TAMPA, Fla. — With many award-winning restaurants in the Tampa Bay area, the Michelin star is one of the most prestigious to win. In fact, no restaurant in the Tampa Bay area has ever won. This year, several are nominated, one of which is Ponte in Tampa’s Midtown.
The restaurant, owned by Chef Chris Ponte, is a follow to the iconic Café Ponte in Clearwater which closed in 2020 after an 18-year run. Ponte is also known for Tampa restaurants, Olivia, On Swann and Bare-Naked Kitchen.
From the moment you walk into Ponte Modern American in Midtown, you get a sense of elegance. Executive Chef Paul Morrison gave us a grand tour.
Whether you’re on the patio, at the bar or in the dining room, guests can admire the opulence, with a peak into the kitchen and a full view of the floor-to-ceiling glass wine cellar.
“We try to make the place as endearing and open-armed to the city of Tampa,” Morrison said.
It’s that variety that puts Ponte on the nomination list for a Michelin star.
“Chef Chris Ponte has been a mainstay in the Tampa food scene for almost two decades and his work is unparalleled,” Morrison said. “Some of the recipes here at Ponte are from the old Café Ponte, that we put a new spin to. Others are classic dishes that we put a modern twist to; that’s where the Modern American title comes from,” he added, “To be a one-star Michelin restaurant puts us in the upper echelon in the entire world.”
Morrison has already been part of Michelin star-winning teams while working at high-end restaurants in Chicago and even for Michael Jordan. Now as the Pittsburg native brings more than 27 years of experience with him to Tampa Bay, Morrison says he is confident Ponte has what takes to win the coveted award.
“I came down here, very aware that if we worked as hard as possible and we really worked with a high moral compass that we would have at least an honest shot to try to win a Michelin star,” Morrison said.
Putting in long workdays is an understatement for the executive chef. Morrison says he puts his all into Ponte because its work he believes in.
“It’s been an epic journey," Morrison said. "It’s been a lot of work and it’s been the most fulfilling experience of my life.”
Offering a blend of American, French, and Italian classics, menu favorites include the mushroom soup, seabass, short ribs, and of course, steak.
“We do all of our dry aging in house. We butcher in house,” Morrison said.
Chef Morrison’s favorite is the Kansas City strip.
“I think it’s one of the best steaks in the United States of America,” he said.
Who wins the Michelin star award is a decision made by only 120 inspectors worldwide; all are anonymous. The exact scoring used by inspectors is secret.
"There’s a lot of Hollywood perception about it," Morrison explained. "It’s just your execution and what’s your go-to market strategy every single day."
With that in mind, Morrison and his team continue to work in excellence. The nomination alone is an accolade, winning is icing on the cake.
“It’s the life-changing," Morrison said. "It will change your life because it will put you in a guide that the biggest chefs in the world are in."
Ponte joins two other Tampa Bay restaurants up for the Michelin star award including a restaurant called Lilac located inside The Tampa Edition and Noble Rice located in Channelside. Winners will be announced May 11. This year’s guide also recognized eight restaurants in Orlando and eight in Miami.