Ranch 22 Reviews!

(Note: The following article was published in the Sierra Vista Herald, a local newspaper, in the Money section on March 20, 2005.)

Kicking It Up a Notch

TOMBSTONE - This historic town, known for its gun slinging re-enactments, stagecoaches and saloons, is adding some­thing new to its Old West image.

Still under construction but slated to open early in April, a fine dining restaurant will be making its debut in Tomb­stone.

Ranch22 Restaurant and Bar, nestled within the Best Western Lookout Lodge, a Best Western Hotel just north of town off Highway 80, is the new addition to Tombstone's "too tough to die" repertoire. Perched on the side of a hill, the restaurant's panoramic view of the Dragoon Mountains was a primary focal point for owners Inder and Susan Sandhu as they planned its design.

"The entire front of the dining area is glass," Inder Sandhu said during a brief tour of the new addition. "We wanted to capture the outside and draw it in, and to do that, we used a lot of glass. Our goal is to keep the interior clean, elegant and spacious, with emphasis on that spectacular view"

A centrally located, open kitchen will allow diners to watch chefs at work, one of the newest trends in fine dining and a trend the Sandhus wanted as part of their restaurant's ambiance.

"I'm from California, and this is what we see all the time now in all the upscale restaurants in California," Inder Sandhu said.

"It means the kitchen must always be spic and span, and it adds an extra touch that customers appreciate," he added.

Designer and builder Brain Fishlock, who owns a company called Builders Within Reach, has been contracted to construct Ranch22.

"He is the brains behind the architecture and design," Inder Sandhu said. "He does superb work, and we specifically chose him for this project because of his attention to detail."

A native of Sussex, England, Fishlock is now a resident of McNeal. As a former director of construction for Neiman Marcus, he comes with an impressive resume. Closer to home, one of his more recent projects includes Big Sky Cafe, a Bisbee restaurant that is owned and run by his wife.

"The whole concept behind Ranch22 is to create a restaurant with a contemporary flair and western feel," Fishlock said. "So it's not going to be full of old time cowboy memorabilia, but will have nice, select art work and photography."

The photography, featuring classic black and white photographs of ranches, will include an individual spotlight on each piece.

"The ranch artwork ties in nicely with the Ranch22 theme," Sandhu said. "Brian also has commissioned an artist to paint a very large, colorful piece that will be at the back of the restaurant."

Aged Douglas fir, along with wrought iron chandeliers and accents, will contribute to the restaurant's western ambiance.

The facility will accommodate 70 patrons. When weather permits, guests may request to dine outdoors in an area with open fire pits, a pond, garden and the view of the Dragoons.

"I am expecting a lot of requests for outdoor tables," Sandhu said. "This view is just fabulous, and we have beautiful evenings here. With the garden and pond, this is going to be an attraction for diners."

The outdoor dining area will accommodate an additional 30 patrons, bringing the restaurant's total capacity close to 100.

Anthony Musgrove, recruited from Bisbee's fine dining restaurant Cafe Roka, has been named as executive chef. After working for Rod Kass, Roka's owner and head chef, Musgrove is confident he has the necessary training for the position.

Inder Sandhu shares his new chef's confidence.

"My executive chef is very, very talented, especially after training under Rod Kass at Roka," Sandhu said.

"Rod is a very good friend of mine, and he's happy for me and for Anthony. He sees this as an excellent opportunity for Anthony to move up into an executive chef position."

As executive chef, Musgrove will have three sous­chefs working for him.

"When Inder first approached me about this idea, he expressed that he wanted to create a high-end steak house, featuring a California cuisine, with a Southwestern and French influence," Musgrove said. "Our menu is very well designed. It fits me perfectly."

Some of Musgrove's favorite menu items include slow-cooked baby back ribs with honey and pomegranate mesquite sauce, New York strip steak with baby red potatoes, and caramelized Chilean sea bass with a spicy sweet mango and ginger glaze.

"I'm getting really anxious for our grand opening," Musgrove said. "Once I was approached about taking the executive chef position, the decision was a no-brainer for me. This is an exciting opportunity for me, and I accepted the offer immediately."

Prices for menu items will range from $9 to $27, depending on the order.

"We're the only restaurant in the area, that I know of, that will be ordering fresh lobster every day," Inder Sandhu said. "We're going to put Tombstone on the map for fine dining."

This is Inder and Susan Sandhu's first venture into the restaurant business.

The couple purchased the Best Western Lookout Lodge in 2003 and immediately renovated the premises, including the rooms and grounds. The hotel had undergone one renovation since opening in 1972, Sandhu said.

