Range, 842 Valencia St., San Francisco

After months (years?) of talking about it, I ate at Range last Friday. I had tried to book reservations there at least four or five times previously on Open Table, but was denied repeatedly. So, of course, Ivy and I were able to walk in on Friday evening and immediately find two seats at the bar. Who knew!

The verdict? Fantastic.

The only dish that wasn’t superb (to me) was Ivy’s cod. The two appetizers we ordered were particularly great: mushroom-filled ravioli in a lemon-cream sauce and the perfectly-seared scallops. The lamb sirloin killed and our Hamacher Pinot Noir was a great pairing.

In an area with a lot of really great restaurants, I’d say Range was immediately in my top ten, and maybe better, without any outrageous shock when the check hit the table.