Sage American Bistro

I’m sad to see Sage is closed. No, it wasn’t cheap but it was good. I thought it was a great place to go on a date or just to the bar with a friend.
Good drinks, great food, classy atmosphere, and my Sunday brunch experience here was devine.

Was here not that long ago. Strange to find out on Unilocal it has closed. Although the night I went there was only 2 other tables. My friend and I had the bone marrow and pork belly appetizers. They we luscious and satisfying. Next we indulged veal cheeks & belly and scallops & rabbit. Delicious. Lastly, we finished off a chocolate tort and smoked goat cheese cake. Both incredibly rich. The food was fantastic! The service was ok. I’m sad that Sage is no longer open. I hope it’s just for remodeling or some such.

The menu is more expensive side for brunch, but the food quality was worth it. The Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash was phenomenal… would go back just to get this again!

Lovely dinner last night at Sage. Second time here and I am not sure why it took us two years to return. Service was superb (wish I remembered our waiters name). Our water was refreshed without us asking for more. we were allowed to linger, were not rushed in any way. Food was quite good.
Starter of summer salad was great. Had a sage tonic (your choice of gin or vodka I went with gin) which was refreshing on this 90+ day. One of the others in our group had the beet soup which was a beautiful pink color; I didn’t taste it but David said it was delicious.
Not much on the entrée list for a vegetarian. There was a gnocchi that sounded interesting but too heavy given the sweltering heat we have been experiencing. Asked our waiter to have the chef put together something vegetarian, but gave no other requirements. My entrée arrived a delightful mixture of flavors and textures. I can’t remember all that went into it but some of the components included: zucchini, couscous, carrots, blueberries, crispy onion straws. My husband enjoyed his duck.
Why no fifth star? Bread was ok, not super. Desserts looked good but nothing screamed out try me (so we skipped dessert). It would have been nice to have some veggie options on the menu.

Ok, I am doing it… we’re going 5 stars. I can’t say enough good about Sage. Sage is something out of a Gordon Ramsay show as to what you should do. We had 4 tonight so I was able to try even more on the menu.
We’ll skip wine and booze (all great) and go straight to starters.
Cheese plate for the table, 2 grilled Caesars, pork belly, and fish ribs.
Caesars: I rave about this above.
Cheeses: all local, all excellent. A blue cheese of sorts (mild, buttery, not your usual smack you in the head blue.) served with brined cherries. The cherries were sour, salty, bizarrely good. Sheep feta with strawberries … stronger than your grocery store feta but not gamey. Some other hard cheese somewhere between a swiss and a parmesan. Also great.
Fish ribs: Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night. This is from a fresh water fish and really, they look just like pork spare ribs. Fantastic. Slightly crispy on the outside, perfect on the inside, a bit of a BBQ/​sweet savor sauce. Just damned good.
Pork belly: Served with a soft boiled egg and corn succotash. Pork belly is really just bacon that hasn’t been cured or smoked. Crispy, fatty (in a great way, not gooey or gross at all), savory… we passed this around the table and everyone died a little from how good it was. Too much might kill you in the long run, but I would die a very happy man.
Mains: 2 walleye, pork, bison
Bison: Wow. They say it is a flank steak so I imagined little strips ala Japanese steak house. Not so. They came out in wrapped bundles like a croquette almost (not breaded though) stuffed with herbs and a savory rub on the outside (order medium rare). There was a reduction on it that was like the best dark beef gravy you have ever had. Along with it were shrimp and cucumbers in a cucumber cream sauce (both cold). Fantastic. Lastly there were a side of wedge cut potatoes with what we started calling Jesus sauce… a sort of cream sauce that just put the spuds over the top. Grade A damn good.
Pork: Not my meal, so I just got a taste. The waiter recommended medium rare or medium and we all sort of went… huh? I am not a proponent of cook it until it is dead pork, but this seemed like maybe a risky suggestion. Just shut up and get it how the waiter says. Wow. Tender and perfect. The best pork you’ll ever eat in this town not done in a smoker. Along with it were little pancakes of sorts. Slightly sweet, a bit like a corn meal thing… great.
Walleye: I didn’t get too much of this. What I did have was excellent, crispy, flakey, tender and served with a pepper sauce of sorts with asparagus.
Dessert: goat cheese cheese cake, chocolate torte, rice pudding and roasted pineapple.
Cheese cake: You read that right, smoked (next door at Ray Ray’s no less) goat cheese cheese cake with figs and salty carmel pop corn. This sounds freakish and terrible and I for one hate cheese cake. The heavens opened up and the angels rained down a light lemon flavor and the mildest and smoothest cheese cake I have ever eaten. Mix in the pop corn… my goodness. A total hit with everyone at the table.
Rice pudding and roasted pineapple… if you have never had roasted pineapple, you are missing out. Drizzled with a little bit of chocolate and fresh chopped mint on top. I could eat this dessert every day. The roasting just makes the pineapple that much sweeter.
Chocolate torte something or other: Very good, but a typical chocolate desert. Chocolate desserts are everywhere, this one was exceptional, I really liked it, but if you have to choose… my money is on the other two as they are just so strange and amazing.
I am turning into an evangelist for Sage. They do everything right. Great service, over the top locally sourced food, reasonable pricing… this is what every other wanna be haute/​trendy foodie centric Short North restaurant should aspire to be. Rigsbys, DeepWood, Martini’s… the lot all have quite a bit of catching up to do. Sage… keep it coming. Can’t wait to be back.

