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A Night at Sage

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Sage:

– noun: a profoundly wise person; a person famed for wisdom
–adj: wise, judicious, or prudent
–noun: an herb, Salvia officinalis, whose grayish-green leaves are used in medicine and for seasoning in cookery.
– (proper) noun: a vegetarian restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC where you lose track of time and feel like home

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Four scholars convened last Friday to break bread. They were brought together by a mutual friend who vowed to reignite his healthy eating habits. He’s been making his own almond milk and tempeh and trying his hand at vegan baking. It was only fitting that he chose Sage in Chapel Hill as the dinner spot for the evening. The group was eclectic. Three psychologists and a MD. Two meat eaters, one flexitarian, one vegetarian. Two Michigan alums, one Ohio State alum. Two with a Cincinnati connection, two with East Coast connections. In short, it was a tough crowd to please. And yet there was one thing they would all agree on by the end of the night–the food at Sage was absolutely delicious, the service was excellent, and the bathroom is an experience.

The mood at Sage is calmly joyous. Not over the top joyous. Not bring you down calm. A deep gray ceiling with orange and yellow sponged walls. Bossa nova, Goapele, families, beer, wine, and laughs. We were served by Lakshmi, whose smile was as bright as the strategically placed track lighting that illuminated the restaurant’s fresh flowers and tasteful art.

We ordered the Fesen Joon, the soy chicken cutlet, the tropical salad, and the Caribe platter for dinner. The food was flavorful and the meat eaters were intrigued. For dessert, we ordered the vegan chocolate cake, the dark chocolate walnut cake, and the strawberry banana smoothie. The smoothie got an A+ from the MD.

If I had to pick a con for the night (just to be balanced), I would say that the food was a bit too salty. My fellow diners agreed.

One of the best parts of the dining experience was soaking up the sights of the diverse clientele. There were babies and couples and teenagers. There were shades of cream and tan and mocha folks–which is not the norm at most of the vegetarian restaurants that I’ve been too. I suppose it’s a testament to the delicious food and the welcoming environment. A manageable menu and great atmosphere make Sage a restaurant to frequent time and time again.

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. kwan

    good to hear you got to visit sage! i definitely enjoyed it a couple of years back when i visited.

    October 4, 2010
  2. Tiffany and Keyla

    it was yummy!!!! you should check out the food for the vegan challenge! the dishes have been pretty yummy so far (i'll be writing up dos perros at some point this week…)

    October 5, 2010