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Café Ponte – Clearwater

Six-Course Tasting Menu for Two or Four (Up to 56% Off)

from$85
Buy
No Longer Available
Mon Jan 21 04:59:59 UTC 2013
Value
$170
Discount
50%
You Save
$85
  • T460x279

In a Nutshell

Six courses shaped by seasonal ingredients and cooking techniques from French, Asian, and Italian kitchens

The Fine Print

  • Expires May 18, 2013
  • Limit 1 per person, may buy multiple as gifts. Limit 3 per party per table. Not valid until 2/18/13. Not valid for alcohol. Dine-in only. Not valid on holidays. No substitutions permitted. Mandatory 20% gratuity on full value not included. Valid only for dinner, starting at 5:30 p.m. Must use promotional value in 1 visit.
  • See the rules that apply to all deals.

Choose Between Two Options

Chef Ponte borrows influences from French, Asian, and Italian cooking styles when designing his six-course tasting menu, which changes each week according to seasonally available ingredients. In recent months, introductory courses have included mushroom soup with light truffle cream, a boston bibb salad with orange-champagne vinaigrette, and butternut-squash agnolotti. The gourd's nutty-tasting flesh also sometimes fills ravioli shells, which Chef Ponte's culinary staff stretches, cuts, and crimps by hand each day.

The fourth course arrives with hearty specialties such as black grouper or “spinalis” rib-eye cap, which is rubbed with espresso and served with a wild-mushroom ragout. Artisanal cheeses and desserts follow the main course, capping each dining experience with the flavors of flourless chocolate cake or caramel-walnut tart.

For an additional $35, diners may accentuate each course with a 3-ounce wine tasting chosen by Chef Ponte. Bottles of elegant French reds can be found in the restaurant's wine library, along with varietals from regions in Italy, Germany, and Spain.

Café Ponte

After graduating Johnson & Wales University in 1991, Chef Christopher Ponte began his career at Pepper Mill Restaurant. The chef had been accommodating special requests for one of Pepper Mill Restaurant's picky patrons for many months. It always took extra work to conjure up off-menu items, but Christopher didn’t complain. He loved cooking. One day, the customer asked to meet the chef, and Christopher obligingly came to greet him at the table. As conversation casually flowed, the elderly gentleman asked, "What would the young man like to do in the future?"

Without hesitation, Christopher said, "Study in France."

Mere months later, thanks to the patronage of one very happy customer and Long Island retiree, Christopher Ponte enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute, one of France's most iconic schools. He made excellent use of his time there, returning to America to work in fine restaurants—including apprenticing at Paris' Taillevent. Chef Ponte returned stateside to work as a private chef for Leon Black, cooking for his three homes as well as coordinating catering efforts for private events. With this wealth of experience, in 2002, Chef Ponte opened Café Ponte. Awarded a Golden Spoon and a Zagat rating as one of the top area restaurants, his unabashedly adventuresome menu sizzles with European and Asian influences. The 250-seat dining room hosts its guests at intimate table tops or a zigzag bar which serves seasonal cocktails and 150-year-old Grand Marnier.

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Groupon Says

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Café Ponte

4.38 out of 5
504 Reviews

Reviews From Other Sites

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4.6 out of 5
(164)
OpenTable
4.1 out of 5
(210)
Urbanspoon
4.5 out of 5
(130)
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  • A

    Clearwater

    13505 Icot Blvd., Ste. 214
    Clearwater, Florida 33760
    (727) 538-5768
    Get Directions

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