Very creative and excellent dishes. Also very fine service (although one of the staff spilled my water cup).
I had rabbit-​loin with scallops and my friend had lamb shank. Both tasted great. More importantly, the taste was something unexpected. All well balanced — salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and rich. We also liked the wine paired with the dish, which was suggested by our server.
I will definitely revisit for another special occasion.

Lori decided I needed some cheering up, so she offered to take me out to dinner — a certain remedy to the doldrums. She even let me pick the restaurant! After spending some time poring over some area restaurants I had not yet visited, I settled upon Sage American Bistro.
Located on North High Street just south of Dodridge Street, Sage is in a narrow brick building that one could easily miss traversing the busy High Street. Valet parking ($ 4) is available in the rear of the restaurant and is probably the best parking option.
We were quickly seated (after having made reservations as recommended) at a two-​top just inside the front door of the restaurant. Fortunately, most patrons entered and exited from the rear of the building so the evening chill was minimal.
Exposed brick walls framed the narrow room with white tableclothed tables arranged to take best advantage of the limited space while affording diners appropriate privacy. There was a small bar at the back of the room. Behind that was a kitchen from which, if you were to judge it on size alone, one might wonder how the staff could possibly prepare the fine food we were about to consume.
One of the reasons I chose Sage is its rather eclectic menu. Among the offerings are Bone Marrow, Sweetbread, Pacu Fish Ribs, and Ohio Pork Cheeks.
I began my meal with the Grilled Caesar Salad ($ 8.00) which was delicious.
The smoky flavor was outstanding and was complemented by the dressing and the salty white anchovies and topped with parmesan cheese.
Lori selected the Winter Salad ($ 8.00) which was a fine Mesclun mix topped with a parsnip purée, fennel, pickled figs, and quinoa. The salad was dressed with a green apple vinaigrette.
Growing up, I had a dislike for figs because my only exposure to the fruit was in the form of Fig Newtons which I found abhorrent. I tasted one of the figs from Lori’s salad and found that I had been missing out for decades.
For my entrée, I decided upon the Scallops and Rabbit Loin ($ 27.00). Whereas my favorite scallops are those I had at Dempsey’s Restaurant (
), these were seared very nicely and had a lot of flavor.
I had never had rabbit before. As one might expect, it was a mild meat, without a distinctive flavor but seasoned well and quite tasty.
The scallops and rabbit were accompanied by a wilted arugula salad with apples, walnut gremolata, more pickled figs (!), and a balsamic reduction.
Lori chose the Ohio Strip Steak ($ 33.00), a 12 ounce grilled serving cooked to perfection. Positioned atop crispy steak fries and a parsnip purée, the steak was topped with cider-​braised greens and andouille jus.
Thank goodness, the serving was more than Lori could finish, so I was able to taste several bites of the steak. Delicious!
Never ones to dismiss dessert without at least looking at the menu, we found a generous selection of sweet offerings. Lori chose the Crème Brulee ($ 8.00). Whereas I love crème brûlée, I rarely order it, only because I seldom find any that matches what Chef Hartmut Handke created at his now closed Handke’s Cuisine in the Brewery District.
I was too preoccupied with my own dessert to taste Lori’s, but she enjoyed it very much.
As I was reviewing the dessert menu, I found an item named Foie Gras ($ 12.00), but rather than the fattened goose liver delicacy (which I would never imagine being on a dessert menu, it was described as a carrot-​ginger cake, with apple butter, and salty cashew caramel.
I couldn’t imagine there was a typo on the menu so I asked our server to explain the dessert. He indicated that it was probably his least favorite dessert (hey, I appreciate the honesty!) and that it included pureed foie gras in the cake batter as well as a small slice placed on top of the cake. Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts, so I just had to give this a try.
When it arrived, I was first drawn to the silver dollar sized slice of foie gras sitting on top. I carefully removed it, took a tiny bite and was rewarded with the glorious taste of the delicacy. I offered a piece to Lori and, whereas she tried it, she did not like it at all. It may be an acquired taste for some, but her wrinkled up nose suggested that it was all mine!
The cake itself was good, but I was unable to distinguish any foie gras flavor at all. That was disappointing because the price of the dessert clearly took into account the presence of the decadent ingredient. I finished the cake and then set about eating more tiny portions of the foie gras, savoring the taste, until it was sadly gone.
It was a marvelous evening with a delicious meal, outstanding company, and a romantic atmosphere.
Named after the young daughter of Chef/​Owner Bill Glover, Sage American Bistro has found a spot on my list of favorite restaurants in central Ohio.
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NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.
This is one of those places that I’ve walked by several times and never thought about it until a couple coworkers mentioned their brunch.
Brunch, you say? I’m in.
My buddy and I popped in on a Sunday afternoon — they were packed and we landed seats at the bar.
The bartenders were good, fast, and attentive — and the food was delicious — I had the espresso rubbed steak — fucking. Delicious.
I will be back.

