French chef stirs food passion in quaint quarters

One of Northern California's most successful French chefs has settled into Folsom with an intimate new venue for fine dining.Daniel Pont, who most recently owned and operated the incredibly popular Downtown Sacramento lunch bistro known as La Bonne Soupe, has moved up Highway 50 to be closer to his grandchildren and return to the finer style of dining that he prefers.La Bonne featured soups and sandwiches — often attracting a lunch crowd that would wait in line for more than an hour — but Pont's new restaurant Chez Daniel, will serve four-course French dinners that are made entirely from scratch by the chef himself."Making sandwiches and soup was not in my background," the 72-year-old restaurateur said recently during an interview in his cozy dining room. "After doing it for six years, I lost interest. This is white cloth dining — what I wanted to do at the end of my life."What's interesting is that Chez Daniel was also the name of one of Pont's first restaurants, a French dinner spot located in the East Bay community of Alameda.Prior to that, and to running another restaurant in Sonoma County, Pont spent his younger days working in fine dining establishments around the world. Notable destinations include Paris, Beverly Hills, Phoenix, Toronto and San Francisco."At the time I was young and I never intended to stay in this country," the France-born immigrant said. "But I moved to San Francisco and met this wonderful lady (who he's still with today), and that was the end of my trip."Based on his decades of experience as a restaurateur, Pont said he prefers a slow opening for Chez Daniel. What that means is that he will hold off on hiring help in the kitchen until a steady set of patrons begin to arrive."For now we're only accepting parties of up to four," he said. "But the only reason for that is I refuse to sacrifice taste and presentation."But there's no doubt patrons will appreciate such a passion for perfection. In addition to creating his own savory sauces, Chef Pont will, five nights a week, be preparing a handful of entrees that range from rack of lamb to roasted duck to poached salmon."Very few restaurants offer a poached salmon," he said. "Most serve it grilled, barbecued or broiled."Pont said his hope for Chez Daniel is that it will become a destination place for loved ones looking to celebrate special events.Chez Daniel is located at 49 Natoma St. in Folsom. The restaurant is currently open for dinner, 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For reservations call (916) 353-1938. * * *IN THE KNOWChez DanielWhere: 49 Natoma St., Folsom. Hours: 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday through SaturdayReservations: (916) 353-1938