I have been wanting to visit Great Sage, in Clarksville, Maryland for a long time. Having followed them on social media for a while, I was more than ready to try some of their dishes. In September, we traveled to Maryland for some family birthdays and chose the Sage for the big birthday meal. They did not disappoint!
We had a party of six – with my daughter (our guest blogger Allison Smith) and her family – making us four non-vegans (including a baby and a “near teen”), and two vegans, with all of our different tastes. We were able to make everyone happy with the Sage menu, with only a little bump in the road for the preteen. I think the staff possibly thought
he was older, and we didn’t notice the child’s menu in front of the baby’s high chair in time to order from it. If he had ordered off the child’s menu first, I think things would have been perfect. He rejected the macaroni and cheese, which I liked and ended up eating. But, he did finally settle on some tasty ciabatta bread, a nice root beer, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so all was not lost.
We had so much great food here! We passed around our dishes and tried everything that we all ordered, so there was a lot of tasting and picture taking. Two of our party ordered the Autumn Crisp, which was a special that night (and might be a permanent menu item one day). It was not only delicious, but so beautifully presented! It would be a perfect dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas meal out. So pretty!
We tried two different soups (which I’ve forgotten the names of), one cream-based soup and a bowl of chili. Everyone loved both of those. I had the Buffalo Cauliflower Salad, which was very fresh, and a nice size. I hadn’t had a chance to try buffalo cauliflower yet, and had never cooked it. So, I was happy to have an opportunity to taste some. The spices were just right. I also had a side of kale (rejected by the preteen – what a surprise!) and a slice of cornbread. Both were excellent. Mr. Key Lime had a Grilled Beet Burger, a “cannellini bean, rosemary and grilled beet burger on top of mashed avocado and arugula, topped with mac & ‘cheese,’ basil aioli and crispy onions.” The burger got a big thumbs up.
Our party only tried three drinks: the pomegranate tea, the Old Havana, and a root beer. Approvals all around!
When our daughter made the reservation, they asked if we were dining out for an occasion and she told them we had two birthdays. At the end of our meal, our servers brought two bowls of ice cream to the table, to both birthday boys, with a candle stuck in each scoop. That was such a nice surprise and so thoughtful. Naturally, the ice cream was also vegan, since the whole menu is, and it was sweet and creamy – perfect.
We can’t say enough about how much we love visiting fully vegan restaurants, and Great Sage takes the entire experience up a notch. Usually, it’s enough just to know you can look at an entire menu without the usual ingredients questions – what can be taken off or added to your dish. Going to non-vegan restaurants is like a puzzle, a test, which usually ends with narrowing down the menu to one or two items, then asking for favors in how it’s prepared. Walking into a fully vegan restaurant, all of that just falls to the side. When you look at the menu, you only have to think about flavors and preferences, as it should be! In addition to that, the Sage also provides a warm, comfortable, relaxed and non-rushed environment. The food is both casual and sophisticated. The staff is very helpful and pleasant. We would (and will) go back in a heartbeat!
In addition to their lovely dining room, there are also some bar seats and a few tables outside.
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