Introducing: Red Sauce, the Italian-American snack bar that replaced Little Italy’s Acadia
Name: Red Sauce
Contact info: 50C Clinton Ave., 416-792-6002, redsaucetoronto.com, @RedSauceToronto
Neighbourhood: Little Italy
Owners: Acadia owners Lindsay and Scott Selland
The Food: The simple menu is stocked with Italian-American staples: hero sandwiches, miniature calzones and veal parmigiana rolls—all prepped by scratch with ingredients from local sellers like The Butcher Shoppe and Hooked. The restaurant’s dedicated clam bar serves raw, steamed and baked shellfish.
The Drinks: Beverage options include a tight wine list, a house ale from Ontario brewery Flying Monkeys and diner-inspired cocktails, like a caramelized-popcorn float. Fans of Acadia’s popular draught negronis will be glad to know the kegged cocktails survived the restaurant makeover.
The Place: Acadia’s slightly dreary interior has been transformed into a 1950s-style diner with worn wooden booths and teal-green wainscoting. By night, the space becomes a cozy cocktail bar.
The Numbers: • 12 house cocktails • 7 days a week until 2 a.m. • 1 loyalty card program (20 per cent off on every fifth visit) • 1 draught negroni • 0 reservations
