Grill serves up sophistication, taste

This story starts with a recommendation.

How does this sound? Delicious food made with an imaginative blend of fresh, high quality ingredients, thoughtfully prepared with plenty of eye-catching plate appeal, served in a sophisticated atmosphere with great customer service. A place where you can feel comfortable in casual attire or dressed up for a night out, with the kids or without, and the menu is diverse enough to offer something for everyone.

Did I mention reasonable prices, too?

If all this sounds good to you, then you should check out Sage Grill in Encinitas. Only nine months old, Sage is a restaurant in its infancy, but oh baby! Owners Rick Campbell and Josh Blackman have their concept down pat; a true mid-market restaurant where you can dine with a grilled T-bone of lamb and a nice bottle of wine, or stop by for a hamburger and a nice bottle of wine. Campbell says one of the regulars does just that; a bottle of Cakebread Cabernet ($86) with his cheeseburger ($8).

"It's in between a Chili's and a Pacifica (Grill)," said Campbell, who was with Pacifica for several years. "It's a nice décor, but not over-the-top upscale. It's casual but it's still nice."

What makes Sage special is the attention to detail given by Blackman and Campbell; from the chunky silver napkin rings they designed to the wine cabinets they built in Campbell's garage. The streamlined design of the restaurant's interior has a spacious, open feel to it. Black napkins contrast against light wood tabletops and bottles of premium liquor sparkle behind the mirrored bar (happy hour starts at 4 p.m. every day, with $4 you-call-it martinis and special prices on beer, wine and appetizers). To the rear of the dining room, the wine room can be reserved for parties and it's also the spot for wine tastings every Tuesday night (five tastes for $10).

This week, they plan to introduce a raw seafood bar featuring oysters shucked to order, tuna tartare, grilled head-on prawns, New England clam chowder and several other seafood selections.

The attention to detail carries right over to the menu, which is the same for both lunch and dinner. Executive chef Philip Jordan, an alumnus of the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, worked with Blackman and Campbell to create a simple menu, allowing his enthusiasm to shine through in the special touches he gives to each dish.

From the starter menu, I tried the cilantro prawns ($9); plump, peeled shrimp in a cilantro cream pesto, drizzled with a port wine reduction. The combination of flavors was subtle and savory with no one ingredient overpowering the other.

Next, the salmon stack ($9); arugula dressed in champagne vinaigrette, layered under a mix of chopped heirloom and roma tomatoes, squash chiffonade and topped with a gravlax-style salmon which they cure in-house. This time, Jordan paired his port reduction with a buerre blanc, for a velvety sauce combination. This colorful appetizer looked as refreshing as it tasted.

As far as entrees go, the grilled portobello mushroom with polenta and vegetables ($14) is one of the most elegant vegetarian dishes I've had. The Portobello is baked then grilled, placed atop a slab of seared basil polenta and served with zucchini, eggplant and bell pepper. Balsamic reduction and red pepper pesto takes this dish to another flavor level. And, as if that wasn't enough, special sparkle is added with a drizzle of honey truffle oil over the top. Who the heck needs meat?

Carnivores will find plenty of choices, however. "I think our menu has a lot of variety," said Campbell. "I mean, there's lamb, there's pork, there's two different chickens, there's three different fish, pasta, two different steaks, a variety of salads, sandwiches, the whole nine yards."

I tried Sage's signature miso black cod ($22). Not a true cod, butterfish or sablefish is known as "black cod" and is more moist than real cod. After making special arrangements with their purveyor to carry black cod, Sage serves it seared and lightly glazed with a marinade of miso, sake, mirin and sugar, with skewered vegetables on the side. The buttery texture of the fish is showcased by the simple preparation, both delicate and delectable.

Dessert was caramel apple crème brulée ($6). Jordan flavors his custard with apple juice, then layers the top with thin-sliced Granny Smith apple. Sugar is torched for a crunchy crust, but on top of that, a layer of caramel sauce makes this brulee sticky, chewy and ooey-gooey. A wickedly sweet treat.

Even after dessert, Campbell told me not to leave without trying the buttermilk onion rings ($6). Leucadia residents and Sage regulars Maria and Sofia Capri were sitting at a nearby table having a mother-daughter brunch of Caesar salads ($9) and tri-tip dip sandwiches ($9). "Everything we've had is wonderful," said Maria, who added that the crew at Sage is "genuinely sweet … passionate about everything that they do."

More than anything, Blackman and Campbell hope Sage has wide appeal for local residents as a place to come for every occasion. "A lot of our regulars feel very much at home," said Blackman.

Incidentally, the crowning detail for Campbell was choosing the name Sage for the restaurant. It is also his daughter's middle name. Her first name is Madison, after the Madison River in Montana. Sage is the brand name of his favorite fly fishing rods. Coincidentally, Blackman's father owns a fly fishing store in Washington state. After working for almost a year straight to get Sage Grill up and running, I'd say plans are being made for a vacation spent in hip waders, grilling some fat trout over an open fire.

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, Sage Grill is located at 1506 Encinitas Blvd. (on the corner of Village Square Drive). For more information, call 760-943-7243 or visit their Web site at www.sagegrill.com.