By SCOTT MIMS | Particular to the Reporter
CALERA – Only a look at Sage Bar & Grill’s menu will pique your curiosity, if for no different motive than to make you marvel what a “pepperoni pimp ball” is. However as soon as your style buds encounter Katie Troncale’s unique recipes, you’ll probably depart with a couple of new favorites.
The restaurant, which seeks to combine a household environment providing an upscale twist on Southern cooking with a late-night leisure venue, full with dwell music and a full bar, is as a lot an extension of Troncale’s philosophy as it’s a restaurant.
Sage, which bears its identify as a result of Troncale’s love of the phrase’s that means, additionally occurs to be the identify of her son. However the restaurant just isn’t named after her son—Troncale defined.
“Sage means clever and it rids negativity, and so I used to be doing plenty of smudging after I was pregnant, and I figured, ‘Wouldn’t or not it’s good if this child’s about to rid plenty of my negativity?’ It modified my complete perspective on life,” she stated.
That positivity and creativity comes alive in her dishes—beef brisket meatloaf, hand-breaded rooster fried rooster, smoked turkey tetrazzini, bougie collard greens with filet and rib eye trimmings, or the “attractive BLT” that includes a slice of fried inexperienced tomato and Troncale’s trademark “pimp pimento” cheese.
“Now we’re executing some actually cool dishes and developing with some new issues,” Troncale stated. “We don’t mimic anyone; we create.”
Living proof, when confronted with what to do with leftover pepperoni from bloody Mary drinks, Troncale advised stuffing them into pimento cheese fritters, deep frying them and serving with marinara sauce—immediately creating the “pepperoni pimp ball.”
If that sounds a bit too daring to your style, maybe you’d just like the Philly cheesestreak made with IPA onions and beer cheese, peppers and mushrooms; or the redneck rooster—a marinated rooster breast basted in ranch, topped with mozzarella and bacon and served with recent, diced tomatoes. It’s all Troncale’s model of consolation meals, and he or she needs all people to attempt it.
“We need to be a spot the place individuals can simply come eat and have a very good time and really feel good. It’s best to really feel good strolling in, it is best to really feel nice leaving,” she says, noting that these on 30-minute lunch breaks can are available and anticipate to dine in a well timed method.
“We’re giving the blue collar males what they need. We’re providing you with a giant portion. We’re providing you with meat and veggies. We’re providing you with some nice tasting meals, however we’re giving it to you actually quick. You’re not going to have to attend,” Troncale stated.
Now absolutely staffed, Sage reopened for lunch on Aug. 27, and Troncale has 4 key individuals in her kitchen with a mixed 60 years of expertise—Eric Olsen, Jenny Donelson, Brad Cunningham and pit grasp Todd Koone, whereas her enterprise companion is Maged Alammari.
Troncale additionally credited certainly one of her cooks, Michelle Flemming, with serving to to construct Sage into what it’s.
Though Flemming quickly will depart to open her personal meals truck, “The Boss Bogg,” however she has Troncale’s full blessing.
Maybe surprisingly to some, Sage at present doesn’t provide curbside service; as an alternative Troncale encourages individuals to return in and expertise the whole bundle for themselves. To her, it’s all in regards to the expertise—high-quality eating in a high-quality environment. Staying true to the identify, the essence of Sage is positivity and good vibes.
“There’s no room for the unfavorable,” Troncale stated. “We’re actual constructive round right here. When you’re not in our vibe otherwise you don’t mesh, it normally will get discovered actually simply. We teamwork, we work collectively, we’re all people’s associates, the workers is wonderful, however that’s what makes it wonderful is the belief that it builds and it bonds. We’re a household.”
As for the dwell music, she hopes to begin internet hosting acts very quickly, however the dates usually are not set it stone simply but. However the Sage late-night menu is already in place and options loads of appetizers and fried meals choices.
“If individuals are nonetheless in right here and it is smart, we’re going to remain open until midnight, and that’s day-after-day of the week,” Troncale stated. “This tradition out right here just isn’t used to staying out late anymore. They’re used to issues shutting down, and we simply need to hold being constant and proving to them that we’re going to be right here and we’re going to be open, that our meals is sweet, that each time they arrive in they’re going to be happy, and that’s what’s going to make individuals hold coming again.”
Sage Bar & Grill is situated at 4979 U.S. 31, Calera. To study extra, go to Sage’s Fb web page or Google web page. A hyperlink is offered for on-line ordering. Hours are at present 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (lunch and dinner menu) and 10 p.m.-midnight (late-night menu). The late-night hours might be prolonged till 2 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for dwell music.
