The Grange has received mixed reviews since opening downtown Sacramento last winter. When I asked my husband where he wanted to go to celebrate his birthday, the word "Grange" left his lips, so that's where I made our reservation.
The Grange is part of a new hotel, The Citizen, remodeled inside an 88-year-old office building. The entrance is on 10th Street, with valet parking on J Street.
The feeling inside the restaurant is that of an airplane hangar, designed to be upscale urban with a bit of an eclectic twist. I sat there imagining elevators and employees running late for work, dropping file folders; it has that sort of aura.
Our waiter, Justin, showed up to take our order within minutes of being seated. My husband ordered sparkling water, and I asked for a martini. Gin or vodka? (Oh, please, gin, real martinis aren't made with vodka.) Tangueray, Bombay or Gorden's? Olives? My husband received his sparkling water but my martini did not arrive. I glanced over at the bar. The bartender didn't look busy. The place was about half full by 7 PM. 10 minutes went by. Still no martini. But we got a small basket of bread with herb butter.
I played with my knife. It was pretty cool. The handle was flat and sideways, and it was purposely placed in the setting to balance on its edge. I asked Justin if my martini order was placed. He shot a look at the bar and went to retrieve it.
One of the great things about the Grange is its chef favors local ingredients, just like my husband does. We belong to a cooperative that delivers boxes of fresh farm vegetables every week. However, one of the reasons to dine out (for me) is to sample dishes that I don't ordinarily get a home, and most of the items on the menu were dishes that my husband prepares.
I selected seared Pacific ahi for an appetizer, which came served on a bed of thinly sliced fennel and red onion. Much as I like fennel and onion, there's only so much of it I can eat, and the portion delivered on my plate was a small salad in itself. The ahi was delicious, served with a bit of aioli. My husband ordered the breaded and fried dungeness crab over fresh pea pods, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
For an entree', I figured it's spring and what better time to enjoy lamb than in the spring? Even though I feel a little guilty and sorry for the lamb who gave up its life, as my husband says, it's better than mutton which has to be stewed for hours to soften its strong flavor. Still, my guilt wasn't strong enough to stop me from ordering it. The lamb rack chops were difficult to cut because so much of it was fat. But the flavor was yummy. The fingerling potatoes were a bit overcooked for my liking; however, the mix of spring vegetables, which were peas, carrots and asparagus, were cooked to perfection.
That's more than my husband had to say about his au gratin, which he ordered in place of the fingerling potatoes. The wafer-thin potatoes still had a bit of starch and crunch in places, as though it didn't evenly bake. His hangar steak, which he ordered medium, arrived medium rare, and had to be sent back to the kitchen. I love medium rare, so I tasted a bite before he sent it away, and found it incredibly delicious, melting in my mouth.
For dessert, my husband chose a dish of 3 types of sorbet. Two scoops looked like tomato and watermelon, but of course they weren't. They were Meyer lemon, pomegranate and we couldn't figure out the third. Jason assured us that the Grange has the "best desserts in Sacramento." I guess he has to say that because he works there. I disagree. I ordered a chocolate thing, and what I got was a rounded scoop of a fudge-chocolate with a hardened shell, drizzled with salt, nestled next to sugar-coated peanuts. It wasn't the best dessert I've ever had, but let me tell you, I ate the whole thing anyway.
Three hours later, our bill, with tip, including the martini and a glass of wine each, plus one small port, came to $150, which seems reasonable for that type of restaurant. It's less than we would have spent at Ella's or Waterboy. But the difference is we will go back to Ella's and the Waterboy. I sort of doubt that will give the Grange another shot, but I never say never.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, coming in June 2009.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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Elizabeth
Go with the Tangueray. Sounds like an interesting place. Is that right down close to your office?
Tom
Elizabeth - sounds like a great experience, and hope your husband had a happy birthday. I like the idea that it looked like an airplane hangar.
Elizabeth: Spoken like a true restaurant critic. Sounds as though the service was so-so and the food was nothing worth remembering.
Hey Tom: How did you know I chose the Tangueray? LOL. It's about 18 blocks west of my office on J Street.
Hi Sharon: My husband did enjoy his birthday -- although he sees it as getting older (he turned 46), I see him just like he was the day we met 13 years ago.
Hi Chris Ann: I would not call myself a restaurant critic, but I do try to report my experiences in an honest fashion. I discuss the good with the bad, if there is anything negative to say. It's just one person's point of view. Somebody else might have a totally different opinion.
You two sound just like my Valerie. I tell her she lives to eat whereas I eat to live. She'd have loved that outing!
I bet if they knew you were a food critic they might have been a bit more attentive.