I went to Sage for an anniversary dinner with my wife. The dinner was excellent although there were a few weak points with a couple of the items I ordered.
For starters, my wife ordered the daily soup, and I ordered the frisee salad. Both of these were perfect and tasted excellent. Honestly, the frisee salad was the best salad I have ever had in my life.
For entrees, I ordered the pork cheeks, and my wife ordered the scallops and rabbit. The scallops and rabbit were great; my wife said they were a little saltier than she likes, but she is hypersensitive to salt so I don’t think that was a problem. The pork cheeks were extremely tender, but I was a little let down by their flavor, which was just ordinary. They weren’t bad; actually, they tasted good, but I expected them to taste a little less ordinary considering their price.
For desert, I ordered the apple bread pudding, and my wife ordered the chocolate ganache torte. My wife loved the chocolate ganache. I liked the apple bread pudding; the texture was amazing, but it was very, very sweet, and I got a little tired of the sweetness ¾ of the way through eating it. (I suppose I should have expected something very sweet with an apple desert though.)
The ambiance of the place is excellent; all the artwork suits the location perfectly. Excellent service.
Will go again and try other menu items.

Innovative brunch place. Menu reads beautifully and I ended up ordering two meals! The steak omelet was good, but rather salty. The crème brûlée French toast was top rate. The toast was good (from brioche), but the fruit drenched maple syrup was incredible. My wife had the duck confit eggs Benedict which also very good. Good coffee and attentive service, even for a very busy Sunday morning.

Sunday brunch at Sage is truly as good as it gets! This adorable space right on High Street is somewhat of a hidden gem. The interior is made up of exposed brick and gorgeous art work for sale. Great experience all around.
I ordered the duck eggs benedict and literally CLEANED my plate it was so good! Brioche toast is topped with pulled duck, spinach, roasted red peppers, a perfectly poached egg and creamy hollandaise sauce. Drooling while typing that.
I was dining with my parents and sister so I was able to sample what everyone else got and every single dish was top notch. The prices were reasonable – brunch options between $ 8 and $ 15. My mom ordered a Mango Bellini and it was so sweet and bubbly. The Sauf’s coffee is the icing on the cake at Sage.
I can’t wait to try dinner!
PS – Lots of parking in the back! Rear entrance as well.

