The BarFlys were thirsty. There are plenty of places to eat good food and drink great cocktails in San Francisco, but the bar at Range in the Mission is always an excellent choice. This meal was really all about the drinks with a few dishes thrown in. The food and drinks were by no means intended to pair with each other, but our thirst was quenched and our appetite was sated.

We started with a Botanist (Plymouth Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, tarragon, celery bitters, tonic and lime) and a Whitman’s Waltz (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, maple-roasted peach, bitters, lemon). Both of these drinks were excellent in addition to being a great way to say goodbye to summer:

The duck liver mousse was served with a mizuna and frisée salad that was studded with green and red flame grape halves. We still miss foie gras, but this was a good substitute to get our liver fix:

Sticking with the gin and whiskey bases, we ordered another excellent round of cocktails with the Aviation (Plymouth Gin, Luxardo Maraschino, Crème de Violette, lemon) and a Brooklyn (Rittenhouse Rye, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino):

The olive oil poached albacore was served on top of cold green gazpacho made with avocado and finely diced summer squash. Roasted padrón peppers (all mild), purple mizuna and pumpkin seeds garnished the flaky fish. The was another great example of a last of the summertime dish:

The pasta dish featured wide egg noodles with sautéed mushrooms and bacon in a creamy leek sauce. This dish was very rich and satisfying:

We ordered a Corpse Reviver #2 (Boodle Gin, Cocchi Americano, Combier, Absinthe, lemon) and the drink of the day created by Taylor, the very efficient Mixologist. Staying in the same flavor profile of the other rye-based cocktails, the drink of the day was a rye whiskey-based Daiquiri that was made with grapefruit juice and a little bit of Luxardo Maraschino:

The corn and aged cheddar fritters with marinated peppers, collards and pickled okra was a surprisingly southern dish, which shows the range of modern American food they can prepare:

For dessert, we opted to go with some after dinner drinks. A Double Date (Date-infused George Dickel Rye, Punt e Mes Vermouth, Cardamaro, cinnamon bitters) and a Vieux Carré (Sazerac Rye, Cerbois Armagnac, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Benedictine, bitters) ended our cocktail-dominant meal on a high note:

Range is a great neighborhood restaurant which inexplicably lost their Michelin star a couple of years ago. Range is much better than many other Michelin-starred restaurants we have occasioned. Whenever we dine here, we always ask ourselves why we don’t eat here more often? We have already made a note to return soon.

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