Sunday Sauce: Italian American Comfort Food Comes to Portland via New Jersey

Good news: Sunday Sauce opens this week! Get ready for comforting plates of chicken parm, meatballs, giardiniera misto, garlic cheese bread, and yes—Sunday sauce over pasta. Here’s what we know about this new Italian American restaurant from Amanda and Judson Winquist (of Normandie fame) in North Portland.

Sunday Sauce: What’s in a Name?

Back in July I caught wind of the coming of Sunday Sauce, and I wondered if it would be an Italian American restaurant. I patiently waited to see, and in the fall it became clear that it was going to be pretty much as I had hoped for—an east coast Italian American restaurant serving familiar dishes I encountered while living on that side of the country (including my four years on Long Island for grad school).

“Sunday sauce”—I’ve also heard it called “Sunday gravy” or “sugo”—is a long-cooked tomato-meat sauce common in NYC and NJ. Sunday Sauce the restaurant is inspired by co-owner Amanda Winquist’s New Jersey childhood—it’s a tribute to those big Sunday meals she had with her Italian American family while growing up on the east coast.

An Italian Red Sauce Joint

Having lived in NYC, as many of you know, I got used to calling a lot of these kinds of restaurants, “red sauce joints.” And I’ve gotten some feedback on that. So I thought I’d take the opportunity to ask Amanda about that phrase and if she finds it problematic.

“Red sauce joint?” she asked. “I don’t take offense to that. I think that phrase actually gives off a more casual ‘hang-out’ atmosphere and conveys that this is American Italian food— not Italian Italian food.”

She continued, “The food we’re putting forward at Sunday Sauce is very regional to New Jersey (and NYC) and my family’s heritage, reflecting the specific regions of Italy they emigrated from. It’s not Chicago Italian or even Boston Italian. Just like in Italy, every area has its own way of doing things—even in America.”

Sauce vs. Gravy?

I’ve found the “sauce vs. gravy” nomenclature debate elicits strong feelings, too. I asked Amanda if she is for or against using the term “gravy” for the actual Sunday sauce. “I was raised in a sauce house,” she explained. “However, I have cousins and aunts who call it Sunday gravy. So I’m not anti—I just call it sauce because that’s what we call it.”

She added this caveat, “It’s important to know that Sunday sauce or “gravy” is based on meat with bones that’s cooked in tomato sauce for a long time. It’s not just sauce– it’s a tradition. For many Italian Americans, the verbiage is deeply personal and rooted in family history.”

What To Expect at Sunday Sauce

As Amanda mentioned earlier, you’ll find regional New Jersey and NYC Italian American dishes at the restaurant. Executive Chef Isaiah Brown—also of Normandie—leads the kitchen and has helped bring these comfort food classics beyond the pop-up they did last year, and into our mouths and bellies today.

Food

Here is some of the food you’ll find on the menu at Sunday Sauce:

• Judson’s Cheesy Garlic Bread: Starts with a baguette, then garlic butter and melty cheese, served with a side of Momma’s sauce.
• Chooch’s Caesar: This Caesar has anchovies and olives and is inspired by Amanda and Judson’s son.
• Eggplant Parm: Fried eggplant with sauce and melted mutz (mozzarella) with a caponata relish.
• Sunday Sauce: “It’s why we are all here.” Beef and pork braised in a tomato sauce all day long and served over rigatoni.
• Housemade desserts: Includes Banana Pudding Tiramisu, Amanda’s Birthday Cannoli Cake, and Annie’s Salted Caramel Budino.

I asked Amanda what her favorite item on the menu is and she replied, “I think our eggplant parm is really special. It blends a classic parm with a caponata relish. I couldn’t decide on which dish to feature, so Chef married the two and really put his own touches on making it crispy yet creamy on the inside.”

She continued, “Of course, the Sunday sauce is the belle of the ball—you can’t go wrong with that either. There’s so much sentiment for me, that every dish means something. My hope is that the guests who come here can make their own memories and connections through these dishes.”

I also wondered if they were going to make their own mozzarella (aka mutz), since that was not an uncommon practice I encountered in NYC. (They’d usually made their own starting from pre-made curd.) “As of right now, we are not,” said Amanda. “Possibly in the future—our kitchen crew is amazing, and Chef Isaiah has a ton of ideas and talent. But our focus is on flavor and perfecting the classics that have always brought me comfort.”

