Nothing brings an Italian family together quite like a hearty plate of Sunday gravy—a slow-simmered tomato sauce, often loaded with multiple types of meat and served over pasta. It’s a staple for Italians, but while many restaurants serve the famous sauce, not every spot captures that authentic, home-cooked flavor. If you want a Sunday gravy that tastes like Nonna’s kitchen, you need the approval of those who grew up with it. Eat This, Not That! asked chefs and scoured through reviews to find where Italian and Italian-American food lovers where they go when they crave a red sauce that truly feels like home. Here are three spots that consistently deliver.
Pelato
Pelato/Instagram
Pelato is authentic Brooklyn Italian served tapas style and is a major hotspot in Nashville and Charleston that diners rave about–epeically for the Sunday Sauce. Karina J. in Fullerton, CA wrote on Yelp, “Stopped by Pelato and wow, what an experience! Everything tasted like Nonna’s Sunday sauce dinner–brought me back to happy times spent in New Jersey.”
Why Italians Approve of Pelato’s Sauce
Pelato/Instagram
To find out what makes Pelato’s Sauce stand out, Eat This, Not That! asked the chef responsible for the sauce what’s so special about it. “Every Italian – American family has their own version of Sunday Sauce – even my parents have different receipts and ingredients,” Anthony Scotto III of Pelato Restaurant explains. “We combined the best of both to create the one we sell at Pelato Restaurants – a combination of braciole, meatballs, NY Italian Sausage, and pork ribs served with house made long fusilli.” Chef Anthony says, “My mom’s recipe calls for rolls of pig skin in the sauce as an example. We didn’t think that the masses would enjoy that so it didn’t make the cut.” He adds, “As much as we enjoy Italians loving our sauce – it’s also very rewarding to see people without an Italian background loving the sauce. Really the whole purpose of it is getting family and friends together over a good meal. So long as we do that, we did our job.”
Patrizia’s of Massapequa
Patrizia’s of Massapequa, sauce, Italians approved, restaurants/Instagram
Famous for its generous portions and warm, lively atmosphere, Patrizia’s of Massapequa has a few locations in New York and New Jersey and earned a reputation among Italians for its Sunday sauce. On Yelp, Claire V. in Long Beach, NY wrote, “Being Italian (& a pretty darn cook) it’s often hard to go out for really good italian food. I’m very picky with my sauce (or gravy, if you prefer lol). At Patrizia’s everything is cooked to perfection. No mushy pasta, no acidic sauce, no bland blanched broccoli rabe.”
Author & Sons
Arthur & Sons/Instagram
Known for bringing together his deep Italian-American roots and fine-dining expertise to create a restaurant that’s both nostalgic and elevated, Chef Joe Isidori of Arthur & Sons takes Sunday gravy seriously. “Our gravy is 100% approved because we make it the right way,” he says. “High quality San marzano tomatoes, proper seasoning, meatballs, sausage & other cuts of meats.” He adds, “It’s cooked slow and low for over three hours then served over rigantoni with fresh ricotta and grated pecorino Romano! Nothing better.”
It’s All About the Meat
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There’s many things that go into a worthy Sunday sauce and Chef Joe explains the key elements. “A good Sunday sauce should taste rich and nostalgic…the kind of flavor that brings you right back home,” he says. “The texture should be just right, not too thin and not too thick, with a rich, robust body,” he explains. Chef Joe adds, “It should coat pasta or meat perfectly, every strand or piece covered just so. And what really makes a Sunday sauce complete? The meat. It’s all about the meat!”
Heather Newgen
Heather Newgen has two decades of experience reporting and writing about health, fitness, entertainment and travel. Heather currently freelances for several publications. Read more about Heather
