On the corner of Rivington and Allen street - one of the busiest spots of the LES - is where you will find Sauce, an Italian restaurant with a home cooked menu and trendy interiors. The exposed brick and lively atmosphere gives you the feeling that you are having a meal in a very hip granny’s house. And when it comes to Italian food, Nona knows best!
Sauce prides itself with making everything themselves from the pizza dough, pastas, butchering the meat, and of course the sauces. Tutto Di Nostra Produzione is their motto (everything made by us). We sat down with Model Caroline Wimberly for an afternoon of carbo loading and chit chat.
TCNY: Growing up who was your favorite model?
C: Karlie Kloss. I was obsessed with runway shows, and she has the most incredible walk.
TCNY: Currently watching on Netflix?
C: The new Queer Eye! It's so GOOD. It's so well done, and every single episode makes me cry.
TCNY: What was the last gift you gave someone?
C: My boyfriend is a professional skateboarder and has pictures of himself doing kickflips all over the world when he travels. For Christmas I found this really cool digital print of an astronaut doing a kickflip in space and framed it for him to add to his collection.
TCNY: What is your life motto?
C: “Not today, Satan."
TCNY: Plan a fun NYC date with us?
C: Late breakfast at a cute cafe I've never been to, playing in the sunshine at Central Park, a nap, and then happy hour at my favorite wine bar in the West Village.
TCNY: Worst date you have ever been on?
C: I got left on the rooftop of the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn on the most beautiful night a few years ago. The guy I was out with got offended when I asked him to dance so he just walked off the rooftop and left me there all by myself!
TCNY: What’s your spirit animal?
C: A Weiner dog.
While we chatted we enjoyed tasting some pastas and pizzas from the menu. Here are the highlights.
The pizza margarita was served with a thin crust and had all the freshest ingredients. Oozing with cheese and fresh tomato, this dish is fabulous for this simplicity. It’s also worth mentioning that sauce offers up a variety of crust options for those who want a thicker crust or even a gluten free cauliflower crust option! You can also pick up a pie from their pizza window on allen street if you don’t have time for a sit down meal.
The pastas were all topnotch but we were pleasantly surprised by the funghi sauce (wild mushrooms and brown butter). A must try is the Grandmothers Meatballs with tomato gravy. This dish embodies everything we love about home cooking and comfort food.
Lastly, a meal a sauce would not be complete without ordering The Plank, and yes we would recommend planking for several minutes after this meal to burn all those extra calories (worth it though! we promise). The Plank is a real crowd pleaser as it is served and prepared table side. The dish features two crispy fried eggs over a bed of polenta, a rich ragu beef sauce and topped with cheese, and olive oil. Its all sorts of creamy, savory, and delicious. Definitely the stand out dish in the restaurant.
We recommend this spot for a first date because of its relaxed atmosphere. Nothing like some comfort food to calm the nerves of an awkward first date. Load up on some carbs and line your stomachs at Sauce and then proceed to get sauced (pun intended) in the many bars around the neighborhood. It’s a winning combo!
Model Eats Manhattan is our food blog that pairs our favorite neighborhood restaurants with our favorite models. Who says fashion and food are mutually exclusive? Models eat too! If you would like your restaurant or know of someone who would like their business featured in our blog, email sophie@tastecollection.com.
