by Tom Plant
Vail Ranch Steakhouse has been a fixture on Jefferson Avenue in Temecula for more than seven years now. General Manager, Guillermo Resendiz, has been there before the beginning, when it was a franchise restaurant. Guillermo has worked every job there is to do at the restaurant, from bartender to bar manager to assistant manager. What he wanted to impress on me is that Vail Ranch is more than just a steakhouse. They also offer pork, lamb, sea bass, lobster and more.
He is also working hard to change the perception that’s it’s just a special occasion restaurant. He’s tweaked the menu so people can afford to dine there a couple of times a month. Entrées range from $18 to $55 and there’s a wide array of selections for you to choose from.
Before dining, I sat down with Executive Chef Aaron Knigge, who comes to Vail Ranch after spending 20 plus years in Beverly Hills and Hollywood. After marrying, he and his wife decided to move away from the big city and settle in Corona. Knigge is proud of Vail Ranch’s steak program. All the beef is CAB (certified Angus beef) and is wet aged for a minimum of 21 days. After wet aging, the meat is dry aged for about 30 days, insuring full flavor and tenderness. The meat hangs in a room kept at 83% to 85% humidity just below freezing. You can see the cuts as you walk in the front door. Prime rib is a favorite on the weekends, but Chef Aaron is now offering it seven nights a week, with a half a prime rib prepared Monday through Thursday nights until it sells out. He’s slowly gravitating toward more seafood and a “lighter fare.”
Vail Ranch welcomes banquets and has two separate rooms, one that accommodates 55 people and the other 70. There are no room fees. Happy hour is from 4pm to 9pm on Monday and 4pm to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday with food and drink specials offered in the lounge. Wine by the bottle is half price every Wednesday from the regular wine list and there’s live piano music every night. They offer catering featuring Santa Maria style barbeque with tri tip, grilled chicken and ribs.
All this talking about food made me hungry, so I ordered a medium-rare 16-ounce ribeye steak. It was accompanied by whipped potatoes and pan-seared Brussels sprouts with bacon and diced tomatoes and served with a Bordelaise sauce. The beef was flavorful and plentiful. My companion enjoyed a seared Ahi, moist and tender. We enjoyed a bottle of Robert Renzoni’s Concerto red wine blend with our meal, as we enjoyed David’s piano playing.
Vail Ranch Steakhouse is open seven nights a week at 27600 Jefferson Avenue, just north of Overland. Call (951) 694-1475 for reservations. www.vailranchsteakhouse.com
