THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Sage

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Sage Restaurant Review:

Discreetly tucked away in the corner of a neighborhood shopping market, chef/proprietor Rich Mead's intimate restaurant, which pays homage to local purveyors, continues to pack in the Newport set looking for his interpretations of modern American cuisine. Mead is passionate about food --- and it shows. He shops weekly at farmers markets in Irvine and Santa Monica for some of the best locally grown organic fruits and vegetables. Starters range from herbivore dishes, such as the Sage salad --- a mixture of asparagus, grilled corn, arugula, Maui onions and summer squash --- to Asian-style beef short ribs. We find the roast boneless free-range chicken, grilled pork tenderloin and mustard-rubbed rack of lamb to be among the best entrées. California labels make up most of the somewhat extensive wine collection.