Last Saturday, we put the top down and ventured to West Hollywood to the trending restaurant, The Ponte.
Formerly Terrine which shut the doors last New Year’s Eve, the restaurant has a fabulous patio and Saturday afternoon was the perfect day for brunch outside.
We secured a parking spot and entered the newly redecorated restaurant.
We settled into a table under a spreading chestnut tree…I have no idea what type of tree it is…just pulled the Longfellow out of my 6th grade memory bank as I thought it set the scene quite nicely.
Olivia, our very own server, was stellar.
She was so competent and trusting that we turned all the decision making over to her.
We toasted the day with a fabulous sparking brut rose, Rosanna, Ettore Germano ($16).
We began the afternoon delight with probably the best avocado toast ever. The bread was crispy (no soggy bottom), the avocado was not smashed instead cut into bite size chucks with sweet basil, sliced radish and a spicy salsa Calabrese which we requested on the side. It was brilliant ($9).
The main attraction was the infamous Scott Conant Pasta Al Pomodoro. It was perfection. The spaghetti was al dente the sauce sweet and rich ($22).
Ponte is in partnership with Scott Conant, now more of a traveling overseer of restaurants, along with Stephane Bombet of Bombet Hospitality Group who also owned Terrine as well as Faith and Flower and Hanjip.
We ended the delightful meal with a Panettone French Toast which is soaked in buttermilk with amaretto mascarpone enhanced by orange peel, candied pecans and currants. The french toast was beyond amazing and quite memorable.
On the way out we were fortunate enough to meet the Executive Chef, Freddy Vargas.
Prior to opening Ponte, Freddy worked for years in the kitchen at Scarpetta and then was chef at Jeffrey Zakarian’s, Georgie, which replaced Scarpetta in Beverly Hills.
The staff, including Olivia and the very welcoming General Manager, Kelly Guilday, are all wonderful and an asset to the restaurant. In fact, we remembered Kelly from Terrine.
By the way, the restaurant is named for the term “pontes,” or what the Italian immigrants from Pontelandolfo called themselves when they settled in Waterbury, Connecticut, where Conant grew up.
I am sure dinner is terrific, but I highly recommend brunch as the setting makes you feel as if you are on vacation and the choices are heavenly.
The Ponte Ristorante 8265 Beverly Boulevard West Hollywood, California. Open for Dinner Sunday-Thursday 6-10 pm,
Friday and Saturday 6-11:30pm. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday 10am-3pm. Metered street parking. Reservations on OpenTable.com.
