It’s official: Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery is going non-vegan.
After 13 years spent catering to the city’s herbivorous masses across a variety of locations, the eatery has just announced that it will be “revamping the entire menu to include regenerative meat, dairy and eggs,” according to an official press release.
In case you were wondering, regenerative meat is, well, still meat, albeit coming from cattle that lives in cleaner living conditions that other more “conventional” beef. The focus on health is clearly still there.
Overall, you can still expect the restaurant to serve a vast variety of vegan dishes alongside other “meatier” options that include the “what’s possible burger” made with a fully pastured 100% grass fed bison patty; the pezzolo sandwich featuring hand-tossed sourdough pizza crust folded in half, seasoned and baked with an assortment of veggie and meat options; and the breakfast burrito made with fully pastured eggs and bison sausage.
According to the press release, the dining destination will also stop using seed oils, opting instead for beef tallow when it comes to frying foods.
The reasons behind the major change are fairly obvious: the new menu will cater to a larger number of potential diners.
“This move positions Sage to attract a wider audience of health conscious diners who are looking for regenerative protein options and value knowing where their food is coming from,” reads the press release.
As mentioned in the Los Angeles Times, the re-direction has come at a cost: a lot of Angelenos have made public their disapproval of owner Mollie Engelhart’s decision to go un-vegan, with many taking to social media to express their consternation.
“More than 3,000 comments have poured in, some calling it ‘a sham,’ ‘deeply disturbing,’ ‘a bummer announcement,’ ‘a huge betrayal to animals,’ ‘devastating,’ a ‘horrific transition’ and ‘profit disguised as environmental progress,’” reports the paper. “Dozens of vegan and animal-wellness organizations and influencers have shared the news, some calling for a boycott.”
For what it’s worth, Engelhart understands the source of the frustrations, as laid out in an open letter “to the plant-based community” that was made public.
“I no longer feel that a vegan lifestyle for all is a viable solution for the planet and its soil which is one of our most precious resources,” reads the note. “I still support everyone’s personal choice to eat a diet that is right for their bodies and personal beliefs, but I am committed to following my convictions as I learn and grow as a human. This has led me to make the decision to change our concept to fully support regenerative agriculture.”
The business owner went on to address the public’s concerns in specific.
“While I fully understand that this decision can be conflicting to those of you who follow a fully vegan lifestyle, I ask that you consider the benefit of us offering an alternative to the vast majority of protein that comes from the industrial food lot system which is devastating for animal welfare and toxic to our planet,” she wrote.
The changes will officially be implemented at the end of May. Hopefully, folks will come around with Engelhart’s decision by then.