Sage Cafe to Introduce Lounge
The rebirth of Deep Deuce has been truly laborious. This baby has been a 500-pound gorilla — octomom style. But Kevin and Charifa Smith have certainly done their part to see this historic area not be forgotten by time or slow development.
First, the couple opened Sage Gourmet Cafe and Market, adding a downtown dining experience to the landscape that features organic foods, fresh and, when available, local ingredients. Well, the market hasn’t gone as expected, but response to the cafe has. Thus, the market is being phased out in favor of more seating. Considering the size of the well-appointed space, this is a welcome transition.
But an excellent new addition to the restaurant communities growing middle class wasn’t enough for the Smiths. Now they’ve targeted another 500-pound gorilla that has sat in the center of Deep Deuce since the first day the word rebirth and Deep Deuce were mentioned in the same sentence: music.
More specifically, jazz.
To mark the first year of the cafe’s opening, The Smiths are poised to open Sage Lounge on May 1 and, at least for the first month, will feature only jazz. Charifa Smith says that without jazz there would never have been a Deep Deuce worth remembering.
“We think it’s important to bring it back,” she said. “Deep Deuce holds such nostalgia because of the wonderful musicians who’ve played here in the past, such as renowned Guitarist Charlie Christian and Blues singer Jimmy Rushing. Sage has had such a successful first year and we are excited about all the changes that have been made to better serve our customers.”
The Smiths are working with Walter Taylor III of Taylor Made Jazz to showcase the musicians in the Sage Lounge. “I was 14-years-old playing my first gig down on Deep Deuce and am honored to be a part of a project that will restore the authenticity of the music and pay homage to the history of the neighborhood,” states Taylor. “I’ve spoken to Leroy Parks who played sax with Edward and Charlie Christian.” Parks is expected to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony and anniversary live performance on May 1 along with 80-year-old drummer/vocalist Roland Allen who still plays. Bands scheduled to perform will be announced during the ceremony. “We look forward to creating a relaxed, upscale entertainment venue for all music and food lovers alike.”
On May 1, Sage will celebrate its anniversary all day with specials, giveaways and door prizes in the restaurant starting at 11 a.m. The live jazz event in the lounge starts at 7 p.m. There is no cover charge. Table reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 232-7243.
If you haven’t been to Sage Cafe, this lounge will put you in the neighborhood. The food will keep you coming back. Don’t expect to find chicken-fried steak, hamburgers or barbecue. This chic little cafe sports a seasonal menu that promotes fresh, organic ingredients. Salads, sandwiches and mac and cheese are the showpieces. Each time I’ve been to Sage, I’ve started with the grilled seasonal vegetable platter and haven’t been disappointed. The platter also comes with house hummus and tortilla chips. Be sure to grab a selection of salts Sage offers as the vegetables come off the grill lightly seasoned. The “salt bar” includes 11 choices and for $2, diners can select three. Be sure to choose a basic salt, a smoked salt and make sure the third varies in texture from the first two.
The big ticket at Sage is the macaroni and cheese. The five varieties are served as entrees, my favorite so far was a beef stroganoff that was the special one day. The beef melted in the mouth and creamy sauce carried just enough kick to titillate my heat-seeking palate. Sage will split the entree on request, and I recommend that if you’re considering the Blue Cheese and Roasted Garlic mac. I loved the first three bites of this dish, but it’s very rich. By the end, I’d wished it was a side rather than an entree. So, cut in half with perhaps the Beef and Cheddar or Three Cheese, it would be perfect. As for those on the menu daily, I’m partial to the Greek and Cheese, which include kalamata olives, Feta, diced tomatoes, garlic and grilled chicken. The only version I have yet to try is the Shrimp Pesto, but at our recent photo and video shoot I got a close enough look to be inspired to try it on my next visit, which will be soon.
Have you been to Sage? Let me know what you thought.
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I love jazz, this is great news!