Last weekend, five of us celebrated my husband’s birthday with Sunday brunch at Sage. It was our first time back for brunch in three years. I don’t know why. The food was delicious just as I had remembered! The menu is limited but high quality! I had the French Toast which was super tasty and very filling. My husband enjoyed his pancakes and eggs. Of course, we couldn’t pass up celebrating with the carafe of mimosa for just $ 20.00. At $ 8.00 a glass, the carafe is definitely the way to go since it equaled 5 glasses.
The walls of the restaurant were covered with paintings by a local artist which added to the charm. We eyed more than one piece that we thought would look cool in our living room.
Parking was super easy thanks to a large lot behind the restaurant, and the service was top notch! There was no wait when we arrived at 11:15, but note that brunch is only served on Sundays. I’m anxious to give Sage a try for dinner in the near future.

I always forget about Sage when I’m considering upscale dining in Columbus, but I really shouldn’t! It’s really on the top of my list for fine dining in a modern/​casual environment.
The long, narrow dining room can be a little bit of a challenge when you’re getting into it or out of it. But, once seated, the room is soft and glowy, cozy and intimate.
I was most impressed by the drink list. The cocktails are truely creative, not merely trendy. Featuring some local liquors, I wanted to try just about everything on the list.
The food was amazing– perfectly portioned and packing lots of flavor and creativity. We had the pork cheek to start, and I had the lamb shank. Oh man. That was the best lamb shank I’ve ever had. Tender, not fatty. Some others at our table had the cheese plate (among other things), and I definitely would order that on a subsequent visit.
Many items on the menu describe selections at the chef’s «whim.» A good sign that the chef isn’t bound by all aspects of the menu in his selections of what’s good on any given day. I want my dishes to be «composed» and Sage delivers.
I finished up with the truffles selection– a perfect little sweety to split between two people. Another guest at the table ordered the carrot cake with foie gras. It was exactly that — carrot cake with a piece of foie gras on it! — which took our friend a bit off guard. I think he thought there would be some dessert element that was foie gras-​esque, but the literal interpretation was unexpected. Apparently this is a popular signature dish. Anyway, the servers dealt with his disappointment very graciously, taking it off the bill and offering to replace it with something else even though there wasn’t really anything wrong with it. This is what a fine-​dining establishment *should* do, and Sage knows!
I think prices are more than reasonable for the level of cuisine and service. Still, it’s a special occasion venue. I hope I can go back soon, if even just for the cheese plate, some other apps, and a cocktail!

This is our go-​to for a special occasion dinner because it is pricey, but so good. Wonderful atmosphere, food, and service.

4.5 stars.
Came by with my client (who’s a regular) on a Thursday night and was very impressed. Our server was incredibly knowledgable about wine pairings and made excellent dish recommendations. Though, I’m not sure that everything was life-​changing, but there are definitely some stars.
The marrow was a-​mazing. The frisee salad was decent. The eggplant pasta dish? Now that’s what I call life-​changing. It was very tasty and surprising.
I can’t recall what types of wine we ordered, but I don’t remember being disappointed with our server’s recommendations. Yum.
We capped off the meal with the ginger crème brûlée and OMG, the roasted grapes (I think that’s what they were) that topped the dish were phenomenal.
Kudos to the chef and our server (esp for calling a cab for us out-​of-​towners). It was a wonderful dinner!

Came in late on a Saturday night.
We had two amazing on-​menu items, and a great drink. Started with the bone marrow appetizer. I’ve had this before at other places, and I feel like Fred Flintstone each time, but I can’t pass up a dish I used to have as a kid. My doctor shouldn’t know I do this. Sage’s version is unique and deserving of some acclaim.
Our Old Fashion was perfect, but served in a smallish glass.
We moved to our main course, the eggplant noodles. They were eggplant strips made to look like noodles! Add a great smoky bacon, lobster, mussels, crème fraîche sauce, peas, and other seasonings; a truly unique dish.
I used unique twice.
I took away a star for the very sophmoric service. He was attentive and all, but really clueless about what was being served, and about fine dining. I think he had a math test to study for. Uptick the staff, add some training on what really goes on in the restaurant and kitchen, and you would then approach 5*.
But, clearly, the chef/​owner knows his craft.

