Sage

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Historic Address, a World-Traveled Kitchen

Sage occupies one of Sarasota's most storied buildings — the 1925 Sarasota Times Building, designed by architect Dwight James Baum, the same visionary behind John and Mable Ringling's Ca d'Zan mansion. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the structure has housed a newspaper, an abstract expressionist's studio, and a modernist architect's workspace. Since 2019, owner Sharon Carole and Executive Chef Christopher Covelli have given it a new chapter as a fine dining destination with a genuinely international point of view.

The Chef Behind the Menu

Chef Covelli is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, mentored by legends including André Soltner and Jacques Pépin, and his career has taken him across seven countries. His culinary range spans Classic French, Italian, Spanish, and American haute cuisine — a breadth that shows up directly on the plate. He has earned eight James Beard Foundation acknowledgements, appeared on Food Network's Alex vs. America, and has been recognized as Favorite Chef by Sarasota's OUT Awards multiple years running.

His approach, by his own description, mirrors the building itself: "a warm and inviting ambiance with rich character and attention to every detail."

European and Mediterranean Cuisine with an Eclectic Edge

The menu at Sage is rooted in European and Mediterranean tradition but refuses to stay within any single border. The signature dish — Thai Bouillabaisse — has held court since the restaurant's opening menu in January 2019. Rather than replicating the Provençal classic, it fuses French and Thai cooking into something entirely its own, and guests have made it the most requested dish on the menu ever since.

The kitchen's creativity extends to a curated list of seasonal craft cocktails, and the wine program has earned the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence consecutively since 2021 — a recognition that reflects both the depth of the cellar and the care taken in pairing. The restaurant also hosts special wine-pairing dinners, with past events featuring six-course menus developed alongside small-lot California producers.

The Full Experience

Beyond the main dining room, Sage operates a rooftop bar with views over downtown Sarasota, as well as a third-floor event space where the culinary team designs custom menus for private gatherings. The building sits in the heart of Sarasota's theatre and arts district, within walking distance of major hotels, galleries, and performance venues — with complimentary valet parking directly across the street.

In place of bread, guests receive a complimentary amuse-bouche — a small but telling detail about how seriously this kitchen takes every moment of the meal.