Sage Bistro and Oyster Bar

You really have to hand it to chef Laurent Tasic. His Sage Bistro and Oyster bar juggles two completely different concepts and nails them both: a high-end raw bar, with its $52 shellfish tower and a $28 "trio" of jumbo pink Gulf shrimp, oysters, and crab meat on the one hand; and on the other, gourmet French comfort food for the budget-conscious, with meals ranging from $10 to $24. A crepe du jour wraps the lightest of pancakes around sirloin tips, carmelized onions, and rich stewed mushrooms; steak Maurice tops a ten-ounce rib eye with asparagus, mushrooms, and a slice of slightly warm Brie. Many of the dishes at the new Sage are shared with the original Lauderdale restaurant, but new contributions include short ribs Parisienne, pork-chop paillarde, and tuna Provençale. It's all delicious in an elemental way. The physical space of the restaurant is gorgeous, the martinis are strong, and the wine list is a knockout: a recipe to get us through hard times.