Wild Sage now open in Eagle Ranch
There’s a new restaurant from the folks who brought you the Drunken Goat
Wild Sage/Courtesy photo
“Eat well, play more.”
That’s the slogan at Wild Sage, the newest restaurant in Eagle Ranch. The idea centers around active lifestyles and a desire to fuel those hungry souls after a day on the golf course, river or hiking trail.
“I’ve been living down in Eagle now for a year and the community down here is just freakish about health and wellness. So, it was kind of a no-brainer that we would have our menu reflect that,” said Casey Glowacki, owner of Wild Sage. “I see people doing everything from golfing to mountain and road biking to jogging to playing hockey in the winter at the town park, there is just so much going on here and it is such a local’s community. Nobody sits around. There are no homebodies here.”
Glowacki purchased the space at 1143 Capitol Street on March 15, in the same location that once housed The Assembly.
“We are in good company down here. We have El Segundo, Social Oak, the Boneyard, Color Coffee and the movie theater nearby,” Glowacki said. “We’re kind of in this little hub in the downtown area of Eagle Ranch, where the school is across the way, there are a lot of biking trails, so there’s a ton of people around, it’s great.”
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Wild Sage/Courtesy photo
Glowacki is also the owner of Drunken Goat and Cut Meat & Seafood Market in Edwards. He owned and operated seven restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina, before returning to Colorado to raise his family surrounded by the mountain lifestyle. But don’t expect Wild Sage to be the Drunken Goat version 2.0 downvalley.
“One thing that we wanted to communicate to the public was that we are not the Drunken Goat and we are not the Assembly. Wild Sage is a different restaurant concept,” Glowacki said. “The only thing that is similar is that the Drunken Goat has the same owner, and the similarity between the Assembly and us is that Wild Sage happens to be in the same space.”
The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into Wild Sage is the mural that covers most of the wall space in the new eatery. Local artist Amy Dose created a mural of hand-painted flowers.
“Many people see it and they think it is wallpaper and they have no idea the amount of work that went into this,” Glowacki said.
The goal was to give the new space a lighter feel.
“The challenge was changing a space that was already beautiful and make it our own. We partnered with Susan Nowakowski, an interior designer at Zehren and Associates, and we put together a space that is organic and light and very feminine,” Glowacki said.
Wild Sage/Courtesy photo
Spend some time looking over the menu because there is a lot to choose from. You’ll find a long list of items under the appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches and entree headings. Wild Sage is soon going to be known for its bowls. Teriyaki steak, blackened fish, tuna poke and mushrooms are some of the stars of the bowl recipes. Try the Budda Bowl, featuring quinoa, kale, sweet potatoes, beets avocado, chickpeas, kimchi, vitality seeds and a turmeric-tahini sauce.
The menu offers many vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and keto items. Check out the Totally Possible Veggie Burger, a play on words with the Impossible Burger.
“It’s of course made in-house and it’s heavy on the beets, so when you cut into it, it’s literally red all the way through and it kind of tricks you into thinking you’re eating a real burger. It’s phenomenal and Kevin Nelson, our executive chef and partner in the restaurant, put his heart and soul into all these recipes,” Glowacki said.
Wild Sage/Courtesy photo
Even though Glowacki stressed that Wild Sage is not the Drunken Goat, a few items from the Edwards restaurant made their way west. One of those items you’ll find on the Happy Hour menu, which runs 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
“As people started to see that we were opening, I was getting bombarded on social media with messages asking for the same oysters as Drunken Goat, so I pushed that forward and they are going over great. On Saturday, we probably sold over 200 oysters,” Glowacki said.
Another item that is duplicated from the Drunken Goat menu is the Chocolate Avocado Banana Brulé dessert.
“That is one of Chef Kevin’s signature dishes. It is gluten-free, dairy-free and it is super decadent,” Glowacki said. So, save room for dessert.
The team has also worked hard on coming up with a great wine list and craft cocktails. Try the Ritual Smudge featuring Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye, sage simple, orange and Angostura bitters and charred sage, of course.
Wild Sage/Courtesy photo
Wild Sage has only been open since May 3 but Glowacki said the restaurant is already seeing repeat customers. Restaurant hours are Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Sundays.
“We’re just trying to create an environment for the community to gather. That is the big reason why I like to have a price point that is available for all so that you see a big, diverse crowd. We want this to be a place to get a family meal, to go on your first date, get together with friends, a place where celebrations happen,” Glowacki said.
Although Glowacki and Nelson are dealing with the typical opening woes and working out the kinks, he is pleased with the response so far.
“It’s kind of insane how many people were clearly excited for a new concept to come to the Vail Valley, so the support and love has been overwhelming,” Glowacki said.
