We went to Pangea, the current restaurant in former Pasta Piatto space. The chef is Ron DeLuca, formerly of Blue in the North Hills. The restaurant features mostly tapas & salads with entree selections. There is a main floor dining room & an elevated area with a bar & some tables.
We had mostly tapas which included – seafood cake trio that includes lump crab with micro greens & mustard sauce, lobster & gulf shrimp with mango & pineapple salsa, king salmon with grilled asparagus & creme fraiche – very nicely plated, each cake distinctly different & delicious. A trio of hoummus – gargonzola & chive with toasted pine nuts, artichoke & feta, calamata olive, sun-dried tomatoe & spicy pepper jalapeno & roasted shallot – each served in small bowls – good presentation & the toasted pita was delicious. Heirloom tomato confit with english cucumber & balsamic glaze – very nice salad. Crispy shrimp with fried leeks & sweet chili glaze – crispy, flavorful & excellent. Dessert was a vanilla creme brulee, which was a little too sweet. We had cocktails which were excellent & a wine flight of 3 2-oz. pours of a pinot grigio, viognier & a pinot noir. This was our second visit. First visit we met friends thewre, drank too much & don’t remember the rest.
Pangea is a new place to go. Worth a visit.
1 response so far ↓
1 Drummerguy // Aug 24, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I had a great experience too…and was disappointed in the review in the PG this week (8/21/08)? If remember this locale at it’s best, or just like good food, don’t be scared away. From someone who has lived in Shadyside, played music in the bars and restaurants, and done my share of dining, I would like to say, first of all, if you find your rose is the improper temperature, tell your server. I’ll bet he/she returns with what you want. So what if the chef tries to appeal to tapas lovers and bigger eaters alike. It’s a smart idea for a restauranteur, wouldn’t you think? And as far as dictionary definitions of dishes, it’s a new age. Cioppino may be a shellfish stew, but in this new age of dining, we get the idea and welcome change. I care about what it tastes like, not if it fits an ancient dictionary definition. Hail to the chef who tries to be different. And before we criticize decor, I find the changes welcome, and having talked with the manager (please, let’s not comment about a guy in nice clothes) I understand that the bar is to be expanded and the changes that have been made started in the kitchen–which was gutted for the first time since the Gaslight, most likely. What counts has to be changed first. Less important changes are in the works. I thought the music was terrific, the room likewise, and I took my foodie brother-in-law from Colorado, who tends to be overly critical of gastronomies, and he flipped over the food. To each his own, but this is a long needed change on Bellefonte Street–I remember dancing in the Gaslight, and diving into the pasta at Pasta Piatto. I predict Pangea will be part of that fine history.
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