According to its social media, Ponte Modern American's first day open was Saturday, Nov. 26 and is now open and accepting reservations. The new restaurant resides at 1010 Gramercy Ln. amidst the ever-growing Midtown Tampa development, which houses dozens of other restaurants and businesses.
Although a full menu has not yet been released, photos on the restaurant's social media depict an "elegant array of Modern American cuisine," featuring local seafood and prime cuts of steak. A few of Ponte's desserts include a mini carrot cake with cardamom, walnut crisp, cheesecake pudding, and butterscotch sauce as well as a picture-perfect passionfruit tart served with fresh citrus.
Chef Ponte himself states that his newly-opened restaurant is inspired by his very first concept, Clearwater's Cafe Ponte, which permanently closed during the height of 2020's COVID-19 pandemic.
As a James Beard semi-finalist, Chris Ponte is no stranger to Tampa's fine dining scene. Ponte was the owner of sleek Italian restaurant Olivia (stylized "OLIVIA") and New American concept On Swann, and has made a name for himself as one of the Bay area's most popular chefs.
He also teamed up with the co-founder of Outback Steakhouse earlier this year and opened a Bare Naked Kitchen in South Tampa— a fast-casual spot that focuses on fresh ingredients and healthy alternatives.
Ponte first announced the opening of his latest restaurant Ponte Modern American last summer, and it was originally slated to debut by the end of 2021.
Ponte Modern America follows a long list of new eateries at the ever-growing Midtown Tampa development, including recently-opened restaurants like Colony Grill, True Food Kitchen and Walk On’s, alongside upcoming concepts like Sunda New Asian.