The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon

The Ranch Restaurant & Saloon Restaurant Review:

Located in an industrial park on the ground floor of an office building and adjacent to a lively country-western dance hall, this Anaheim venue boasts one of the region's quirkiest addresses. Inside its heavy doors lies an eatery that revels in attention to detail, from the warm lighting that juxtaposes dark banquettes to sleek woods and nuanced colors. Executive chef Michael Rossi, who first achieved widespread acclaim in Orange County at Napa Rose just a few blocks away, delivers a creative study in contemporary cuisine. He's also on an unrelenting quest for the finest ingredients, many of which are grown on the restaurant's farm. Freshly baked popovers with daily-made preserves are a must to begin the meal, while the Wagyu beef carpaccio with black truffle and the country-fried Texas quail with apricot BBQ sauce are inspired starters. Mains are smartly composed --- try the salmon with farro verde or the lamb chops with Israeli couscous, eggplant, harissa and hummus. Desserts such as the PBJ and milk chocolate bar and the buttered popcorn ice cream are sweetly whimsical. The wine list is a tome of more than 14,000 domestic and foreign labels that virtually guarantees there will be something on hand to match your mood and the occasion. If you are headed next door for dancing, you might stop in here first for a handcrafted cocktail or a fine spirit.