The Gossiping Gourmet: Saddle up and visit the Ranch

I was going to review a new restaurant that had just opened, or so it seemed when I Googled it. But on arrival I discovered that it wasn’t opening for two more days, so my favorite dining companion and I wandered around and decided to try a restaurant that we had never eaten at before but looked like fun.

Wood Ranch is a chain of barbecue restaurants in Southern California, and we hadn’t had good barbecue in awhile, so it seemed like a nice choice. The Irvine location is attractively decorated in what I would call “ranch house chic” or maybe “mild, mild West.” Big wood beams, lots of other wood elements, plus brick accents, all give the restaurant a slightly Western feel. It has an outdoor patio as well.

We nibbled on soft garlic rolls and perused the menu trying to find the best choices to give us a feel for the cuisine. We were inspired by a woman who had been yumming up a huge plate of fried onions when we walked in.

This starter features shaved, deep-fried onion strips with a touch of batter. They are dangerously habit-forming. The onions were sweet and the light coating was not greasy. Two dipping sauces came on the side — one was ketchup and the other tasted like ranch dressing.

To balance this rich dish we tried another starter, the grilled balsamic shrimp, which rested on lightly dressed, crunchy coleslaw. The shrimp were good but a little too salty.

We also enjoyed an excellent Tuscan kale salad, which featured thin slivers of watermelon radishes, green beans, golden raisins, carrots, raw cauliflower, toasted pumpkin seeds, chives and thin little squares of Parmesan cheese, all tossed with crunchy chopped kale and a lovely light balsamic vinaigrette. It was a delicious mélange of flavors and textures.

We then made our selections from the barbecue menu. My husband chose the combo that included Texas-style brisket and Carolina pulled pork. I had the All-American Baby Back Ribs.

The brisket was very tender and flavorful, but it came with a side of jalapeno barbecue sauce that was so blisteringly hot it dulled the palate. Luckily it came on the side. The pulled pork was juicy and tender, but we found the sauce to be too acidic. Again, it was on the side and the pork stood up fine on its own.

My ribs were not the kind I really prefer. The meat was braised to make it tender, then coated with sauce and finished on the barbecue. I like slow-cooked ribs that leave the meat with a little “chew” and are sauced throughout the cooking. Also, I found the barbecue sauce to be rather sweet.

We had several sides, including some smashing mashed sweet potatoes. They had a lovely buttery, creamy texture and just the right amount of sweetness. We also had a refreshing coleslaw with peanuts and green onions in a light dressing.

An interesting version of warm flourless chocolate cake was served in a bowl and had a soft texture that was almost pudding-like. The cake, made with very good dark chocolate, was delicious on its own, but it came with sweet candied pecans and very good vanilla ice cream, as well as whipped cream on top.

The deep-dish peach pie, on the other hand, was disappointing. The peaches were not ripe, and the cobbler topping, which contained whole grains, brown sugar and cinnamon, was way too sweet.

Wood Ranch also serves steaks, seafood, burgers, sandwiches and a number of sides. So saddle up and mosey on over.

*

IF YOU GO

What: Wood Ranch

Where: Irvine Spectrum Center, 57 Fortune Drive, Irvine

When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Prices:

•Appetizers: $4.95 to $10.95

•Entrées: $11.95 to $30.95

•Desserts: $6.95

Wine:

•Bottles: $25 to $80

•By the glass: $7 to $17

•Corkage fee: $10

Information: (949) 337-4850 or woodranch.com