by Natasha V. Borisov

A new addition to Davis Square’s already thriving nightlife recently opened its doors, taps, wine bottles and brick oven to the gourmands of Somerville.

Sauce Bar and Grille on Highland Ave. in the heart of Davis Square brings a distinct combination of tradition and individuality in its menu, drink selection and décor.

      “We like to call ourselves Mediterranean-influenced, yet in reality we really try to present something original and interesting to the people”, said the manager Brian Sheehy.

        Sheehy said that while keeping things fresh is part of the never-ending challenge of succeeding in the restaurant industry, it is the novelty of ideas which keeps a restaurant in people’s thoughts.

Natasha Borisov

Sauce/2.2.2

      Sauce tried to bypass the whole idea of traditional appetizer, entrée, and dessert mode and instead offers in its menu a wide variety of smaller-sized plates, creating a rather playful atmosphere of trying distinct meals, talking about food and sharing, said Sheey.

The romantic and intimate mood is reinforced by a wide selection of wines. “We really try to go beyond the old Merlot and offer a list of more than twenty kinds of wines, including imported South African and Spanish wines”, Sheey said.

      A touch of romantic air could surely exist within the dark reddish walls, delicate small tables and dimly lit atmosphere of the restaurant.       “We are proud to say that lots of first dates seem to be happening at Sauce,” said Sheey.

        While couples can engage in intimate conversations over shared food and listen to soft background music, the restaurant also offers louder corners for the people who just want to hang at the bar and maybe watch some sports.

        “This is where all the fun happens. People could also order food right at the bar, so we really try to give them a choice of where they want to sit and what they are in the mood for,” said Brian.

      While the restaurant’s peculiar name traces no special link to the kind of sauce that it serves, the chef does change the sauce daily and tries to offer something different to be served with bread every day, said Brian.

Natasha Borisov

Sauce/3.3.3

As for the late-night eaters, Sauce has a special white brick oven that cooks small pizzas to satisfy their craving, he said.

      As a departure from the somewhat staid background music, Sheey said the restaurant has plans to invite more DJ’s to entertain the crowds on weekends.

        “We had a couple of DJs over before and we would like to play around with that idea in the future”, he said.

     Having only opened in November, Sauce already has big plans for its future.

        “We really hope to serve Somerville community best and to get to know its population, while we also have a lot of our Tufts grad students and professors over”, Sheey said.

        Davis Square is a fun and dynamic place, and while it is a challenge to present to the people something new and make sure that they like it, Sheey said Sauce tries to remain within the boundaries of offering people a traditional touch of Mediterranean food with its own twist of smaller sized plates, sweet desserts and wide selection of wines.