Next up, this edition of On the Lamb reviews the Sage Restaurant on West Line Street in Bishop. Over the break, I had the opportunity to eat at and review the Sage Restaurant with my cronies, Grace Griego (Junior) and Tommy Eitel (Junior).

Upon arriving and settling into our booth, we were provided with complimentary bread and butter. The warm sliced sourdough loaf was described by Tommy as “perfectly soft” and was accompanied by a small cup of sliced butter. This was a satisfactory starter as we decided what to order.

As an appetizer, we had bruschetta which is slices of sourdough bread and Grace described that “they had these amazing tomatoes with some balsamic vinegar on it, so good.” Grace also thought the toasted bread slices were “crispy but also soft enough to chew” which made them enjoyable to bite into. The cherry tomatoes created an immediate sweet flavor which was perfectly balanced by the strong balsamic vinegar. The combination of the diced basil with the cherry tomatoes were also a great flavor pair. “It was mouthwatering,” Tommy commented. This appetizer quickly disappeared only moments after the waiter brought it and I remember mentioning that “I could eat it all night.”

We then ordered entrees which came with a daily soup. The soup we received was a roasted jalapeno tomato bisque. This bright orange soup had thick yet smooth texture which hits you with a tomato flavor. “Right away, super spicy,” said Grace, “my throat was encased in flames but it was also tasty.” I personally have a liking for spicy dishes but Tommy and I agreed that the heat really gets you in the back of the throat. We found the soup was extremely flavorful and delicious and that the hot factor woke our taste buds and made us ready to review the upcoming entrees.

The first entree that we ordered was bison meatloaf. This plate consisted of a substantial slab of Bison Meatloaf atop a hot bed of mashed potatoes and covered with barbecue sauce. I admit I was hesitant because I had never been a fan of meatloaf before but my first bite made me completely forget my negative preconceptions. Tommy recognized that “It was the perfect texture, you just wanted to eat more and more.” The meat was tender and the barbecue sauce added a burst of flavor which each bite and Grace agreed that the “sauce was the best part of the dish.” The outside layer of the meatloaf was my favorite because it had a perfectly roasted and seasoned flavor. This meal was one of the highlights of the night because of the strong and savory flavors.

Next, we ordered the braised lamb shank. This dish was a succulent leg of lamb over a bowl of linguine pasta. Grace said, “ I literally just picked up the bone and the meat fell off because it was so tender and so beautifully crafted, I loved it.”  The meat was very juicy, “dripping” as Tommy described it, but it did not seem to find any distinguishable added flavor which made the actual flavor of the lamb the main focus of the dish. Grace thoroughly enjoyed the pasta underneath as she slurped it up from her plate. This entree was absolutely delectable and Grace deemed it to be “Food Network Worthy.”

The last entree of the night was Sage’s “Surf and Turf” special. This dish was a bowl of seasoned linguine pasta topped with shrimp and pieces of steak. The pasta itself had a very underwhelming butter flavor and Tommy thought it was otherwise “flavorless” and plain. Grace was also not impressed with the shrimp which she said was “kind of bland.” Although, the subtlety of the pasta and shrimp emphasized the flavor of the seasoned steak which was the highlight of the plate. Tommy inserted that “The meat was good, the meat had flavor.” Although not every aspect of this dish made an impression on us, the steak was thoroughly enjoyable.

We reached the best part of the night, dessert. The first dessert we ordered (because we ordered more than one, of course) was the house made “ice cream of the day.” The flavor that night was chocolate salted caramel topped with a black berry. From the first spoonful, I was amazed by the decadent chocolate flavor. The were also caramel swirls on top which Tommy said “were perfectly integrated into rich and soft chocolate.” Grace also commented that the texture was “thick” “creamy” and “velvety.” We were also pleasantly surprised to find that there were small salted caramel orbs amid the scoops which burst with flavor. Referring to the good feeling the ice cream elicited, Tommy said, “It was cold but it warmed you up inside.”

We finished our experience with the Sage’s creme brulee. “When you dive right in, what a spoonful!” Grace exclaimed.  This cream dessert was very sweet and each bite was light and cool down my throat. Tommy declared that the soft cream was “encased in perfectly caramelized sugar.” Grace shared that “the textures balanced each other out with the creaminess and the crunchiness of the sugar.” Tommy also mentioned that the texture had “a good contrast.” It also had a pronounced and scrumptious vanilla-bean flavor and you could even see the specks of vanilla-bean in the cream. It was hard to choose a favorite between the two desserts, but the creme brulee was nothing short of exceptional.

Overall, we were extremely satisfied with our dinner at the Sage Restaurant. We had something to enjoy in every dish we tried. The prices for the menu item are expensive but because there are few fancy restaurants in Bishop and all food was outstanding, we thought they were fairly reasonable. We also enjoy the music played and the ambiance which Tommy said “added to the experience.” This restaurant is definitely a recommendation if you are interested in having a fancy sit down dinner. Upon leaving the door, we couldn’t wait to go again.