Sauce tops menu with high quality

DESTIN, FL – Sauce is a new restaurant located near the Beall’s Department Store. It has a simple name, and a simple concept: good Italian food at a good value.
   
The restaurant is neat, clean and no-frills. Basic tables and chairs dominate the dining area. There is little decoration on the walls, and the focal point of the restaurant is a large flatscreen television. Service was always friendly, and food came out promptly.
   
And that food was excellent. Highlights among the appetizers included calamari fritti and mozzarella in carrozza.
   
The rings of calamari were perfectly fried. A light, crisp crust gave way to exceptionally tender rings of calamari. A dish of red sauce is provided for dipping, and adds nice acidity. The calamari was on the appetizer menu, but would have made a good meal paired with a house or spinach salad.
   
The mozzarella was billed as “the Italian fried cheese,” and wasn’t anything like the deep-fried cheese found on most menus. This was closer to a traditional mozzarella in carrozza, in the form of tiny grilled cheese sandwiches. As with the calamari, they were at their best dipped into red sauce.
   
During a visit for lunch, I tried a pasta dish, and was happy to find that half portions are available.
   
For the pasta dishes, you choose the pasta (penne, fusilli, spaghetti, linguine, orecchiette, rigatoni), and then choose one of the 11 sauces. Meatballs, sausage, shrimp or chicken can be added to any of the pastas for an extra $4.
   
I enjoyed the flavor-packed Nonno’s Aglio e Olio over linguine. The dish featured garlic, anchovies, capers, walnuts, and lots of olive oil. Creamy sauces include pink vodka (tomato sauce laced with cream), primavera and alfredo. A Bolognese was all about the meat and tomato sauce, and didn’t have the touch of cream found in some versions.
   
I enjoyed the melezane (eggplant) parmigiana. This is a dish that is easy to become heavy. But Sauce did a great job of maximizing the flavor and keeping the dish balanced.
   
Hot and cold Grinders (8-inch subs) are a good option for lunch or a casual dinner. Cold subs are dressed with lettuce, tomato, olive oil and vinegar.
   
Caprese is a vegetarian option with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. The Italian Cold Cut comes with hot cappicola, mortadella, Genoa salami and Provolone.
   
Hot subs include classic meatball and sausage versions, eggplant and chicken Parmigiana, and steak and cheese. The Italian Steak and Cheese was filled with tender, thinly sliced beef and sweet peppers, then topped with marinara and Provolone.
   
Crisp crusted bread was tender and soaked up all the juice of the sandwich. I added a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for good measure.
   
Subs are served with fries or onion rings. My order of onion rings was outstanding. They were golden brown and nicely crisp.
   
On an evening visit my dining companions and I tried the pizza. It was superb. Our choice was the Vongole Orgeganato.
   
The crust, which was not too thick and not too thin, was tender and had lots of flavor. It was topped with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, chopped clams and oregano. After swooning over it, the topic of conversation was when we would be able to have it again.
   
You can build your own pizza starting with a base of red or white sauce. Toppings include the usuals, plus specialty items such as eggplant, broccoli rabe, hot cappicola and gorgonzola.
   
Sauce also has a number of specialty pizzas that arrange the toppings in mouthwatering ways.
   
A wine list featured plenty of options to pair with the food on the menu. We had a nice Banfi red that was versatile enough to work with everything we had that evening.
   
Sauce is newly open, and on one visit it sounded like some of the build-out construction might still be under way. What is missing in frills is more than made up in the quality of the food and value found throughout the menu.

QuickBITES

Sauce
14091-C Emerald Coast Pkwy
Destin
850-650-7900

Hours
11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

Reservations
Not necessary

Handicap accessibility
Good

Children’s menu
No, but many menu items are appropriate for children

Price range
Antipasti and salads
$5-$12
Pasta and entrees
$10-$18
Grinders and pizza
$7-$26

Payment
Major credit cards