I have been traveling so much this year that I have had to keep a running list of Los Angeles restaurants that I want to try when I am home. So finally, I made it to The Ponte in West Hollywood, which opened in February. Replacing Terrine, owner Stephane Bombet has partnered with Chef Scott Conant to offer a casual contemporary Italian restaurant.
My first introduction to Scott Conant was at a food and wine event in Beaver Creek. I was blown away by his pasta dish. At that time, he was based in New York so when I would travel to New York, I would go to his restaurant Scarpetta. I was thrilled when he opened Scarpetta in Los Angeles and that is where I fell in love with the seasonal mushroom boscaiola with polenta that just melts in the mouth and his infamous pasta al pomodoro. I was sad when Scarpetta closed in 2016 and then Terrine closed suddenly at the end of the year as well. Two months later, Scott Conant was back, along with his Executive Chef Freddy Vargas as The Ponte opened.
One of the best parts of The Ponte is the space. The outdoor patio is one of the best in Los Angeles. Seating is centered around the large tree in the middle of the space with lights dangling from above. The interior is also lovely, with a softer and more neutral look than Terrine. But if you can, sit outside!
Doing my annual house-sitting duties for my parents, my childhood home in Studio City becomes my home-base for a few weeks. As I was sitting at my computer, I saw a friend post about a new gelato place in Studio City. How could I not know about this place just down the street? How did my ice-cream-aholic mother not know? Well, that is because it opened the week my parents left on their trip. So, with the excess heat, I ventured out not once, but twice (ok three times) in just as many days to enjoy a gelato from Fatamorgana and hence Fatamorgana is the Please The Palate pick of the week.
Fatamorgana Gelato is authenic gelato. It was founded in Italy in 2003 by Mari Agnese Spagnuolo and there are eight locations in Rome. And now Studio City, California is the ninth location.
The sun was setting as we drove to our dinner at Chateau Moulin-à-Vent. It was my first time to Beaujolais, and as we turned up the road to our destination, we saw, sitting on the top of the hill in front of us, the iconic Moulin-à-Vent, or windmill.
The 500-year-old structure was breathtaking as the sky turned from a light yellow to a warm orange. After a few photos, we drove 650 feet farther and arrived at Chateau Moulin-à-Vent.
Moulin-à-Vent, located in the southernmost tip of Burgundy, is one of the 10 Crus of Beaujolais. Moulin-à-Vent borders the vineyards of Chenas to the north and Fleurie to the south.