we find ourselves in regina quite often do to work, and one of us makes the sage lounge our office. there is much to love about this place outside the food, especially as a business traveler.
outrageously good: chicken wings
highly recommended: breakfast buffet, pancakes, blt, burgers, falafel
not to our taste: honey stung chicken
ambiance and service
the ambiance is what you would expect from a hotel restaurant. the decor is minimalist, modern and very neutral, not focusing much on atmosphere. in the evening they dim the lights which makes the bar area cozy. seats are pretty comfortable and tables are large, which we find important in a hotel restaurant, plenty of room for your laptop or paperwork. we have gotten quite familiar with the staff, and always feel it's a good sign when you don't see a lot of turn-over; usually, this suggests the management is in good order. it's also popular enough that you can overhear people ordering "the usual", so staff pays attention to their regulars. what i like most is that we are utterly unrushed. when settling in for 5 hours to get some work done (and we've done this on many occasions) there is never any pressure to keep ordering nor to pay our bill and leave. when we let them know we're settling in, they really give us a lot of privacy and space, leaving it up to us to get their attention if we want something, which in these circumstances is perfectly appropriate. we have even spent hours here having nothing but tea, and the waiters have treated us with the same consideration as when we have a big meal with wine. we also find this place great for business meetings as you can find yourself a table with no one immediately around to overhear anything and volume is comfortable so you can have a civilized conversation.
the food
the food has improved considerably, there must be a new chef or a change over in the kitchen staff. 2017 has been a notable improvement in the quality and variety of dishes. they have also started to change up the menu which is quite nice, we've just starting to explore the menu. they have also started to change up the menu which is quite nice.
chicken wings: they're amazing, possibly the best we've ever had. so addictive, we can't visit wild sage without ordering them. they reach a crunchy bliss point that just makes our souls melt with happiness. with the lovely light spice coating, they're so good, you don't really need a sauce. however, they do come with a delicious selection of 4 sauces so you can enjoy a variety of taste.
breakfast buffet: we only have it if we're in a rush, but it seems a very popular choice for other diners. it has all the standards with a couple of variations from day to day. we love the fresh mini croissants, the sausages are a good quality, fruit is tasty and fresh, and we love the omelet station. you can also ask for a soft boiled egg if you like. if you're particularly creative you can put together some delicious porridges (i recommend stirring in peanut butter and slicing some banana on top) and breakfast sandwiches (fried egg with cut up sausage and some baked beans is my favorite).
breakfast a la carte: we find them tolerant when we are ordering super healthy and just want a poached egg, some type of vegetable and a bit of fruit a la carte. the coffee is okay, but not great, and we aren't fans of starbucks coffee since they burn the beans during roasting to maintain a constant flavour as their suppliers vary. we personally stick to their tea selection, they use tazo which is a pretty good quality.pancakes: fluffy buttermilk pancakes with a lemon butter, saskatoons, and dusted with confectioner's sugar. these are amazing! sometimes they come out extra fluffy and the size of your plate, sometimes they come out a bit smaller, thicker and denser - we assume this has to do with who happens to be cooking them. however, each time they're amazing. the batter and lemon butter combination are so good, maple syrup is actually a distraction because it drowns all the lovely flavors.
honey stung chicken: we enjoyed this dish for a few bites, but then tired of it quickly. the description on the menu is quite misleading. it is easy to assume upon reading that there will be a bed of vegetable slaw with some crispy wontons for added texture. quite the opposite is true: this dish is basically a bowl of wonton chips with only a few slivers of vegetable for colour - a bit of a stretch to call that a "slaw". the spicy honey was delicious, and so were the tender bites of breaded chicken. while the bowl of wonton chips were nice and crispy without being greasy, it became a very flat dish after a while. the guilt of eating an entire bowl of fried batter also sunk in with each bite and made it harder to eat. in the end, we just picked out the chicken and left a lot of wonton chips behind.