Italian Red Sauce in Sunrise: Big Plates, Big Personalities

Comments (0) By Zachary Fagenson Friday, Dec 21 2012

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CandaceWest.com

Executive chef Aldo Vespero hails from Napoli.

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Italian Red Sauce, 3828 N. University Drive, Sunrise; 954-533-8347; italianredsauce.net. Lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; dinner Monday through Thursday 4 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight, Sunday 4 to 11 p.m.

Meatballs with ricotta $14.95/$25.95

Short ribs and gnocchi $19.95/$35.95

Lasagna $16.95/$30.95

Raspberry cheesecake $7

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Service, from a mostly male staff with thick Italian accents, was meticulous — they never let a drink glass go unfilled or missed a midcourse check-in. On one visit, my guest and I chuckled to ourselves as a pair of women and a waitress touted their New York bona fides. One of the women proudly described the crowded Brooklyn neighborhood she left after retiring. The waitress came alive while telling her she was from the nearby south Brooklyn neighborhood Bensonhurst. Men were dressed professionally in slacks and collared shirts, while ladies sported knee-length dresses or loose-fitting pantsuits. New York accents floated around the room a hair louder than the soundtrack to The Godfather.

If there is any problem here, it's that you probably can't gather a group of relatives and friends large enough to try every dish that will entice you. On the way out after our first visit, we saw servers setting up a table for more than a dozen. We wished it were being set for us.