Sage food as mouthwatering as the view

Alfresco dining is one of the joys of summer, and Sage Bistro in St. Charles offers an ideal setting for making the most of the experience.

The restaurant is run by Anders Jensen, who previously operated Erik & Me for some 25 years on the same spot. Remodeled and with a more sophisticated menu, Sage Bistro opened in April and capitalizes on its location overlooking the scenic Fox River.

A spacious deck lined with tiki torches has umbrella-topped tables, each with oil lanterns. Come on the weekend and hear jazz from 7 to 10 p.m. Inside the 130-seat restaurant, windows provide good views of the river.

Chef Leon Trevino, whose background includes working the kitchen at the Herrington Inn in Geneva, is now part of the team and brings an emphasis on fresh seafood -- from halibut and grouper to Alaska black cod and Maine lobster. Filet mignon, chops and a few pasta dishes also are served.

Appetizers also abound with fruits de mare, including steamed mussels and clams, grilled oysters, crab cakes and escargot. Also available are fresh oysters on the half shell. The salmon carpaccio ($10), thin slices of the cured fish served with toast points, capers, garlic-infused oil and dill mustard, was delicious.

While a server said the duck breast Grand Marnier and braised lamb shank were popular, for entrees we stuck to the fish side of the aisle.

Depending on the restaurant, shrimp de jonghe can be an iffy proposition, arriving at the table as an overcooked, sodden mess. At Sage Bistro, one can order the dish ($20) with confidence. A generous serving of 10 large, piping-hot shrimp were divided between two ramekins, baked with white wine, sherry, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Very flavorful. Rounding out the presentation was a serving of zucchini, carrot, onion, red pepper and mushrooms.

A dining partner's tasty tilapia, one of the night's specials, was nicely prepared with a bread crumb-shrimp mousse topping and accompanied by asparagus and sauteed spinach.

Entrees came with a choice of salad -- house or wedge.

Sage Bistro keeps two pastry chefs busy, and their wares are worth sampling. The night we visited, chocolate appeared to be a running theme, with such choices as chocolate ganache cheesecake, chocolate bread pudding and chocolate espresso torte.

History of Chocolate, a trio of creme brulees, was hard to resist. It featured Mexican, American and European chocolate, each one better than the next.

Thomas Witom is a local free-lance writer.