Ask a Member: Sage Catering

The Sage Catering culinary tale began with a simple premise: bring fine upscale catering to stylish events. "My passion is with the food," says owner Scot Anderson. "I really care most about the food at the end of it."

Scot is intrinsically Californian in his approach to cuisine. The terms locally-grown, organic and farm-fresh have been a part of his vocabulary since the onset. Born in San Francisco, raised in Marin and schooled at California Culinary Academy in the city, he has been building his client-base in the Bay Area for many years. "I'm lucky to be here," he says. Sage is known for their ingredient-driven, real food with cultural influences. “What do we do well?” he asks. “We focus on what our clients are looking for, get creative with them and execute the right idea in the right way."  

What should a couple keep in mind when creating a menu for a summer wedding?
There are so many great local ingredients from the summer through the fall. Keep it local, seasonal and light. 

What are your best appetizers for cocktail hour? 

Small-plate, passed items are my favorite part of an event and to me some of our best offerings on our menu. Pair something bold and spicy or tart and full of flavor with beer and cocktails: Spicy lime and chile prawns, grilled lamb olives and raita, tuna tartare with ginger and sesame. Some of my favorite pairings with sparkling wines are Dungeness crab rolls with avocado and lemon or chanterelles and Mt. Tam triple cream.

How can you tailor a couple's menu to reflect the Wine Country?

We pride ourselves on really getting to know our clients and building their menus around their ideas, location and guests. Tailoring for the Wine Country is generally based around the seasons. Think farm fresh, organic and sustainable.

Any great ideas for food stations?

We seem to be doing more and more small-plate stations built around a single ingredient or a fun idea. At Silver Oak last summer we designed a station around classic, American comfort food: steak frites with local cress, pink, gold and red beets with pickled onions and a baby iceberg wedge salad. It was a big hit!

How can a couple cut costs?

The best events have the best guests— those whose family and friends are closest and enjoy each other's company the most.  So with this in mind, great events can also be simple; don't try to do too much with too little. Identify what is important and do something special in that area. Keep the rest simple. 

What is the most creative menu you've worked on lately? 

The most interesting for me are the menus that continue to evolve. The most interesting menus evolve after we have earned the trust of the client, yet before all the decisions are made. After a bit of back and forth and an exchange of ideas, we can get a true sense of what the couple is looking for. Matching our food and services to that idea is the most rewarding.

Are dessert bars taking over the wedding cake? 

Dessert stations are an additional time to personalize an event and a time to do something special. Much like small plates, an individually plated dessert or small sweet item is another opportunity to have fun with the menu, to do something focused and thoughtful.

Sage Catering is a member of The Collection.

{photos 1 & 2 by Anna Kuperberg, 3 & 4 by Shelley Kroeger of Union Photography, 5 by Jennifer Skog, 6 & 7 by Anna Kuperberg, 8 by WMR Photo}