Of the thousands of professional chefs in the United States, only 64 have the prestigious designation of Master Chef of France. One of them, Patrick Ponsaty, will lead the team at a new restaurant opening soon in Rancho Santa Fe Village.
The Grand Restaurant Group recently signed a seven-year lease on the empty space the Delicias restaurant formerly occupied. Spokesperson and founder Sandra DiCicco, in naming the restaurant Ponsaty’s, said the freedom granted Ponsaty to use five generations of family experience should significantly elevate the dining experience.
The Millar family, who owns the Village property, worked diligently to locate a premier tenant for the popular space Delicias occupied for 25 years, according to a Millar’s representative. The 5,800-square-foot restaurant will be completely renovated with an entirely new look.
DeCicco herself is no stranger to the restaurant business. Her group operates DiCicco’s, a family restaurant in Clovis, as well as two of San Diego’s finest dining establishments—Bellamy’s, where Ponsaty is chef, and Bandy Canyon Ranch in the San Pasqual Valley. Ponsaty will keep some involvement at Bellamy’s, DeCicco said.
She added that Ponsaty’s will be slightly more casual than Bellamy’s, with a mix of fine dining in addition to an area with a more relaxed focus and a bar. She’s convinced that Chef Ponsaty’s creative imagination will lead to something remarkable.
Ponsaty’s opening is scheduled for June.