The new restaurant is situated in an area that was once a courtyard, between the hotel's lobby and three buildings that house guest rooms. Inder Sandhu saw the courtyard as wasted space and decided to add the restaurant.

"The reality is we do not have a fine dining restaurant in this town, and I believe it is desperately needed," Sandhu said. "It was one of the biggest things I had to overcome when I moved here from California. I was at Roka every day it was open. That's how I got to know Rod (Kass)."

Inder and Susan Sandhu love Tombstone and the surrounding area. They own 100 acres in McNeal and are building a ranch house on that property. They plan to plant fruit trees and hope to bring fresh fruit to the hotel for guests to enjoy. They also own a home in San Francisco where Susan stays while her son, Inder's stepson, attends school. She flies back and forth from California to Arizona, Sandhu said.

As a youngster growing up in India, Sandhu remember being drawn to America's western movies.

"John Wayne was my hero when I was growing up," he said.

Ranch22 got its name from his Indian roots.

"It's how we name farms in India," he said. "We would say Chak22, which means Farm 22. So when we named the restaurant, we combined the ranch theme with my Indian background."

Prior to purchasing the Best Western Lookout Lodge, Sandhu was the vice president of sales for Hewlett Packard's International Division.

"I had 35 employees and about 58 distributors under me,” he said.

I was with Hewlett Packard for more than eight years, putting in more than 200,000 air miles every year all over the world.”

Tombstone 's colorful Old West history lured him to the area. Choosing to come to Tombstone and start a business was a mixture of reality and fantasy, he said.

"When I saw this property, I saw a lot of potential here because of the way it was laid out and because of the view of the mountains," Sandhu said.

"It's very spiritual here, especially the mountains. The area just grows on you. Even my wife says we should sell our house in California and move here, which is a positive thing."

Once it's up, and running, Ranch22 will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week.

Executive Chef Musgrove will work dinners only, with sous-chefs handling break­fast and lunch.

"I plan to have an intimate role in this restaurant," Sandhu said. "My wife and I are very optimistic about its success."

(Note: The following article was published in the Tombstone Tumbleweed , our local newspaper, on March 10, 2005.)

Fine Dining Comes to Tombstone In Form of Ranch22 Restaurant

By Chris Simcox

The Best Western Lookout Lodge in Tombstone is proud to announce its newest addition - the exclusive Ranch22 Restaurant and Bar - an upscale, gourmet steakhouse.

Proprietors of the Best Western Lookout Lodge, Inder and Susan Sandhu, have been planning on bringing upscale dining to Tombstone since they purchased the establishment in 2003. Those plans are about to be realized in what Inder describes as the first fine dining experience in Tombstone in a long while.

"We're going to put Tombstone on the map for fine dining."

Designer and builder Brian Fishlock, a native of Sussex, England, describes the architec­ture as a "clean contemporary flair with a Western feel."

"We're using some aged douglas fir lumber with wrought iron details and wrought iron chandeliers. There will be some Western themes like black and white ranching photos but the interior will not he cluttered with Western memorabilia," Fishlock said.

Plans call for seating to accommodate up to 70 patrons with outside dining available during evenings and when weather allows. the dining experience comes complete with spectacular views of the Dragoon Mountains and ambiance staged with magical sunsets per­formed by the Arizona sky.

"We are expanding our outdoor fire pit seating by adding a new concrete slab and some tables around the fire pits. We have a beautiful view which provides a comfortable din­ing atmos­phere," said Inder.

Anthony Musgrave will open the establishment as head chef. Musgrave moves to Ranch22 from Bisbee's Cafe Roka where he has served up delicious and creative meals as the restau­rant's working chef.

“What we are attempting is to create a high-end steak and seafood menu with a California/French influence. This is a great opportunity. Moving from a working chef to head chef is a dream come true for me," said Musgrave.

Anthony shared a few of his menu main courses like slow cooked baby back ribs with honey and pomegranate mesquite sauce. New York strip steak with baby red potatoes, roasted garlic and Assiago Strudel also sounds tempt­ing.

On the seafood side, Musgrave described a caramelized Chilean sea bass with spicy sweet mango and ginger glaze.

Inder and Susan say Ranch22 will aspire to bring you an experience unmatched by most culinary landmarks.

They invite you to join them for soft romantic music and a delectable adventure for all your senses when they open the doors to Ranch22 in early April.

Charles Musgrove is Executive Chef at the Ranch22 Restaurant at the Best Western Hotel in historic Tombstone. He is presently the working chef at Cafe Roka in Bisbee, where he has worked for several years and where he completed his apprenticeship under the watchful eye of Master Chef and Owner Rod Kass. Chef Musgrove is a native of Los Angeles and San Francisco and for 27 years he has been honing his skills in the art of California and New French cuisine.