Local Goes Global at Pony Cocktails + Kitchen

Cocktail Wizard Alberto Battaglini and Chef Johnny McDermott Mix Up Small-Town Santa Ynez Scene

Cocktails, Shrimp Diavola, and Hamachi Crudo at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

The recurring nods to France (steak frites), Italy (risotto), Japan (hamachi), and Mexico (tacos, salsa verde) that grace the steadily shifting menu at Pony Cocktails + Kitchen are only the most obvious global influences at this recently remodeled and rebranded Santa Ynez restaurant. There are even more worldly influences simmering beneath the surface, especially when it comes to the all-day eatery’s contemporary yet casual style.

“When I lived in Brazil, I learned about the warmth of people, and when I lived in Tulum, I learned about flavors,” explains Pony’s founder and front-of-house man Alberto Battaglini, who was born, raised, and trained as a chef in Verona, Italy. “When I lived in Spain, I learned tapas culture. When I lived in London, I learned management.”

That’s quite a lot of learning for someone who’s just 42 years old, especially since his last 13 years have been in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he came to help open S.Y. Kitchen in 2012. The Santa Ynez Valley was fast-maturing into a true food destination back then, and Battaglini was wizardly with his cocktail creations. Lording over ceiling-to-floor shelves of libations, tinctures, dried herbs, and other components to make mind-bending drinks, he reminded wine country that cocktails could be balanced too.

Sous Chef Kenneth Mendez, left, and Chef Johnny McDermott | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Battaglini broke out on his own in 2018 by taking over the former Valley Grind space on Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez’s tiny, Western-style downtown, squeezed right between the post office and the general store. He turned that into Pony Espresso — a reference to both the West and his wife, a veterinarian for horses and other large animals — and became a must-stop for simple but sophisticated breakfast and lunch.

“The idea was always to grow into a restaurant, but COVID got in the way,” said Battaglini. While keeping the coffee shop alive during those odd times, he also managed the short-lived Sear Steakhouse in Solvang, where he met Chef Johnny McDermott.

Originally from Long Beach, McDermott moved with his family to Los Olivos while in junior high and went straight into cooking after graduating from Cal Lutheran. “I was always comfortable in restaurants,” said McDermott, whose uncle ran restaurants down south. “It’s just all I’ve ever really known.”

McDermott’s first kitchen job was at the Mirabelle Inn in Solvang under Norbert Schulz, a pioneer of modern fine dining in greater Santa Barbara. “He gave me the impetus to take this further,” said McDermott. After studying at the French Culinary Institute in the Bay Area, he worked at Madera inside the Rosewood Sand Hill resort in Palo Alto, cooking haute cuisine for dozens of tables each night.

“That was my introduction to really fine dining, especially with a high volume — not that many Michelin-starred restaurants are going 150-plus people a night,” said McDermott of the three years he spent there. “That was a defining part of my career. That’s what gave me the confidence to keep going and ride my ambitions toward where I am now.”

Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
Interior of Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
Interior of Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
The bar at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
The outdoor patio at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Steak Frites at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

He came home to work at Alisal in 2018, followed by Sear, Local in Montecito, and Mattei’s Tavern, all experiences that led to his next stage. “I knew I wanted to be in control,” said McDermott. “I wanted to cook my kind of food and take the chances I wanted to take.”

He started working with Battaglini on a new vision for Pony in January 2024. “He didn’t really have a functional kitchen when I showed up,” said the chef, but both still expected to open with a new concept that April. Due to the usual run of permitting delays, that didn’t happen until last December.

“We really learned how to be patient,” said McDermott. “The good thing was that, by the time December hit, we were so ready to go. That’s paying off now.”

There isn’t really a defining concept to Pony Cocktails + Kitchen, aside from using regional ingredients in dishes from around the world. “It’s a California story with global influence,” said McDermott, who keeps the steak frites and brick chicken on the menu but is constantly changing up the fish and shared plates. “To put it bluntly, the valley has always been, well, if it’s not steak and potatoes, it’s Italian food. I wanted to give people an option where it’s a small, tight, very maneuverable menu that I can keep fresh.”

When I dined there a couple times a few months ago — once for lunch, once for dinner — the cocktails and cuisine really just felt like everyone involved was having a good time. There was a fun-loving energy to each sip and bite, and everything was presented without pretension, even though many of the dishes would be perfectly comfortable in a fancier setting.

[Click to zoom] Some of the menu items from Chef Johnny McDermott at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

The porcini donuts reflect this vibe best. “This is our riff on bread service,” said McDermott, who uses an æbleskiver recipe, mixes in the savory ’shroom dust, and then serves it with a lush crema fonduta. Said Battaglini, “It looks gorgeous and nasty at the same time.”

Perhaps most exciting, Pony marks Battaglini’s return to mixology. “Finally,” he laughed. “I’ve been in a cage for years now.”

Classic Steak Tartare at Pony Cocktails & Kitchen | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

His drinks are as cutting-edge as ever, such as the blood orange margarita I enjoyed. With citrus from a nearby garden — “it’s zero mileage,” he said — Battaglini then used every part of the orange, sous viding the skin and turning the remnants into salt, among more complicated processes that I couldn’t follow. “Literally, 100 percent of the blood orange is in there,” said Battaglini.

The Duck Attack, meanwhile, pairs chili-infused vodka, mint, cilantro, pineapple, lime, and herb syrup with a glass that’s salted on just one side. Take a sip without the salt first, and then one with the salt to see how the drink completely changes. “The whole idea is for guests to interact with the drink,” said Battaglini, who’s constantly coming up with new creations. “It can be anything, but it has to be fresh and clean and it has to be fun. Otherwise, what are we doing?”

Engagement, in fact, might be the core mission here, from the kitchen to the dining room. “There are millions of different ways to run a kitchen. At Pony, it’s a very intimate crew, but it’s been my favorite ride so far,” said McDermott. “This is an opportunity to provide the valley with stuff that they don’t always get. If you do it properly, you’d be surprised what people will like.”

Pony Cocktails + Kitchen is open daily for breakfast and lunch, 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinners are Tue.-Sat., 4:30-10 p.m. 3558 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez; (805) 691-9187; pony-cocktailskitchen-106136.square.site; @ponysyv.