Sage General Store, a locavore/farm-to-table restaurant in Long Island City, is one of my favorite spots in the area. I’ve really enjoyed the food there over the years, and one of my favorite things they serve is at brunch—chilaquiles.
I’m also a big fan of their bacon brunch plate, too.
Recently, though, they made some changes—they expanded and added more seats to the dining room, and added some things to the menu. With my We Heart Astoria colleagues, I was invited to try some of the current menu items; our group review is over at the site. I wanted to share photos of my very favorite dishes of that evening.
This raspberry lemonade is something I’ve drunk at Sage many times. I love how sweet tart it is and the color is gorgeous; I did not amp up the color in any way in this photo, that’s just the way it is. They also serve a lovely ginger mint iced tea, too, but I just love this lemonade. Along with tasting great, it’s very cheery.
I’m a huge guacamole fan and will eat it whenever it is presented to me. I had never eaten it with tostones before, though, but they are wonderful with guac! And for those for whom it’s an issue, they are another gluten-free option as a dipper. I loved the flavor combination, too. Sage’s guacamole was wonderfully creamy, such a delight. Good guacamole is a blessing.
As I mentioned in our review, “Coming from California, fish tacos are (along with guacamole) an informal official state dish.” They always catch my eye on a menu, and these fish tacos were excellent. Note how fresh everything looks, along with the presence of that guacamole again. The tortillas are corn, and there was a nice chipotle crema running through each taco. Love the jicama slaw, a vegetable that always brings back memories of the California of my youth (jicama was ubiquitous there in the 1980s).
I’ll go on record saying I dislike Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, as well as their “healthier” alternatives from companies like Annie’s. I just don’t think it tastes very good, what with its weak cheese coating and lack of flavor. With that in mind, I just want to say, thank goodness for real, homemade macaroni and cheese. This was made with five—count ’em, 5—different kinds of cheese. I also liked the little crispy breadcrumbs on the top. This mac and cheese was everything the boxed stuff is not—creamy, fatty, and delicious. It was a big hit at our table.
We tried a variety of desserts and this one won my heart. This is serious chocolate, and I loved how moist the cake was, especially. I thought it was beautiful, too—just look at that sheen on the top of the cake!
And that’s that. We ate a number of other things, too, including beets, polenta, chicken, and a few other cakes. These above I would for sure order again. In fact, what’s displayed would make for a pretty nice dinner, I’d say! I look forward to my next meal there.
Sage General Store, 24-20 Jackson Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101, (718) 361-0707, www.sagegeneralstore.com
