Scott Conant’s The Ponte Ristorante Brings Soulful Italian to L.A.’s Beverly Grove

Fiona Chandra

For the Angelinos who have been missing James Beard award-winning Chef Scott Conant’s spaghetti or polenta with mushrooms since the closing of Scarpetta in Beverly Hills, the opening of The Ponte would be long-awaited good news. Taking over the space of the former Terrine Restaurant, Bombet Hospitality Group and Scott Conant has partnered to open The Ponte, which will serve Chef Conant’s contemporary Italian cooking. The restaurant will feature an airy dining room, a romantic patio and a large bar-lounge space designed by Marc Ange of Bloom Room Studio. Both the name and the concept of the restaurant are inspired by the community of “Pontes” expats in Conant’s hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut.

Scott Conant’s menu will include wood roasted prawns with squid ink risotto, braised duck agnolotti with foie gras emulsion and boneless Osso Buco for two. There will be Italian charcuterie, pasta, vegetables and pizza from the kitchen’s wood-burning oven. His famed spaghetti and polenta with mushrooms and truffle sugo will both be on the menu as well.

For brunch, find lighter dishes such as faro porridge and ricotta toast. As for the larger plates, there are cavatelli cacio e pepe with smoked egg, a porchetta sandwich with hen egg and broccoli rabe pesto, or fennel sausage hash. For those who prefer sweeter dishes for brunch, there are spelt and ricotta pancakes served with espresso syrup, or a panettone French toast with citrus curd and hazelnuts.

Award-winning head bartender Ryan Wainwright from Bombet Hospitality Group (Viviane) is still in charge of the beverage program, as he was at Terrine. At The Ponte, there will be a large collection of amaro and a variety of house made Limón cello. The cocktail list will include a classic section featuring a Negroni flight including mezcal variations as well as Wainwright’s unique and elevated take of Lemon drop. The modern section will have cocktails that feature amaro, such as the Toscano Sour made with scotch, Lorenzo Inga amaro, lemon juice, honey and Miracle Mile toasted pecan bitters.

Mimosas and Sbagliatos will be available to drink over brunch, along with Lucano Correcto made with coffee-infused Amaro Lucano, Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum, Café Moka, cream, chocolate bitters and shaved bitter chocolate.

The Ponte Ristorante opens Feb. 21. The Ponte will be open for dinner Sunday-Thursday from 6-10p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 6p.m. – 11:30p.m. Brunch will be available on weekends from 10a.m. – 3p.m. starting March 4.