Chef Patrick Ponsaty
Chef Patrick Ponsaty
James Beard Awards Foundation, "Best Hotel Chef"
French Master Chef
Executive Chef + Owner, Ponsaty's; Rancho Santa Fe, CA
The waves crashing. A blue cloudless sky. Near perfect temperatures. California in the winter. To kick-start the year into high gear, we’re traveling down the coast to San Diego for a little out-of-town relaxation. When we think of food in the new year, we’re excited about a zip of citrus; the bursting flavors of beets and greens. These dishes, crafted with modern California cuisine in mind but rooted in French tradition are the ideal preparations to usher in 2017. They’re healthy and comforting at the same time. Crafted to give you some pep in your step. And hopefully they'll make you feel like you’re cruising down the PCH without a care in the world.
Patrick's Culinary Adventure
Born in France, Chef Patrick Ponsaty’s culinary career was ignited at his father own restaurant, Cochon de Lait (the Sucking Pig) near Toulouse. By the age of ten he worked side-by-side with his father perfecting and preparing traditional French recipes. Raised with a strong sense of family heritage and years of classical training, chef Ponsaty established a foundation for the simple, yet intensely flavorful, modern cuisine he cooks today. Having trained in kitchens around the world he has worked at multiple Michelin Starred restaurants and recently was given the honor of receiving the title “Master French Chef” from the Paris-based Association des Maitres Cuisiniers de France, an elite group that has only awarded fifty chefs in the United States that title.
Patrick's Restaurant
Ponsaty's
Ponsaty’s welcomes couples and families alike to dine in its elegant main dining room; or in the comfort of the casual front and back patios. Master French Chef and The Grand Restaurant Group Corporate Chef Patrick Ponsaty will helm the kitchen at his namesake, Ponsaty’s, and has created a menu of locally sourced meats and produce from purveyors including the Group’s sister property The Ranch at Bandy Canyon. His elevated, responsibly sourced cuisine will showcase classical French and Spanish flavors focused on the Basque region of France and Spain.
Ponsaty will be joined in the kitchen by an esteemed team of French chefs including Executive Chef Alain Delahaye, and internationally recognized Corporate Pastry Chef Bruno Albouze of YouTube’s “The Real Deal Cooking Channel.”
The new restaurant boasts an elegant indoor dining room adorned with chandeliers by Jonathan Adler and Schonbeck; booths upholstered with custom French tufted leather and a private, intimate seating area that can accommodate up to six guests. The main dining room also features seating options ranging from romantic tables for two, to custom burl wood tables complemented by custom faux-alligator chairs by designer Laurence Solc. Front and back patios provide a more casual dining experience perfect for families, where guests can order a selection of signature flatbreads and other small tapas-style plates. The front patio also features an herb garden, where Ponsaty will grow herbs for use in his signature dishes.
“We wanted to take a risk with the design of Ponsaty’s,” said Derry van Nortwick, Vice President of Operations, The Grand Restaurant Group. “Through our use of custom-made art pieces, different textures and colors, we were able to incorporate different visions for the restaurant into its design, which makes the space truly unique and special.”