Drinks

And while the restaurant’s food culture originates with Amanda, co-owner Judson Winquist along with Anna Moss of Normandie developed Sunday Sauce’s beverage program. It’s described as “a nod to 1990s cocktail culture,” as well as “iconic, ironic, and drenched in nostalgia.” Here are some of the cocktails they’ve created:

• Dirty Martini (with blue cheese olives and “Sunday Sauce” brine)
• Sour Cream and Onion Martini
• Peach and Oregano Cosmo
• Aperol Italian Cream Soda
• Salty Godfather
• Dirty Shirley
• Bada Bing

They will also prepare a mocktail for you upon request.

The Growing Italian/Sicilian Food Scene in Portland

It’s been fun to see the increasing presence of Italian and Italian American restaurants and markets in Portland. (Ron Scott recently wrote a nice article on this topic for Portland Monthly.) Recent entries into the scene include Maglia Rosa, Bistecca and Hey Luigi, Estes, Dimo’s Italian Specialties next to Dimo’s Apizza, and Monty’s Red Sauce.

They join places like Sebastiano’s, Gabbiano’s, and Montelupo that are a little more established, as well as everything from Nostrana to Grassa to Casa Italia. Not to mention all the varied styles of pizza in Portland.

I asked Amanda how she sees Sunday Sauce fitting in with the recent increase in the Italian food presence in Portland. “I’m excited that Italian food, specifically red sauce, is ‘having its moment,'” she said. “Growing up, I didn’t see this style of food as something special or of value. Our menu is based on my family’s recipes. My mother was born outside of Naples, Italy, and raised in Hoboken, NJ.”

She continued, “Food has always been important to my family—family dinners were the cornerstone of connecting. I grew up eating chicken parm twice a week, and cutlets were always on the counter. So I’m thrilled to embrace the food of my family and childhood, and I love seeing the value and appreciation that Portland has for it.”

The Location of Sunday Sauce

They are located on a corner of North Killingsworth Street and North Mississippi Avenue; Taqueria Los Gorditos used to be in this space. They’ve got some great neighbors nearby, too: Saraveza, Tulip Shop Tavern, E’Njoni Ethiopian Fusion, and Sad Valley, just to name a few.

The interior was designed by local branding and interior design studio, Each Other. You’d recognize their work at places like Yaowarat, Phuket Cafe, and Gabbiano’s, among others. The space has 44 seats (according to their liquor license application), and has a 1990s New Jersey Italian restaurant vibe with a modern Portland twist.

I’ll be curious to see what kind of music they play on their sound system: old school Italian classics or modern tunes? Update 10/23/25: I was there for a media preview and the tunes were great! Definitely 80s/90s. I also noticed the Tiffany-style lighting, red-and-white striped curtains, and a custom “open” sign in Amanda’s mother, Marianne’s, handwriting.

After publishing this originally, I noticed the cute neon signage in the front window at Sunday Sauce via Gary the Foodie’s Instagram—“Saucy AF” and a fork twirling pasta. I love it.

Sunday Sauce Is Comfort (Covered in Mutz)

I often like to ask what sets a restaurant apart from its peers, and Amanda mentioned the hyper-regional element. “Sunday Sauce, to me, is very different in that it’s regionally from New Jersey.”

She continued, “It’s fun, comforting, and has no shame in being covered and smothered—mutz on it all. The style leans towards a more postmodern era; it’s less ‘nonna chic’ and more ‘Pizza Hut glam ’90s.’ This project is incredibly personal, and I just want to evoke a feeling of comfort. I want everyone who comes in here to feel the love that’s been poured into the food, drinks, and space”

To start, they plan to be open Wednesday through Sunday, 4pm to 10pm. They have plans to expand a counter service lunch program in Spring 2026.

“My hope is to create a very authentic and storied experience,” said Amanda. “I want people to feel content and comfortable, but still excited as the food they’re eating will be different from the food they eat at home. I want to create a sense of comfort and warmth—somewhere between comfortable and comforting, warm and authentic.”

She added, “As humans, we eat because we have to, but there is also a social pleasure to eating that is one of our greatest joys.”

Sunday Sauce is a place for gathering, sharing time with friends and loved ones, and celebrating food and community—all while eating delectable Italian American food that is comforting and familiar. Congrats to Amanda and Judson on Sunday Sauce!

Sunday Sauce [grand opening October 23, 2025]
902 N Killingsworth Street, Portland
Sunday Sauce website | Instagram

Updated October 23, 2025.