Best New Chef Ricardo Zarate Returns with Once Pop-Up

Fiona Chandra

Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate is no longer at Picca, but you can soon try new dishes from the chef who was named Food & Wine’s Best New Chef in 2011. Zarate will return for a few nights with a pop up called Once (pronounced on-seh) which means “eleven” in Spanish.  The pop-up will be temporarily located at Santino’s in Santa Monica, where he will take over the entire space for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The name Once is a nod to the fact that chef Zarate is the eleventh child in his family of thirteen children and the pop up will feature eleven dishes each night, plus desserts, all available a la carte. The menu will change weekly based on farmer’s market availability and the dishes are inspired by his own memories of Peru. His versions of Peruvian staples including lomo saltado and various ceviches and tiraditos will highlight the menu. Chef Zarate also plans to make good use of the wood grill at Santino’s. Beer, wine, and low-proof cocktails created by bartender Feisser Stone from Hinoki & the Bird will complement the menu. You can also bring your own wine for a $25 corkage fee. For large parties of seven or more guests, there will be a set prix fixe menu ranging between $35-45 per person.

Reservations are required and can be made only through Table8, the reservations app that is co-hosting the pop-up and handling all the reservations for Once. Reservations through Table8 are free when the restaurant is not sold out, but there is a fee to reserve tables at peak and sold-out times. Currently there are reservations available on Table8 through August 15, but Zarate plans to have the pop-up for at least one month before moving it to another location.
Once reservations can be made using this link.