Restaurants in Greater Northdale

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.

John Pappas didn’t know much English when he first arrived on American soil, but he did know the secrets of cooking excellent Greek cuisine. The native Greek passed on his recipes and expert techniques to his son Nicholas, who would go on to open his own Mediterranean restaurant—Greek City Cafe.

Deep in his restaurant’s kitchen, Nicholas and his chefs fold juicy meats and fresh vegetables into a variety of Greek-inspired paninis, wraps, and salads. They layer pitas with juicy slices of shaved lamb and beef before adding dollops of flavorful tzatziki and creamy greek dressing. To craft specialty pizzas, the chefs shower soft pita shells in mixed cheeses, diced tomatoes, and grilled chicken. When discussing these dishes with a reporter from Westchase Patch, Nicholas explained, “We take a mainstream item and put a Greek twist to it. I make them feel comfortable, but when they taste it they realize they've never experienced that flavor.”

In the casual dining room, where sunlight streams onto soft blue and green walls, guests can linger over their last bites of these inventive eats before ordering desserts such as baklava. Countertop seating surrounds a lush olive tree in the center of the room, which was imported from Greece and lives off of sunlight and Greek wine.

While it takes prodigious skill to man the 600-degree, 7-foot grill that is the center of bd’s Mongolian Grill’s dining room, the chefs running it don’t have any secret recipes. Instead, customers fashion their own customizable bowls of stir-fry according to their taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and desired portion size. Guests wander, nearly overwhelmed as they choose from an array of meats and veggies and ladle sweet, spicy, and herb-filled sauces into a cup. Chefs sauté the meal in front of their eyes, swords flicking skillfully across the grill to entertain and build anticipation like a mime about to jump buses on an invisible motorcycle. The resulting stir-fry dishes are accompanied by brown rice, white rice, tortillas or lettuce wraps.

Though she was a successful restaurateur in her home country of Estonia, Sigrid Bratic could not shake her dream to share her beloved recipes with the United States. In 2004, she took the plunge, moving to Florida and opening the first Little Greek. Enter restaurant entrepreneur Nick Vojnovic. Nick was so dazzled by the eatery––its locally sourced produce coupled with a friendly ambiance—that he decided to help Sigrid take Florida's Greek-food scene by storm.

Today, Little Greek is a thriving franchise, with nearly a dozen locations in Florida and Texas. Each of these restaurants serves Sigrid's recipes that include housemade hummus, meat and rice dolmades, grilled-chicken pitas, and baklava. And because the eateries are BYOB, diners can complement meals with their own beer or wine.

Urban Cantina’s chefs create a big menu packed with Mexican favorites. From popular dishes such as the super chimichangas and urban carnitas to crispy roasted pork served with a guacamole salad, tortillas, and rice and beans, their food underscores the staff's commitment to freshness. The team also folds authentic Mexican tacos such as shrimp or fish tacos and al pastor or crunchy tinga tacos with chipotle-marinated chicken. For a lighter meal, the chefs create “skinny” options such as salads, tacos with grilled chicken and low-fat corn tortillas, plus naked fajitas that come with no tortillas, no pants, and no shame.

Outside Ballyhoo Grill, a sign made to look like a colorful speedboat beckons to passersby, hinting at the smorgasbord of fresh seafood to be found within. A tropical theme permeates the space, with live music setting a relaxing mood and nautical decor—such as a surfboard, an alligator head, and a stuffed and mounted kraken—adorning the walls. Guests dine on surf 'n' turf plates, fish tacos, pulled pork, and burgers as they share friendly conversation and clink cocktail glasses and mugs of draft beer.