Twice a year, I make the pilgrimage to Ojai to get my hair done. While I have friends that think it is crazy to drive 45 minutes when there are plenty of salons in Santa Barbara, I look forward to the trips. The drive takes you past Lake Casitas with beautiful views of the mountains and I can always be sure that a healthy, gluten-free restaurant will be found. This trip, my hair stylist let me know about Sage, a newly opened restaurant serving “mindful meals and elixirs”. After finishing up at Rise, the cutest hair salon there ever was, I headed to Sage. While ordering at the counter, the cashier knew exactly what Celiac was. She informed me that it is a shared kitchen so there is a risk. She also let me know that they make their own GF bread. They use the same pans that they use for their regular bread, but the pans have been cleaned prior to use. I ordered the Ojai Greens Bowl. It had sunflower seeds, buckwheat and a forbidden rice medley with local greens, green goddess dressing, pickled onion and pickled mushroom. With the bowl, I was able to choose two roasted vegetables so I selected the Brussels Sprouts and Beets. I also was able to choose a protein. I picked the Salmon Sashimi. I ordered a side of the gluten-free naan as well.
Everything in the bowl was super fresh and satisfying. There was the perfect amount of dressing and the portion was just right. The naan was served warm which was a pleasant surprise. I would definitely go back to Sage on a return trip to Ojai.
gluten-free in sb 
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