photography by SAIL OFF PHOTOGRAPHY
In January, the ladies of Forsyth Woman and I decided to treat ourselves to a high-end lunch at none other than newly opened Sage & Salt Bistro. As a matter of fact, plenty of other Winston-Salem locals chose to take their lunch break at Sage & Salt that day – and who could blame them? In the daytime, the atmosphere is bright and airy with a lively kitchen and glistening bar that serves as the perfect midday distraction. To top it off, the lunch menu’s soups, salads and sandwiches are some of the best selections in the Triad.
We opted for selections off the dinner menu, since we had more than an hour to spare and wanted to take in the entire Sage & Salt experience. Our meal commenced with the Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta appetizer, which was truly remarkable for such a simple dish. The seasoned tomatoes were fresh and bursting with flavor, which perfectly complemented the accompanying toasted baguette. I’ve had many bruschetta appetizers in my day, but none of them have ever blown me away quite like this. In fact, the four of us finished the dish entirely as we waited for our next course.
What came next was nothing short of stunning. The Yellowfin Tuna Tower is a sturdy stack of yellowfin tuna, avocado, daikon, compressed cucumber, puffed rice and sesame, making it perfect for sharing among the four of us. The tuna was light, mild and perfectly seared; however, the true show stopper was the plating. Being one of the most picturesque dishes of the day, even some not-so-fish-friendly members of our dining party were taken by surprise.
Since we were dining during lunchtime hours, we opted for the “Non-Social,” a non-alcoholic combination of hibiscus tea, mint, simple syrup and egg white, as our beverage of choice. Sage & Salt has an excellent selection of wine, beer, cocktails and even “Dry Nine” mocktails encompassing Delta 9 THC. The restaurant will also be integrating a digital wine list for customers to browse wine options via tablet at their table on their own time.
As a precursor to the main courses, we ordered the wedge salad with bacon lardons, tomatoes, bleu cheese crumbles, pickled red onion and hard-boiled egg drizzled with buttermilk ranch dressing. I’m a sucker for a wedge salad, and the crunchiness of the iceberg lettuce presented was on par with my high hopes. Bleu cheese can be a polarizing taste to some, but can easily be omitted from the salad to please any palette.
Our first entree was the 10-ounce Sage & Salt Burger cooked medium-well and topped with lettuce, tomato, Duke’s mayonnaise and pickles served alongside crispy, savory frites. The frites were addictive, to say the least and, had we not had another entree coming up, the ladies and I may have continued snacking away.
Our final plate was an off-menu specialty pasta, which was music to my Italian-loving ears. Perfect for the winter-time, and a Winston-Salem rarity, truffles were the shining star of the pasta. The tender pappardelle pasta was enmeshed with a braised short rib ragu, with the truffles taking it to the next level. I can only liken the dish to similar flavor combinations I’ve had in Italy, which means the Sage & Salt chefs truly outdid themselves. Had we not had to return to work following the meal, I would have loved to take advantage of the cocktail menu or choose a glass of wine to stay longer and unwind.
Browse Sage & Salt’s menu online, book a reservation, view career opportunities and learn about upcoming events at sageandsaltbistro.com. For information about weekly specials, be sure to follow Sage & Salt Bistro on Facebook and Instagram at @sageandsaltbistro. Visit in-person at 300 S Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, or place a to-go order by calling 336.829.5007.
