Sage Karma Kitchen Caters to Vegetarians and Meat Lovers Alike: Best of the East

It’s a tale as old as time. One partner is vegetarian; the other a carnivore. The owners of Sage Karma Kitchen have discovered a middle ground. They opened their own restaurant.

While owner Teanna Vitantonio is vegan and gluten-free, Dan, her husband of 15 years, is gluten-free but not vegan. (He prefers traditional organic proteins.) For years, they searched for restaurants where they could dine together. Not finding any, they created a restaurant offering both. 

Admittedly, if you’re not familiar with their history, Sage Karma Kitchen’s menu is a tad confusing. Grass-fed beef burgers listed alongside black bean burgers? Yes, and that’s not all.

Vitantonio suggests ordering the Thai Dye Bowl, a mélange of spiced jasmine rice, carrots, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, house-made Thai peanut sauce, ground peanuts, cilantro and sriracha. Vegetarians may top it with crispy tofu, a black bean quinoa patty or chickpea patty, while those preferring traditional protein might go for grass-fed beef, Faroe Island salmon or organic chicken.

There are vegan items such as tempura battered Tofu Nugs that are so flavorful, even non-vegans are hooked and order them regularly. 

Her cupcake desserts have earned Vitantonio the nickname “Cupcake Lady.” Recently she featured a vanilla cupcake with blueberry lemon cheesecake stuffing and buttercream frosting. Snickerdoodle or brownie cupcakes have been topped with vegan Bailey’s buttercream frosting. 

Vitantonio credits much of the restaurant’s culinary success to Chef Chad Scott, a carnivore at heart who made it his mission to learn how to make tasty vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free items. 

“Creating items for this restaurant has been a process,” she admits. “Vegans jump up and down when they come here. Carnivores have found it ironic that the best burger they’ve eaten is in a restaurant that some people consider vegetarian. We want people to know that we are a scratch kitchen offering something for everyone.”

4051 Erie St., Willoughby, 440-946-2300, sagekarmakitchens.com