Amanda’s Birthday Cannoli Cake is a celebratory end to the meal, even if it’s not your birthday. | Ben Coleman/Eater Portland Sunday Sauce began as a tribute to co-owner Amanda Winquist’s late mother, who made old-school Italian American classics in the typical North Jersey way: heavy on flavor, light on pretense. The initial pop-up was a hit, and in 2025, Amanda and her husband, Judson Winquist, went all-in on a cozy corner spot on North Killingsworth. The result is one of the city’s best Italian restaurants, a millennial-era neighborhood joint designed to spark intense nostalgia for both East and West Coasters, but the menu has some unexpected twists on the old classics. What to order It’s probably been a long day so you should treat yourself to an extremely dirty martini ($15) to start. There’s options, too: Parmesan and pepper, tomato and dill, even one with garlic bread-infused vodka. The ’Cini ’Tini, with pepperoncini brine, is especially good at cutting through all the molten mozzarella coming down the pipe. Speaking of cheese, there’s really no better mutz delivery system than the eggplant Parm ($22). There’s a big slice of crispy-fried eggplant in there somewhere, buried under an avalanche of melted cheese and tangy red sauce. Cap the evening off with Amanda’s Birthday Cannoli Cake ($12), an elegant deconstruction of the classic Italian pastry (and ubiquitous Godfather quote). Creamy cannoli filling is interspersed with thick sponge cake. It even comes with a little candle, because it’s probably someone’s birthday somewhere. The vibe Think Y2K little league pasta party, plus Frank Sinatra’s bar tab. Insider tip This is family-style all the way, so go with a squad and pass the breadsticks. An easy way to fill the table with fun stuff is to order something off every section of the menu, each of which is designed to scratch a different comfort food itch. ...read more read less