Escoffier Questionnaire, Sage

We sit down with co-owners Sharon Carole and Christopher Covelli of the Realm Restaurant Group, which operates Sage and now the Bijou Garden Café. Sage offers a unique culinary experience with worldly cuisine, inspired cocktails, and a rooftop bar with 360-degree views of downtown Sarasota. The newly opened Bijou Garden Café offers a seasonal menu with an emphasis on fresh, local produce and sustainable, abundant seafood. Christopher, who also serves as executive chef at the two restaurants, is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, where he was trained by world-renowned chefs including André Soltner, Jacques Pépin, and Alain Sailhac. Sharon, with a background in design and architecture, is the visionary in chief and the force behind the reboot of both restaurant concepts. This dynamic duo are elevating the culinary scene in downtown Sarasota.

What was your favorite food as a kid?
Sharon Carole: Linguine with clam sauce— which was pretty unusual for a child back then.
Chef Chris Covelli: Asian food

What was the first meal you made that you were proud of?
SC: French pancakes from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. I was pretty young, probably 8 years old. It became a staple that I would make for the family.
CC: I made a carrot cake when I was 10 years old and it was awesome.

What three adjectives describe your cuisine?
SC: Fresh, rich, organic
CC: Fresh, unique, flavorful

What book most influences your food, cookbook or otherwise?
SC: I rarely cook with recipes, I like to create as I go, but I do like to look at photos of food for inspiration.
CC: There is no one book because I get influenced by people.

What chef do you most admire?
SC: Chef Chris Covelli
CC: Anyone that works in a kitchen

What is your favorite ingredient?
SC: Butter
CC: Foie gras

What music do you like to hear when you cook?
SC: Christmas music—my favorite time to cook is during the holidays.
CC: Classic rock

What is your favorite midnight snack?
SC: Pizza
CC: Popcorn

What restaurant in the world are you most dying to try?
SC: I would love to try a restaurant where you eat blindfolded.
CC: Asador Etxebarri (in the Spanish Basque Country)

What kitchen utensil is most indispensable to you?
SC: I make a lot of smoothies, so my Nutribullet.
CC: My knife

What do you most value in a sous chef?
SC: That they work well with Chef Chris and have the skill to cook the way he does
CC: Patience and loyalty

If you could do one other job, what would it be?
SC: Architect, or a pilot
CC: Drummer

What food trend would you most like to erase from the annals of history?
SC: Processed foods
CC: BREAD!!! because most of it gets wasted

What one food would you take with you on a desert island?
SC: Avocados
CC: Potato chips

What is your favorite guilty-pleasure treat?
SC: Chocolate-covered popcorn
CC: Caviar

What most satisfies your sweet tooth?
SC: Chocolate
CC: Ice cream cone

What would you eat at your last meal, if you could plan such a thing?
SC: Fresh pasta in a rich truffle cream sauce
CC: Lobster

Cheeseburger or foie gras?
SC: Foie gras
CC: Foie gras

What’s your favorite for … … a splurge meal?
SC: Seafood, especially lobster or fresh oysters
CC: Five-course tasting menu with a wine flight

… breakfast?
SC: Eggs, prepared pretty much any way
CC: Omelet

… pastry?
SC: I don’t eat gluten so I really don’t have a favorite pastry.
CC: Crème brûlée

… a late-night/after-work meal?
SC: Something light, although I try not to eat late at night
CC: Burger

… a greasy-spoon meal?
SC: Breakfast, at any time of the day
CC: Patty melt

… groceries?
SC: Fresh fruits and vegetables
CC: Farmers’ market

… ice cream?
SC: I am lactose intolerant so I tend to avoid it.
CC: Yes

… chocolate?
SC: Dark
CC: All