Sage

[alacarte]

I went to Sage last night, it just opened about a week ago on Park & 25th Street (or thereabouts). Apparently it's the same owners as TanDa, which has closed (never went there). Once this place has a review or two under their belt, you won't be able to get in, so I'd advise trying it now while it's still undiscovered. My main critique is that it's expensive considering that the portions are relatively stingy, but the ingredients seem to high quality. The space is cozy, high ceilings, dark walls, lots of artwork (which the menu says is for sale).

We had a really good meal, apparently they adhere to the laws of "produce-in-season," i.e. appetizer of heirloom tomatoes.

I shared a tuna tartare appetizer, which was served with a pleasing wasabi-sesame sauce, and greens with a sesame vinaigrette (which I didn't think worked very well, though I appreciated the symmetry.)

I ordered a risotto with fresh corn and morels. It was just the right consistency, neither over- nor under-done, which ruins risotto for me. I can't really comment on the service (except that it was very friendly), since I know that risotto takes a long time to make & can slow service considerably.

My husband ordered a black cod with a blood orange sauce. The black cod was one of the most delicious dishes I've every had -- sweet, succulent, not too rich. The only catch was that the waitress's description led us to believe that it would arrive on a generous bed of vegetables, but it turned out to be a small portion of rather fibrous baby bok choy. It was attractive, though. He also ordered a side of mashed potatoes, which were whipped to a paste-y consistency, but maybe they'll improve that going forward.

We didn't order dessert, but their menu merits a look: they have ice cream sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fondue, pound cake with roasted peaches. Kind of unusual and comfort food-driven.

Their cocktails were interesting too -- vodkas with rose petal and vanilla infusions, that sort of thing. I noticed a martini served with "salmon caviar-stuffed olives." I love sweet drinks, so I ordered a martini with Grey Goose orange and blood orange puree, which I enjoyed.

[rozrapp]

Once this place has a review or two under their belt, you won't be able to get in, so I'd advise trying it now while it's still undiscovered.

Too late! It was reviewed in yesterday's NY Times. Grimes gave it 1 star.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/dining/03REST.html

[Bux]

Once this place has a review or two under their belt, you won't be able to get in, so I'd advise trying it now while it's still undiscovered.

Too late! It was reviewed in yesterday's NY Times. Grimes gave it 1 star.

Surely Grimes is not seen as that tough or that far off the mark, where one star will pack the restaurant.

[alacarte]

Just read the review -- one star?

Interesting how we had very different interpretations -- I'm surprised that he says "diners are more likely to feel that they're getting value for money," whereas I thought Sage's prices were rather high for what we got. And I was charmed by their dessert list, though he says they "come up short on desserts." Then again, I didn't try them myself, I was just reacting to the menu.

We both liked the tuna tartare and the bass (though when I was there, I swear it was black cod). We both noticed the use of fresh produce.

I wonder what it would take to rachet that up a star or two? I've always wondered how subjective/objective each restaurant reviewer is. How much weight is given to specific, quantifiable criteria (i.e. imaginative menus, appearance of the room, service) and how much is pure opinion.

[Suzanne F]

I ordered a risotto with fresh corn and morels. It was just the right consistency, neither over- nor under-done, which ruins risotto for me. I can't really comment on the service (except that it was very friendly), since I know that risotto takes a long time to make & can slow service considerably.

Not necessarily. Many -- maybe even most -- places partially cook their risotto, and just finish it fairly quickly at service. At least one four-star and a highly authentic Italian, among others in whose kitchen's I've worked or trailed.

How did it compare to the risotto at, say, Artisanal, or some other place? Funny how that dish has entered the international -- not just Italian -- vocabulary; I had a really good version recently at Thalassa! (Maybe risotto deserves its own thread, if there isn't yet one??)

[bloviatrix]

I wonder what it would take to rachet that up a star or two? I've always wondered how subjective/objective each restaurant reviewer is. How much weight is given to specific, quantifiable criteria (i.e. imaginative menus, appearance of the room, service) and how much is pure opinion.

