like it, OK?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

THE RANCH RESTAURANT & SALOON
\n1025 E. Ball Road
\nAnaheim, CA 92805
\nPhone: 714.817.4200<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OC Restaurant Week 2012 started on the day Allen and I got back from a long 17-day vacation to Thailand and Cambodia.\u00a0 Needless to say, we were trying to recover from jetlag and food overload abroad.\u00a0 On top of that, I caught something and my stomach was having a hard time.\u00a0 I honestly was going...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"pp_embeds":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[273,113,383,382,88,242,384,385,386],"class_list":["post-1568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-restaurants","tag-anaheim","tag-beef","tag-duck","tag-duck-confit","tag-filet-mignon","tag-iced-tea","tag-pbj","tag-pecan-pie","tag-spanich-salad"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t