The Bayswater Pizza, with chicken, red peppers, corn, pepperoncinis and spinach
Italian food, American style is the concept of owner Tyler Rooks for his restaurant Sauce. Located at 2858 S. Church St., Rooks and his brother, Todd, have created a menu that takes a twist on Italian cuisine and makes it accessible to casual diners seeking food that is fresh and flavorful.
“We make virtually everything from scratch,” said Rooks, describing his variety of food items, ranging from salads and appetizers, to sandwiches, pastas and pizzas. “It’s great when somebody comments on how much they enjoyed our, say, Alfredo sauce, and we get to let them know it was made in-house that morning.”
Appetizers include a tantalizing selection of Flatbread Cheese Sticks covered in garlic butter sauce and topped with blended Italian cheeses; Loaded Garlic Bread decorated with mushrooms, black olives, pepperoni and melted mozzarella cheese; a hearty dip of black beans, corn and other vegetables called Texas Caviar, served with tortilla chips; Buffalo Sticks, adding buffalo-flavored grilled chicken onto to the Flatbread Cheesesticks; and even a tomato-based Cup of Chili as an option. Appetizer prices range from $2.50 to $7.75.
Salads are served “little” with options of Garden, House, Caesar, and Mediterranean at an average price of nearly $4, as well as “not so little” including Chicken Salad, Chef, Grilled Chicken, and Spinach at an average price of about $7. All dressings and even the croutons are made from scratch.
Penne Bolognese
The pasta section of the menu features ten different items including an old family recipe for Lasagna, Baked Spaghetti with meat sauce or marinara, Grilled Chicken Parmesan, Penne Bolognese, Mushroom and Chicken Alfredo, and Pesto Pie served with house pesto sauce over penne pasta with chicken and sun-dried tomato. There’s also a Create Your Own option and all pastas are topped with a generous portion of varying cheeses, baked to melting goodness, and served with a six-inch loaf of garlic bread. Prices on pastas range from $7.50 to $9.75.
Pizza is a popular section of the menu, according to Rooks, and also features a Create Your Own option. Otherwise, specialty selections include The American Classic (mushrooms, Italian sausage and pepperoni), The Veggie, The Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple), The Bayswater (chicken, sweet corn, red pepper, spinach and pepperoncini), The Hot BBQ Chicken and others. Made with a secret family recipe that has been passed down through generations, pizzas are served in sizes of small 10-inch ($7.50-14), large 14-inch ($11.50-18), and XL 16-inch ($13.25-19.75).
The menu lists ten different sandwich selections served oven-toasted on a six-inch sub roll with garlic butter and melted cheese, including Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Pimento Cheese, Portobello Burger, Chicken Salad, and others. Each plate comes with chips and a pickle and prices range from $5.50 to $7.25.
Rooks emphasized, “All dough for bread and pizza is mixed, kneaded and rolled by hand in our kitchen and each section of our menu contains vegetarian options.”
Red Velvet Cheesecake
Lastly on the food front, Sauce offers desserts which “vary depending on factors such as the season and our mood,” according to the menu. A proven popular item is the Red Velvet Cheesecake.
In addition to his passion for fresh food, Rooks considers himself a connoisseur of craft, imported and other various beers. His cooler holds the likes of Yazoo brews as well as BBC, Moretti, Peroni, and others including popular domestics. Large growlers of Craggie beer are also offered. Liquor and wine are not served at Sauce, but Rooks encourages patrons to bring their own bottle of wine and the restaurant will uncork it for an average five-dollar charge. He intends to host a seasonal beer tasting at least twice a year that is open to the public.
The atmosphere of the restaurant consists of one open room, divided in half with a low wall, containing 12 tables. The décor is simple and the setup is almost café-style. Patrons seat themselves and the rest is full service provided by the staff.
A native of Alabama and an alumnus of MTSU, Rooks pulled ideas from his grandfather, father and uncle who have all owned casual dining restaurants. He puts in an average of 70-plus hours a week at the restaurant and has big goals for continued success.
“I just want people to come in, feel casual, and eat a delicious meal,” said Rooks. “I want our customers to feel like they can come as couples, with friends, or as families with children and have a great experience.”
For information on Sauce visit sauceboro.com and facebook.com/sauceboro.
