Anything that lures you in with the promise of “Pizza & Wine” is just plain unfair. Heck, they had us at “Piz……..”. Sauce is that rare treat…half deli and all full-bodied Italian cooking that aims to please and hits on all marks. With the tag line of “Pizza & Wine” what else do you need? How about pastas, Panini’s, soups and salads? With multiple locations in the Valley, you are bound to find one near you. We happened to catch the one in Mesa, and another stop-by in Scottsdale.

The inside of Sauce is a simple deli-like seating and décor. Basic vibrant elements create a subtle, comfortable environment with burgundy drenched walls supported by a red brick lower border. Walking in you peruse the easily-legible menu on the wall and order for yourself at the counter. With pizza as the signature dish, how could we refuse to order a pie?

Twelve mouth-watering offerings are presented on their simple, yet robust menu. Traditional toppings abound (pepperoni, sausage or cheese) flanked by more festive fare (chicken pesto, tomato and aged parmesan or prosciutto and melon or wild mushroom and truffled arugula). Go mild or go wild. If you still don’t see what you like, you can “create your own.” All of the pizzas are on an ultra thin crust and range from $8.75 to $9.75, although the sausage and pepperoni comes in at $10.50.

Seconds after placing our order of the sausage and pepperoni, our beverages and small paper bags filled with a roll and butter arrived. Talk about simplicity. A short minute later the Caesar Salad arrived sporting just the right amount of dressing, croutons and a lovely layer of shaved parmesan cheese. Fresh, crisp and a great start. In an impressive 5 minutes, our pizza was delivered. We anticipated at least 15 for a fresh pizza to hit the table and yet here it was piping hot and ready to devour. Gotta say, for someone at lunch this type of super-human speed of service is much appreciated.

The sausage & pepperoni with roasted red peppers, red onion and crimini mushrooms was too good to resist. The pizza completely stood its ground and brought its game on. A thin crust was ultra-light and allowed the toppings to take center stage. Robust flavors of the meats melded to deliver a bold, yet composed marriage of tasty nuances. Delicious!

Thinking we were satiated and ready to roll, the GM, Justin, swept by the table to see if we enjoyed ourselves. A conversation ensued and we confessed this was our first visit to Sauce. We inquired if we missed anything, and he gleefully insisted we try the Pasta with Chicken, Broccoli and Cheese Sauce, claiming that it was the second most ordered item. Can’t keep a boy away from his pasta, so we gave-in and ordered one. This baby rocked. Talk about an untamed “mac n’ cheese’ . The creamy cheese sauce enveloped the aldente pasta, which was an interesting shell/button hybrid shape with slivers of chicken breast abundant amongst them. Add the perfectly firm broccoli and you have one brilliant dish. Thank goodness Justin was looking out for us, though clearly not our waistlines.

Sauce is truly a fun, easygoing, walk-in-and-walk-out feast of a dining experience. Not that you feel rushed while there, but it’s nice to know if you have a timeline, Sauce will keep you right on target. Although the dishes were so good we really didn’t want to leave our table. Enjoy!

The good – great food, fast service

The bad – we wanted more but had to leave

About the authors: Kevin Leap and Steven Persitza have been writing reviews of Southern California restaurants since 2006. Their writing has been acknowledged for its excellence by the San Diego Press Club. Kevin and Steven will be writing restaurant reviews for Scottsdale.com periodically.

Just My Ticket , a premier resource for local last minute entertainment option led by Kevin and Steven, is a new partner of Scottsdale.com and LunchClub . LunchClub and Just My Ticket launched Just My Ticket Phoenix in August 2010.