Shortly before Range opened, chef Bryan Voltaggio called his new setup in Friendship Heights a “chef’s playground.” And now that it’s finished, diners get to play there, too.
Range sports 14,000 square feet; nine open kitchens; counters and tables that seat 300; glass-enclosed panoramic views of the Chevy Chase Pavilion interior, now decorated with changing colored lights; a menu with nearly 100 small plates; a wine list with more than 400 bottles; a bar with unusual craft cocktails and small-batch spirits; a candy counter; a cookware shop; and more. There’s never been anything quite like it in our area.
Then there’s the army-sized staff. Multiple, well-orchestrated servers attend to each table, immediately at hand to replenish plates, forks or water. Managers with headsets roam the dining room like they’re on an important mission, and a palpable buzz permeates the place on a crowded night.
So does the food live up to the scene? Not always, but for the most part, yes.
The sheer magnitude of the menu means that not everything can taste great; still, there are plenty of good and very good dishes.
Figuring out what and how much to order is a challenge, not just because there are so many choices, but because the selections are often so inventive. The waitstaff seem well aware of the menu’s complexity; still, you’ll need to ask questions. Servers recommend three or four small plates per person, and in my experience, that has been accurate—but only if you’re counting dessert, too.
Also, be forewarned that the dishes come out as they’re ready from each of the kitchens, so it can be an unpredictable parade.
After sampling the food at a press preview, and eating there twice afterward, I’d like to offer a few tips for navigating the menu. Keep in mind that the dishes frequently change, depending on seasonality and the availability of ingredients.
Raw bar: When it comes to shellfish, stick with the more familiar, such as the colossal-size shrimp. The raw Taylor Bay scallops were so tiny and delicate that they were hardly worth eating, especially for $19. The Kampachi, a silken sashimi-grade Hawaiian fish, was lovely and similarly delicate, but hardly made a statement, functioning more as a vehicle for the accompanying pine nuts, lemon and coriander.
Bakery: The appetite-busting bread basket is definitely worth the $10 price if you’re with a party of four or more; the bread bakery is one of the top kitchens here. Smaller parties can opt for an order of skillet cornbread with bacon marmalade, or the cheddar-jalapeno biscuits with pepper jelly—the best of the bunch.
Salumeria: The cheese sampler is likewise an economical deal. For $12, diners are served a generous taste of six boutique cheeses, along with raisin-nut bread and apple compote. Smaller parties might just select the Bayley Hazen Blue from Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont, my personal favorite. As for terrines, patés, sausages, hams and such, I only tried two—the rindswurst and house-made garlic sausage. Both were pleasant, but a bit timid in their seasonings.
Wood oven: I love the thin-crusted, smoky and blistered pizzas that come out of this kitchen. The pork sausage and rapini is a particular winner. The sausage lends a spicy kick and the rapini, a slightly bitter one, with both tamed by the creamy mozzarella.
Wood grill: This kitchen likewise does a terrific job. Occasional beef eaters would do well to satisfy their quota for steak with the flavorful Roseda beef hanging tender.
Pan-roasted: I can’t say I was wowed by too many of the dishes produced by this station. I’d put the veal sweetbreads, the pork cheeks and the lamb shank among those not worth ordering a second time. So far, my top pick is the sturgeon, the meaty white fish partnered with creamy almond milk, wheat berries and caviar. It’s a splurge for $27, particularly given the relatively small portion size, but worth it for sturgeon lovers.
Accompaniments: The fried Brussels sprouts are the star here. At $5, the crispy little crucifers are not only the best bargain on the menu, but one of the best dishes I tried. In fact, vegetables are a high point here, with kudos for the creamed Swiss chard, the wood-roasted carrots and turnips, and the oyster and shitake mushrooms.
Sweets, ice cream and sorbets: The goat cheesecake, looking like four pats of butter on the plate, was light and lovely but won’t satisfy hard-core cheesecake eaters. Lovers of rich desserts will be better off with the decadent chocolate ganache tart. Also, don’t miss the intense Granny Smith apple sorbet or the salty-creamy-sweet salted caramel ice cream.
Candy counter: Like a kid at a candy store, I wanted to try everything on the cart that servers rolled to the table after dinner. However, with the noise level in the dining room, it can be hard to hear the recitation of choices, and the goodies often look better than they taste. My favorite—the gingerbread spiced marshmallows—didn’t really have much eye appeal, but I loved sinking into the spongy squares shot full of ginger.
Dining at Range lives up to its name. The wide selection of dishes allows customers to try a variety of meals, whether that means adventurous sampling or sticking with a few dishes. I’d gladly go back just for wine, bread and cheese, or for a couple of pizzas, or for a meal of vegetables and wood-grilled meats.
Voltaggio’s challenge will be to maintain the current buzz and fill the place up on a regular basis. In the meantime, his playground is a blast.
THE WINE LIST
- Range is a destination for wine lovers, offering one of the most exciting and diverse wine lists in the area.
- Only 13 wines by the glass, but more than 400 wines by the bottle, priced $16-$888
- Wines are listed under whimsical headings such as: Lean & Racy Whites aka Skinny Elvis, and Earthy & Funky Reds aka The Rolling Stones (“Exile on Main Street”-era in the early ’70s).
- Aggressively priced, with some of the lowest markups in the region
Recommendations by the glass:
Barboursville Pinot Grigio (white, $10); Hamacher Pinot Noir (red, $14)
Top bottle picks:
Try the 2010 Louis Michel Chablis, Premier Cru Montmain (white, $48), the Chacra Pinot Noir from Patagonia (red, $38) and the 2008 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape (red, $86).
Overall grade: A+
A strong selection of world-class, food-friendly wines priced to move
RANGE
5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 201,Friendship Heights, D.C., 202-803-8020 , Voltrange.com
HOURS
Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. At press time, the restaurant was not yet open for lunch.
PRICES
Most of the menu consists of a changing array of small plates, although there are some larger-portion dishes, as well as tasting platters of all the items in a category (breads, cheeses, shellfish, etc.). So depending on what and how much you order (including alcoholic beverages), you could assemble an economical meal, or a very pricey one. Single orders of vegetables, starches, grains, salads, cheeses and bread are mostly under $10; hams, terrines, patés, sausages, pasta and pizza, mostly under $20; wood-grill and pan-roasted dishes range from $17 to $45.
RESERVATIONS
Reservations, made online at the restaurant’s website, are highly recommended every day.
COCKTAILS
An inventive craft-cocktail menu, unusual beers on draft, and a long list of premium and small-batch spirits
FAVORITE DISHES
Bread tasting; cheese tasting; pork sausage, rapini and cheese pizza; Roseda beef hanging tender; sturgeon with almond milk, wheat berries and caviar; fried Brussels sprouts, creamed Swiss chard, wood-roasted carrots and turnips
FAVORITE DESSERTS
Chocolate ganache tart, salted caramel ice cream, Granny Smith apple sorbet, gingerbread spiced marshmallows
GOOD PLACE FOR
Anybody who wants to visit an upscale food theme park
PARKING
Valet service at 4300 Military Road ($12), or self-parking in the Chevy Chase Pavilion underground lot (the restaurant does not validate).
An Advanced Sommelier and a Master of Wine, Jay Youmans owns the Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C.
Carole Sugarman is the magazine’s food editor. To comment on this review, email comments@moco360.media.