I don't know if this will clear up the one star/two star issue, but they address the this issue in an article recently handed to me called Who is William Grimes?

This reporter instinct, although allowing for some truly objective-sounding reviews, has left its fair share of restaurants swinging from a  single star.  Although the definitions of the Times rating system calls these restaurants "Good," and typically the body of the story agrees with this definition, many restauranteurs prepare to sell their tables for scrap wood after a dreaded 1-star review.  "[When I came on as critic] everybody just sort of expected a gentleman's rating of two stars.  One of my goals was to re-establish the meaning and integrity of one star, which was not a insult - restaurants thought that one star would kill their business, but many of them are thriving," he says

[docsconz]

AlaCarte,

I haven't eaten there, but based on my interpretation of your review, it doesn't sound like it really deserves more than one star. A lot of restaurants do some things very well. While this apparently did well with some dishes it sounds as if the experience were overall somewhat uneven.

[alacarte]

I ordered a risotto with fresh corn and morels. It was just the right consistency, neither over- nor under-done, which ruins risotto for me. I can't really comment on the service (except that it was very friendly), since I know that risotto takes a long time to make & can slow service considerably.

Not necessarily. Many -- maybe even most -- places partially cook their risotto, and just finish it fairly quickly at service. At least one four-star and a highly authentic Italian, among others in whose kitchen's I've worked or trailed.

How did it compare to the risotto at, say, Artisanal, or some other place? Funny how that dish has entered the international -- not just Italian -- vocabulary; I had a really good version recently at Thalassa! (Maybe risotto deserves its own thread, if there isn't yet one??)

Suzanne, that's interesting to know about risotto. At what step do they stop cooking it in the pre-prep? Just before most of the broth is absorbed into the rice? Or do they "reconstitute" it just prior to serving?

I LOVE risotto, and consider it an acid test of how good a restaurant is. I also find it a big pain in the butt to prepare for myself, so I'm delighted to have someone else make it for me.

I hate rice pudding, though.

I've never tried Thalassa's risotto, but will have to do that to make the comparison.

[alacarte]

I wonder what it would take to rachet that up a star or two? I've always wondered how subjective/objective each restaurant reviewer is. How much weight is given to specific, quantifiable criteria (i.e. imaginative menus, appearance of the room, service) and how much is pure opinion.

I don't know if this will clear up the one star/two star issue, but they address the this issue in an article recently handed to me called Who is William Grimes?

This reporter instinct, although allowing for some truly objective-sounding reviews, has left its fair share of restaurants swinging from a  single star.  Although the definitions of the Times rating system calls these restaurants "Good," and typically the body of the story agrees with this definition, many restauranteurs prepare to sell their tables for scrap wood after a dreaded 1-star review.  "[When I came on as critic] everybody just sort of expected a gentleman's rating of two stars.  One of my goals was to re-establish the meaning and integrity of one star, which was not a insult - restaurants thought that one star would kill their business, but many of them are thriving," he says

Thanks, that's helpful. Where did the "Who is Grimes" article appear? Would love to read the rest of it. I did see recently a "Who is Eric Asimov" piece, but it was kind of useless.

Have any restaurants ever received no stars at all? And if they don't merit any stars, do they just not publish the review?

[bloviatrix]

The Who is William Grimes? article appeared in the summer/fall 2003 issue of New Jersey Tables. My husband received a complimentary copy and passed it on to me. There's also an interesting piece on NJ Greenmarkets.

And trust me, there have been restaurants that have received no stars. I've even seen an rating of "unsatisfactory."

Which reminds me, one summer when I was in college, I worked as a fact-checker on Bryan Miller's restaurant guide. Miller was as that time the restaurant reviewer for The Times and the book was a compilation of his reviews. I called all the restaurants to verify hours, what credit cards they accepted, and wheelchair accessibility. If the restuarant received a 2 star review or better I would tell them I was calling on behalf of Mr. Miller. For anything less, I would just say I have some questions.

Edited September 5, 2003 by bloviatrix (log)