When Saugerties native Madeleine Rothe headed off to Providence, Rhode Island to pursue a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, it was with expectations that she’d spend her career working as “a dietician in a nursing home or a hospital.” However, her college, Johnson and Wales University, is “primarily a culinary school, where nutrition is integrated with the culinary program,” she recalls. In fact, it’s the alma mater of Emeril Lagasse, among other celebrity chefs and restaurateurs. So it was that Rothe found herself pulled in another professional direction: “It sparked something in me: that I do really like to create things.”
Nevertheless, when Rothe returned to the Hudson Valley, she took a job as a nutritionist for the Women, Infants and Children program serving clients in Columbia and Greene Counties. While there was some gratification to be found in “counseling mothers with nutrition choices, it was a less creative outlet,” she says. “I kind of felt stuck.” So she set off on her own to work as a “health coach for grownups – primarily seniors whose insurance would cover that. But it was mostly remote. I was on the phone all day.” Again, she found, “It wasn’t creative enough.”
Heeding the siren song of the culinary arts world at last, Rothe plunged into a new line of work at a juice and smoothie bar, thinking, “This is the last leg. Let’s see if this is what I really want to do.” She was soon promoted to manager, with a mission to “enhance the menu and create specials,” and found herself loving the work. “It filled the void,” she says. “I decided the next thing I do will be my own.”
And so it came to pass that, on July 19, a new juice and smoothie bar called Sage Greens opened at 262 Main Street in downtown Saugerties. The community responded with immediate enthusiasm. “Everybody’s super-excited. People tell me that Saugerties needed this option,” says Rothe. “The community lacked a place where people with restricted diets can order something and know exactly what they’re getting.”
Indeed, in perusing the Sage Greens menu, one of the first things one notices is that every single ingredient is listed under every offering. “If you don’t see it, it’s not in it,” says Rothe. There’s no refined sugar, and everything is organic. Substitutions are available for any ingredient that might conflict with a customer’s dietary regime or trigger an allergy or food intolerance. You can get your smoothie or bowl made with dairy or non-dairy yogurt, whole milk, skim milk or any of a long list of plant-based milk substitutes.
Part of the reason that Rothe is so committed to “nourishing the community” while offering many alternative ingredient choices is that she herself has “struggled with gut issues” and needs to follow a diet that is both gluten-free and dairy-free. “I couldn’t go out to dinner with my family,” she notes. “More people than you think have these problems.”
Seven weeks after opening, Sage Greens seems to have found a niche that needed filling. While cold-pressed juices are a popular trend, Rothe points out that “People appreciate not having to do it yourself. Owning a juicer is expensive.” Folks working in the village can easily pop in for a healthy, tasty and satisfying beverage, snack, breakfast or light lunch, even when pressed for time.
That being said, the juice bar is a pleasant space to linger. The walls sport a cheerful color scheme of sage green and shrimp pink, along with murals of fruits. Wood floors and subtropical design elements like macramé sconce shades and faux woven cane chair upholstery harmonize with the casual vibe. Seating options include a long L-shaped bar, six tables, a long couch and a grouping of armchairs and a cushioned bench around a coffee table.
While Rothe has plans to expand her food offerings by the winter, with soups, sandwiches, panini, grain bowls and salads, there’s already plenty on the menu to entice visitors. Smoothies come in 13 regularly offered flavor blends, plus specials. They’re thick, generously sized, fresh and delicious. We liked the nicely tart Cherry Pop, made from açai, raspberry, cherry, yogurt, chia seeds, agave and your choice of milk. According to Rothe, the most popular smoothies are the Blue Lagoon and the Malibu Barbie.
More substantial versions of each flavor are available as sundae-like smoothie bowls, topped with granola, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and berries. There are also many choices of protein shakes, protein bowls, superfood lattes, matcha and iced juice blends. “The bowls are more like a meal,” Rothe says. “The protein shakes are very popular.”
Sage Greens Juice & Smoothie Bar is closed on Tuesdays, open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. To view the menu or learn more, visit http://www.instagram.com/sage__greens
Join the family! 
