Andrews – What started out as a high school job washing dishes turned into a lifelong love affair for Steven Lash, chef and owner of Sage restaurant on Main Street downtown.
“I grew up with a lot of canned vegetables,” Lash said, laughing, with the exception of his father’s signature dish. “He made linguini stuffed calamari.”
But one day when a line cook didn’t show up to work, the chef called Lash out from the dish pit.
“He took me step by step through the process of how to dress a potato,” Lash said. The manager took note of his interest and skill, and Lash’s path as a foodie was set.
“I love the energy of a kitchen,” Lash said, “the organized chaos.”
However, when it came time to choose a career, he followed in his father’s white-collar footsteps.
“I spent 18 years in the tech industry,” Lash said, sitting in Sage’s elegant dining room. “But when I made the shift to become a full-time private chef, my dad was my biggest supporter.”
His father passed away last year from complications of COVID-19, which is when Lash began his search for a spot to open his new restaurant. He received help from a red cardinal.
“My partner told me that cardinals can represent the souls of those already gone,” he said. And when he walked through the garden space of what is now Sage, a red cardinal landed on the iron gate. “It’s gone now, but there was a painted placard you could see from the porch of a red cardinal.”
Lash took it as a sign that his father approved of his choice to move to the small mountain town and open an elevated dining restaurant in Cherokee County. Guests inside the cozy restaurant will see a red cardinal painting hung in the front corner.
“My dad inhabits this place,” Lash said. “I tell my staff that our guests step into the experience before they get their food. From the time they walk in, to how they are treated and cared for during their time here, it’s about more than the food.”
If the ambient lighting and natural wood beams receive honorable mention, the food is the real star of Sage. Lash is a serious man, focused and sensitive, but his menu reveals artistry and even some whimsy. “I recommend everything on the menu,” he said, “but I get excited when somebody orders the roasted lamb.”
Like most outstanding chefs, Lash loves the artistry of food beyond the blends and textures of taste.
“I serve a de-constructed Brunswick stew with roasted pork belly as the base meat,” he said. “And I do this thing with a Spam garnish,” he added with a laugh, saying that while he creates elevated food, he is not a food snob.
Diners can expect a visit from the chef during their meal.
“I visit every table,” he said.
Sage is his father’s legacy, and Lash intends to honor him through every plate he serves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkYw8RGUsQo