Famished Girl
Range, The Mission
Stepping into this six-month-old restaurant, it’s hard to believe that tapas bar Timo’s once occupied this same space. With Range, Phil and Cameron West (formerly of Eos, Delfina, Bacar) have created an industrial yet sophisticated dining destination in the Mission. A signal light baring the restaurant’s name is by the entrance. Staineless steel stools line the bar. The main dining room in the back is filled with zinc-topped tables, mirrors and brown leather banquettes.
Soon after being seated in the back room, I ordered one of the house cocktails: The Devil’s Kiss — a mixture of vodka, pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sparkling wine. It was a good start to what would be a three-hour meal with my three dining companions. We never felt that the service was slow; rather, it was just a nice leisurely dinner with friends.
The starters on the table included pumpkin soup with maple sugar butter; hamachi with avocado, cucumber and tangerine broth; and poached pears with celery root and sheep’s milk feta. I could easily eat five orders of the citrusy sliced hamachi — it was so good.
The entrees did not disappoint either. Our table agreed that the lamb osso buco, bavette steak with spinach gratin and potatoes, and slow-cooked steelhead were all tasty and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. The steak may have been our favorite, as it was quite tender and flavorful.
For our final course, the four of us settled on the cheese plate, the chocolate almond butter cake, and the egg nog souffle. The latter would be my top pick; it was light and sweet, with just a hint of egg nog.
Overall, we found the ambiance, service and food to be wonderful. The only complaint I have is with the noise level; we had to raise our voices from time to time in order to have a conversation, and I could easily make out what the table next to us was discussing.
Oh, and of course, parking in the Mission isn’t always the easiest. But it’s worth the search for a delicious dinner at Range.
Range
842 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-8283
