Chilean Sea Bass at Cafe Ponte. Photo courtesy of Metromix

Located in the Icot Center in Clearwater, Café Ponte is an unexpected diversion in an otherwise non-descript strip mall. Serving “American fusion cuisine,” Chef Chris Ponte has an impressive culinary pedigree. Chef Ponte is a Cordon Bleu graduate with a stint at the famed Tailleventin in Paris and internships with culinary royalty like Daniel Boulud. He opened Café Ponte in 2002. Based on glowing recommendations from acquaintances and the buzz about Chef Ponte, Mister M and I arrived at the restaurant with high expectations.

The atmosphere at Café Ponte is a mix of cozy sage green and red upholstered booths and white-linened tables circling a panoramic wine cellar that is the dining room’s focal point. After being seated, we found our server to be friendly and knowledgeable. After he brought us our skillfully crafted martinis, our server returned with a hefty serving of wild mushroom bisque with truffle oil for an amuse bouche–a curious selection to start a summer supper, but a tasty beginning nevertheless.

Mister M ordered the lobster salad special. This tantalizing salad was exactly what I was craving on that hot evening and I managed to steal most of it from him. The lobster and hearts of palm, tossed with cherry tomatoes, oranges, mangos and a citrus vinaigrette–served in a glass cone tenuously suspended in a bowl of crushed ice–left both of us wanting more. Sometimes, chefs try to pair foie gras with too much sweetness, but this was not the case with Café Ponte’s Foie Gras “A” appetizer. The foie gras was perched on “french toasted” brioche with toasted walnuts, amarena cherries and drizzled with an ice wine syrup and was smooth like a velveteen pillow. It provided the perfect savory and sweet duo and was one of the highlights of our meal.

The other highlight was the Chilean sea bass, which was evidence of Daniel Boulud’s influence on Chef Ponte’s menu. Boulud’s crisp paupiette of sea bass in a Barolo sauce is the stuff of legends from his tenure as executive chef at Le Cirque in New York City. Chef Ponte’s interpretation of this favorite was flawlessly executed. The Yukon potato-encrusted sea bass was pan-fried to crispy perfection and was resting on braised leeks. The red wine reduction sauce provided an elegant finish to the dish. From this entree, it is clear that Chef Ponte’s staff has classic French cooking techniques mastered.

Unfortunately, some of the other dishes we ordered were not as successful. One of the reasons we were looking forward to trying Café Ponte was that they feature pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven on their menu. Their pizza dough was crisp on the bottom with a satisfyingly chewy crust that would have been a great foundation for most anything. However we found the pizza selection to be uninspired. Our ultimate choice—the blue cheese, wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts and basil with a balsamic drizzle pizza —was generous in size but was too rich and heavy for the perfectly baked dough as well as a summer meal. In addition, the Hatfield Ranch Reserve pork chop with smoked bacon, caramelized gala apples, toasted pecans in a calvados sauce could easily have fed two, possibly three people. The presentation was contemporary and eye catching, and the chop was properly cooked to the temperature ordered (medium-rare), arriving to the table juicy and hot. However, the pork paired with apples and bacon felt somewhat pedestrian and would have been better suited for a chilly fall day. For that reason, it was a chore to finish and I found myself wishing for lighter, more interesting flavors like the lobster salad.

As for value, our dinner for two, including two pre-dinner cocktails, but not including a bottle of wine, amounted to a pricey $173. (Café Ponte’s wine list is short but sweet.) Appetizers and salad prices range from $5 to $17 and entrees range from $12 to $32.

Despite the shortcomings of an out-of-season menu, there are many things to like about Café Ponte. The service was excellent and the dishes that maximize the restaurant’s strengths—namely a kitchen staff that has a firm grasp of advanced cooking methods—are special and worth the visit. Ultimately, the menu at Café Ponte was too heavy for our tastes for a warm summer night, but could hit the right notes when cooler weather returns. 13505 Icot Blvd, Suite 214
, Clearwater, FL 33760. Tel: (727) 538-5768.

Florida's Erika Davis

Many accomplished Top Chef contestants have been demoralized by challenges requiring desserts. (Hello, Stephan and Tre!) Enter, a twist on Bravo’s successful Top Chef franchise simply called, “Just Desserts.” This season of TC has been pretty much dullsville so it will be interesting to see if all desserts all the time can hold the attention of fans for an entire season.

Regardless, you have to give Bravo credit for trying to switch things up, especially with franchise sweetheart Gail Simmons leading the charge. One reason to tune in for the September 15th debut: Erika Davis, the pastry chef at Ponte Vedra’s Inn and Club, is one of the contestants. According to her Bravo bio, Erika always has butter, sugar, salt, chocolate and heavy cream on hand, and her favorite quote is “A day is never good without chocolate.” Our kind of lady!

