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Sage Bistro Moderne is an authentic French restaurant located off Jericho Turnpike in the "W" shopping center. As the name suggests, the style and ambiance of the restaurant is very upscale and modern. The appealing environment is elegantly decorated creating a comfortable and eclectic setting for patrons to dine in.
Owner,
Onur Peter Oktas, has been in the restaurant industry for over 15 years.
He began his career at the Kempinski Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey.
When he came to the United States, his first position was as an assistant
food and beverage manager at the Times Square Marriott Marquis.
He then traveled out to Long Island to work at Bistro Cassis in Huntington
where he met Master Chef Julio Velasquez. Chef/Owner
Julio is extremely proud of his cuisine and has every right to be as we soon
learned. He has been a chef for about 15 years now and began his culinary career in
his native country of El Salvador. There he worked his way up from a dishwasher to
an accomplished chef here in the United States. His background highly influences his
dishes and he genuinely enjoys his job here at Sage Bistro Moderne. We commenced our dining experience with a breadbasket filled with crunchy, fresh bread served alongside a pesto butter, which was a very nice compliment (below left). Our waiter Gee was extremely accommodating and very helpful when it came to both the food and cocktail menus. He was very personable making our experience a true delight.
Gee started us off with their four most popular drinks from the bar. The Sage Margarita Martini, made with Silver Tequila, Premium Orange Liquor, Fresh Lime Juice, a Splash of Peach Schnapps and a salted rim, was very tasty and smooth (below left). It was a creative twist on a standard Margarita served Martini style.
The
Cosmo Royale was another tasteful cocktail (above right). Composed of Vodka, Grand
Marnier, Champagne, Lime Juice and a splash of Cranberry Juice, this Martini was
enjoyable and went down very smooth. A Night In Paris is their sweetest martini and was a blissful treat (below left). Made with Pear Vodka, Pear Nectar and Chambord, this is something on the drink menu you do not want to pass up, especially if you have a sweet tooth.
The
Sage Signature Martini was very balanced and made with Absolut Kirant, Cointreau,
Lime Juice and Pomegranate Juice (above right). It was very crisp and extremely
refreshing. To
compliment our first appetizer Gee presented our table with a bottle of Sauternes, a
sweet, white wine made of 80% Semillon grapes and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. It is sweet
and delightful and primarily a dessert wine, however accompanied our first
appetizer, the Foie GrasTerrine, perfectly. The wine list at Sage Bistro Moderne is
not limited to, but predominately consists of French wines. The Foie Gras Terrine is served over grilled baguette, drizzled with port wine reduction and garnished with frisee lettuce (below left). It is not currently available on the menu but is attainable upon request. The flavors radiated from this dish were smooth and silky and the port wine reduction added much depth to the creatively delicious presentation.
The
Chef's Salad was beautifully presented in a very unique and exciting arrangement
(above right). The salad consists of frisee lettuce, roasted poached pear, Roquefort
cheese, pearl onion and cranberries in a raspberry champagne vinaigrette. We didn't
expect a salad to be presented with such elegance and we surely weren't
disappointed. This item has only been on the menu for a short amount of time and was
deemed an instant favorite by frequent patrons. It is a substantially unique salad
and after sampling it we can clearly see why people rave about it. The Pan Seared Sea Scallops are topped with shaved artichokes and served in a white bean and artichoke puree with a lemon truffle emulsion (below left). The scallops were cooked to perfection and their char flavor was complimented beautifully by the puree. To further compliment this appetizer we were treated to some Domaine Fournier wine from Loire Valley, France. It offered a subtle, citrus flavor, was smooth and refined.
The
final appetizer we sampled left us longing for more. The Truffle Honey Brie Cheese
Fondue, served with fresh apples and bread toast, was a precocious and enjoyable
departure from the ordinary (above right). The Brie was complimented subtly by the
honey and this tasteful appetizer is ideal to share amongst the table. The first entree we sampled, a specialty item of Potato Crusted Halibut served over creamy leeks and mushrooms in a truffle sauce, was exquisite and a must have (below left). The halibut was moist, tender and perfectly crusted with potatoes. The combination of the leeks and mushrooms perfectly accented by the truffle sauce was just sublime. To enhance the dish we were served a Burgundy Chardonnay (Macon-Villages Chardonnay), which was very pleasant and offered a tart flavor around the tongue with a hint of citrus taste.
Next
up was the Duck Breast and Leg Confit served with apple, celery root puree, braised
Brussel sprouts, horseradish and beers sauce (above right). Gee presented us with
some Petite Bistro Pinot Noir to accompany the duck, which was a light, dry, red
table wine. As Gee recommended, our duck was cooked medium rare, was rich and
extremely tender. The presentation was nothing short of appealing as the duck was
garnished with an apple slaw, tossed with truffle oil, honey and finished with some
chives. Neither the sauce or the puree overpowered the ducks rich flavor and this
was yet again another outrageous dish from the kitchen. Our final entree was the Grilled Pork Chop stuffed with caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese (below left). The moist and tender pork chop was served alongside string beans, cauliflower, asparagus au gratin and braised red cabbage in a calvados au jus. To accompany this entree Gee suggested The DeLoach Chardonnay from California, which offered our palates a subtle, tart flavor and perfectly accented the tenderized pork chop. The dish offered another impressive presentation, the pork chop had a nice, sage flavor (no pun intended) and was a very well balanced dish.
To calm our sweet tooth we sampled an array of desserts and dessert Martini's. The Espresso Martini is made with Espresso Vodka, a shot of Espresso and a splash of Bailey's and is an excellent dessert cocktail (above right). If you're craving chocolate, the Chocolate Martini is what you need (below left). Made with Chocolate Vodka, Godiva White And Dar and a splash of Frangelico, this drink offers a great balance of chocolate and vodka.
We
sampled three delectable desserts beginning with the Lemon Tart, a specialty dessert
not yet featured on their regular menu (above right). The Lemon Tart is topped with
fresh whipped cream and fruit and presented a soft, tender and buttery crust. The
distinct lemon taste wasn't too overpowering and gave new meaning to the term
"sweet treat". The Chocolate Crepes were served with vanilla ice cream and glazed strawberries and offered a big rush of chocolate to our palates (below left). It wasn't overly sweet and presented a soft, chocolate sensation.
To
accompany our third and final dessert we were presented an extremely sweet, port
dessert wine that accented the Caramel Cheesecake nicely (above right). The
cheesecake was exquisite, light and tastefully moist. There is truly something for everyone at Sage Bistro Moderne and the consistency and service here is just unbelievable. Every night they offer new and exciting specials to enhance their already impeccable menu of regular items. It has become quite the neighborhood restaurant, as the staff here is very personable with their customers. They've grown to know their regulars by name along with what they want and how they want it. The talented kitchen staff is eager to create dishes to your liking and willing to go above and beyond when it comes to accommodating their guests.
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