If you’re in the mood for somewhere new for Sunday Brunch, then head to Sage!
Sage holds a pretty special place in my heart because it’s where I had my first official «date» with the Mister. But we didn’t return until recently, and wow, what a difference almost two years makes!
The brunch back then was okay, but it wasn’t anything spectacular. And I remember it being super pricey. But this time was different; this time the service was spectacular, the ambiance was lovely, and the food was delicious!
The Mister and I both had steak and eggs, and Sage has the best version of this dish I’ve ever tasted! Normally, this is scrambled eggs with a side of tough, cheap steak. But not at Sage! I kinda gasped when they brought my plate out because it was so beautifully presented. This was a perfectly cooked and seasoned (with coffee!) NY Strip steak, atop incredible green beans, and beneath a delicious farm-​fresh poached egg — and smothered in fontina cream sauce. Oh. Holy. Shit.
For $ 15. Bam!
I’ve never had Sage for any other meal besides Brunch, so only use my review for what it is. But as for brunch, Sage is great!
Tips:
* Get there early because this small space can fill up quickly!
* Get the coffee — pretty darn tasty.
* Have a mimosa!
* Park in the back.
* The bathroom walls are incredibly thin, so be warned that you WILL be heard!

My husband and I have been to Sage twice now — once for brunch and once for dinner during Dine Originals week.
Pork belly fantastic. Frisee salad fantastic. Johnny cakes fantastic. Egg scramble good. Pork cheeks great.
Mmm… pork belly… :-)
We just wish it weren’t so expensive! Dine Originals was a great deal and totally worth it — service was slow, but that night we were in the mood to nosh and chill, so it wasn’t too bad. We’ll be back for the next Dine Originals!

Rather than going to one of my regular brunch locals, I decided to spice it up based on a recommendation. I dragged a friend out on Sunday and was happy to find that there was no wait for a table. The ambiance of Sage is lovely, the art on the walls is subtle but refined, and the music selection was fantastic. We ordered mimosas while scouring the menu, well, I got a mimosa and my friend tried the pimosa. I love a restaurant that offers five varieties of breakfast beverages.
It took me fifteen minutes to settle on a brunch item. I had to talk myself out of ordering more than one item, they all looked delectable. I convinced my friend to order the french toast (so I could try it) and I ordered the fried eggs and Johnny cakes. I’m not used to savory brunch items, but the combination of pickled cabbage, eggs, and corn pancakes was absolutely unique and fantastic. The french toast was amazing, when I return to Sage (which I will), I plan to get the french toast with a side of bacon. Word to the wise, try the bacon, it is phenomenal. Yes, the price is a bit much, but it is worth treating yourself every once in a while!

3.5 stars based on my brunch experience at Sage. Let’s get started! I like the locale with behind building parking. Being next to Hound Dogs, I kind of wanted pizza instead of brunch, but they couldn’t sway me from trying Sage since I’d read such good things about it. Well, I thinks my hopes were a little high. First off, the décor is nice and I love the exposed brick wall, it had a classy rustic atmosphere. They did a good job with our large group. Good service, attentive and friendly. A+!
Two words: Mimosa Pitcher! The menu read delectably, but the final product was lacking. The sweet potato hash couldn’t hold a flame to Northstar’s and the crème brule french toast (which they had us order right as we sat down as to reserve our portions) didn’t remind me of crème brule at all and was a soggy mess. I think the issue was execution in the kitchen. Nothing else I had seemed notable and I haven’t been back for brunch there. I wouldn’t detour people from going to their brunch because it wasn’t bad at all, just not my fav (I’m picky). I feel like breakfast is the most difficult meal to cook! so I try not to hold any grudges :)
I would like to try dinner there because I think that could be their forte!