Peaches are in season

August is National Peach Month. Peaches aren’t just the darling of Georgia– there are stellar varieties from Florida that are just as ripe, juicy and in season and we can’t seem to get enough.  While the ways to use peaches are seemingly endless, we are sharing some of our favorite peach recipes from around the web, as well as where to snag some stellar peach desserts in Florida.

Tampa-based Chef Debbie Frangipane’s Piemontese Stuffed Peaches are sweet, just like her.  Her suggestion: serve with a glass of Moscato wine and a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Yummy. Or how about Peach Cobbler? It’s Barack Obama’s favorite dessert, and Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop in POTUS’s hometown has a Peach Cobbler recipe fit for the leader of the free world and for you.  Here’s a link to their peach cobbler recipe thanks to Jacksonville food blogger Debi Lander.

We found this Peach ice cream recipe via The Amateur Gourmet, one of our favorite food bloggers. Adam inspired us to make Alton Brown’s recipe and we all screamed for more. Don’t feel like cooking? Aunt Sue’s famous Peach Cobbler at Bowled in St. Petersburg is a pretty darn good substitute.  How do you like to cook with peaches?

Patricia Rossi

When manners guru Patricia Rossi agreed to sit down with us to answer our restaurant etiquette questions, we were poised and ready to take advantage of her years of experience as an etiquette coach and manners columnist. (Patricia’s “Manners Minute” TV segments air weekly on NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC and other affiliates throughout the U.S. ) From how to eat sushi to how to prepare children for fine dining, and what to do with those pesky cell phones in restaurants, Patricia was up to the task and gave us some great insights.

Patricia’s modern manners mantra is “Kindness as opposed to formality. Relationship…not rules,” which is also good guidance for dining in restaurants. Want to learn more? Patricia’s book “Everyday Etiquette Made Easy“ can be found on her website, www.patriciarossi.com.

Q: Our feeling regarding children and restaurants is that there is a time and place for everything. What are your feelings about kids in restaurants? When is it appropriate for them to be there and when is it not?

A: Restaurants today are more family friendly than in the past. Parents can prepare their children for fine dining by helping them with a few etiquette rules. Parents could also practice with their children the difference of dining in a restaurant and at home by role-playing. For example, kids love to use pretend menus.  Let the children pretend to be waiters and take orders, then let the children do the ordering.

My suggestion is to role play with your children on how to be a good restaurant citizen. Encourage kids to talk with their library voice so other diners won’t be interrupted, making nice conversations, and eating slowly with respectful manners. Children love to experience new things, so if the rules are discussed prior to the fine dining experience (several days before-not on the way to the restaurant) then children are more relaxed as they know what is expected. It is also important to explain why these rules are so important. Teaching by asking questions is always a great way to get the idea across. Example: “Why do you think it’s dangerous to run around waiters carrying hot food?” Let the children give the answers. Then say, “I’m so happy you would never do that.”

Q: Florida is pretty casual- there are very few (if any) restaurants that require jackets for men. It seems like anything goes including flip flops 24/7. What are few rules of thumb for what to wear when dining out? A: Cover your feet and also your armpits! There is nothing worse than trying to enjoy your food and catching a glimpse of a ferret under a fellow diner’s arms.

Q: Tipping is always a hot button topic. What is a customary tip? Should you tip on alcoholic beverages also? What if the service was poor? Is it necessary to tip when picking up takeout?

A: Standard tip is 20%. Some things aren’t the waiter’s fault, like food coming out of the kitchen late. Tipping on alcohol is about one dollar per drink.

Q: What if you order something and you just don’t like it—either because it isn’t prepared well or it just wasn’t what you expected. What’s the best way to handle it? A: If it wasn’t prepared in a manner that was discussed, for example rare when you asked for well done…Then talk to your waiter.  Most restaurants want your experience to be memorable and pleasant.

Q: What’s your rule of thumb regarding cell phone (talking, tweeting, texting) use in restaurants? A: Leave your iphone, ipod, cell phone and ipads in the car. When you are breaking bread with another person, give them your full attention.

Q: How long do you ask a restaurant to hold a table if the party you are meeting is running late? A: 15 to 20 minutes.

Q: Sushi can be confusing for diners. Are chopsticks required? The Japanese eat sushi rolls with their fingers- is that appropriate in the US? How about using a fork? A: Trying to master the art of using chopsticks can be fun–it makes the dining experience more authentic.  Remember that when taking a piece of Sushi, to turn your sticks around (the end you haven’t been eating with) to serve yourself.

Q: There are some that say ordering red meat well done at a quality steakhouse is insulting to the establishment. Is that really the case? A: The personal preference of people should be honored.

Q: How about requesting steak sauce? A: This is a dining don’t- but again the personal preference should be honored.