Ponti's Italian Kitchen Information

HISTORY OF AN ITALIAN FAMILY Picture if you will the landscape of Emilia-Romagna, the region in northern Italy rich with gastro names that trip off the tongue like a foodies' roll of honour; Prosciutto di Parma, Balsamico di Modena and Parmigiana Reggiano among many more. Picture the fields chock-full of gorgeous veg, happy livestock, small food producers, picture-book vineyards, the Parma ham swinging above the main bar, the locals enjoying food which is the envy of the world. Hold on, we're in Central London, so to promise that Italian idyll would be a tad over the top. But we can promise you a deliciously authentic taste of the area which Uncle Johnny Silva left in 1960 to found what would become the forerunner to the Ponti's restaurants. Uncle Johnny lived in the hills above Piacenza, around 100 miles from Bologna. His dream was to marry his sweetheart, Ines, and to open a restaurant that would bring their love of food and drink to others. We can be more than a little grateful that he chose London. First of all they opened Marcantonio, a café in Lambeth, which rapidly built an enviable reputation. Johnny recognised that customers loved the twinning of his Italian family values with terrific food, albeit with a mostly English influence. "In those days the food in the UK was boring and not that good," he used to say. "We had to make the British love us, so we did that by cooking the best breakfasts in town!" They soon perfected their English repertoire, making steamed puddings and roast dinners as well as introducing hybrids of Anglo Italian cuisine like chicken Milanese and spaghetti dishes. Ponti's became a firm favourite with an ever-growing audience. They developed a recipe which customers loved; excellent service, a relaxed but vibrant ambience and of course unbeatable food. They went on to open in 30 locations throughout London.