Tuscani by Sage & Salt: A (Favored) Review

Full disclosure, I had this setting in my draft folder. Birthday, Thanksgiving, off work, etc. No excuses, just reasons. We absolutely loved our time at Tuscani by Sage & Salt. 

It’s been a bit since I’ve done an “official” restaurant review. For my birthday on November 20, a group of 5 went to enjoy a meal from the town’s newest “fine dining” establishment, one that rose from the ashes of 600° in the Bailey Power Plant in Bailey Park at Innovation Quarter. The ambience of the restaurant wasn’t much different than that of 600°, dimly lit, romantic, eloquent, and inviting, all at once. The smells from the open kitchen engulfed you as you entered, and the staff were like old friends, welcoming you to their home. So far, so wonderful. Let’s get to the part you’re here for.

We had three appetizers, the bread service, an antipasti sampler, and the lobster tails. Let’s look into each.

Bread Service

We began with Tuscani’s bread service, a trio that immediately set the tone for the evening. The focaccia arrived golden and dimpled, its olive oil-kissed crust giving way to an impossibly tender crumb. The cheese bread—rich and savory—was studded with pockets of melted cheese that pulled apart in delicate, aromatic strands. Grissini provided a textural contrast: slender, crisp breadsticks that snapped satisfyingly with each bite.

The service comes with your choice of extra-virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar or whipped butter. Rather than choosing between accompaniments, I indulged in both. The EVOO, fragrant with herbs and balanced by the sweet acidity of balsamic, brought out the rustic character of the focaccia, while the cloud-like whipped butter melted into the warm cheese bread, amplifying its richness. It was the kind of opening act that makes you slow down and savor, a reminder that the simplest preparations often speak loudest when executed with care.

This bread, I can assure you, was amazing and flavorful. As someone at the table said, and it will be a theme throughout this review, “If you don’t like flavor, this restaurant isn’t for you.”

Beef Cruda

The beef cruda was a study in balance. You know, raw beef, finely chopped and arranged with the kind of restraint that lets quality ingredients speak for themselves. The meat, silky and cool against the palate, was given brightness by a scattering of peppery baby arugula and the sharp punch of pickled red onion, its acidity cutting through the richness with precision.

Shards of Parmesan crisp added both textural intrigue and a nutty, umami depth, while crispy capers, tiny bursts of briny intensity, dotted the plate like savory punctuation marks. The lemon Dijon vinaigrette tied it all together, its citrus notes lifting the dish without overwhelming the delicate beef. It was refined yet unfussy, the kind of crudo that showcases why Northern Italian cuisine doesn’t need to shout to impress.

Grilled Lobster Tails

The trio of grilled lobster tails arrived as the early evening’s centerpiece, and they didn’t disappoint. Each tail had been kissed by flame just enough to coax out a subtle char while preserving the meat’s natural sweetness and tender snap. The lobster pulled cleanly from the shell, glistening and perfectly cooked, that ideal point where it yields to the bite without any resistance.

The accompanying peperonata aioli was a revelation. Smoky-sweet roasted peppers folded into creamy aioli created a condiment that was both indulgent and vibrant, its Mediterranean flavors amplifying the lobster’s brininess rather than masking it. Each bite became an interplay of sweet shellfish and the aioli’s gentle heat and depth. Simple in concept, flawless in execution, this lobster understood that restraint is often the most luxurious choice.

Now, onto our entrées. We had three of these, as well.

Linguini Frutti di Mare

The first of our entrées showcased Tuscani’s house-made pasta at its finest. Silky ribbons of linguini with that telltale tender bite that only fresh pasta can deliver. It formed the foundation for a generous bounty from the sea. Jumbo shrimp, their sweetness concentrated by a perfect sear, mingled with tender rings of calamari and plump middleneck clams that had released their briny liquor into the sauce. A lobster tail, sweet and succulent, crowned the dish with an almost decadent flourish.

But it was the sauce rosa that brought everything into harmony. The tomato-cream hybrid struck that elusive balance between richness and brightness, clinging to each strand of linguini while allowing the seafood’s natural flavors to remain front and center. There’s something about the combination of textured, house-made pasta and pristine seafood that feels both rustic and refined—a reminder of why this Northern Italian classic has endured for generations.

Bucatini Cacio e Pepe

Our second entrée was Tuscani’s take on the Roman classic, elevated with their signature touch. The house-made bucatini, whose thick, hollow strands trap sauce in their centers, arrived perfectly al dente, each piece coated in a glossy emulsion of pecorino romano and reserved pasta water. This is the technical heart of cacio e pepe: achieving that creamy, clingy sauce without cream, just cheese, pepper, and technique.

The black peppercorn provided its characteristic bite, sharp and aromatic, cutting through the richness of the pecorino with each forkful. But the prosciutto-wrapped prawns were where Tuscani made the dish their own. The prawns, wrapped in wisps of salty, delicate prosciutto, added a luxurious protein element and a textural contrast to the silky pasta. The prosciutto’s cure intensified the sweetness of the prawns while introducing another layer of umami to the already complex interplay of cheese and pepper.

It was familiar yet inventive; a dish that honored tradition while confidently asserting its own identity.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Of the three entrées, this was the one that lingered in my mind long after the last bite. Sometimes the classics endure for good reason. Tuscani’s house-made fettuccine arrived luxuriously draped in a sauce that achieved what so many Alfredo attempts fail to: true decadence without heaviness. The interplay of cream, butter, Romano, and Parmesan created a velvety coating that clung to each ribbon of pasta, rich and silken, with just enough sharpness from the aged cheeses to keep it from becoming one-note.

The airline chicken breast, a perfectly portioned cut with the wing bone still attached, was cooked with remarkable precision. The meat remained juicy and tender, its mild flavor providing a welcome canvas for the sauce while its crisp, golden skin added textural contrast. There’s an alchemy to getting Alfredo right: the sauce must be creamy but not cloying, indulgent but not overwhelming, and here it struck that balance flawlessly.

This was comfort elevated to craft, familiar flavors executed with the kind of care that reminded me why I fell in love with Italian cuisine in the first place.

Gelato & Sorbetto

We concluded the evening with an ambitious sampling of Tuscani’s gelato and sorbetto offerings—eight flavors spanning the spectrum from classic to creative, each a small meditation on balance and craft.

The pumpkin ginger was autumnal warmth in frozen form, its creamy sweetness tempered by ginger’s gentle heat. Lemon shortbread proved unexpectedly sophisticated, marrying bright citrus with buttery, cookie-like richness. The dark chocolate was intensely cocoa-forward, bitter and luxurious, while stracciatella—that beloved marriage of cream and chocolate shards—delivered pure, unpretentious pleasure with each spoonful.

Coffee gelato was bold and unapologetic, tasting of espresso concentrated and frozen at its peak. The pistachio, with its distinctive green hue and nutty depth, showcased why this flavor remains an Italian gold standard.

The sorbet provided palate-cleansing interludes. Cranberry vanilla was tart and floral, the vanilla softening cranberry’s natural astringency into something almost elegant. Spiced pear, perhaps the most nuanced of the eight, captured the essence of poached fruit with warming spices that lingered pleasantly after each bite. These were my faves as I am more about sorbet than gelato or even ice cream.

Together, they were less a dessert and more a journey, a sweet denouement that left us pleasantly satiated and already plotting our return.

Final Thoughts

Tuscani by Sage & Salt proved to be exactly what Northern Italian cuisine should be: rooted in tradition yet unafraid to assert its own voice. From the moment that bread service arrived, warm, fragrant, inviting us to linger, through the parade of house-made pastas that showcased both technical skill and an understanding of what makes these dishes endure, the meal unfolded with a confidence that never tipped into pretension.

The seafood preparations, whether raw and delicate in the beef cruda or flame-kissed in the lobster tails, demonstrated a respect for quality ingredients and the restraint to let them shine. The pastas, all three distinctly different, proved that making everything in-house isn’t just a talking point; it’s the foundation that elevates familiar dishes into something memorable. And that fettuccine Alfredo, my favorite of the evening, reminded me that sometimes the simplest concepts, executed with care and precision, are the ones that stay with you longest.

Even the sprawling gelato and sorbetto selection felt intentional rather than indulgent, each flavor carefully crafted to provide its own small moment of satisfaction. This is the kind of restaurant that makes you slow down, that turns a meal into an experience worth savoring—and worth writing about. Tuscani has earned a permanent spot on my list, and I suspect it won’t be long before I find myself back at that table, ready to discover what other treasures their kitchen has to offer.

I want to thank Brandon Brock, who, along with his father Tom, owns Tuscani and Sage & Salt, for the awesome hospitality and birthday dinner with amazing food.
Ryan Oberle, Tuscani’s general manager, for helping us navigate through the incredible culinary journey of the night.
Rachael Cook, who was our server and facilitator of this journey. They were all instrumental in this being a very memorable celebration.

Regardless of the hospitality, I am brutally honest when I say it has been a long time since I’ve had food this delicious and so perfectly made.  I want to reiterate, and I mean this most sincerely, if you don’t like flavor, this isn’t the restaurant for you.