Pangaea Grill—East Meets West Under the Stars

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“I don’t really know you, but I feel like we could be best friends!”

Owner Mira Porges takes my hand in hers and tells me this while we talk about her restaurant. I rave about the service (Thanks, Martine!), the food, and the atmosphere and ask a lot of questions. She tells me all about her restaurant and how much she enjoys meeting new people. But, it’s exactly this approach, her passion and the feeling like you’re a best friend even though you’re just visiting that makes Pangaea Grill so special.

Our server is Martine (“Mar-teen”), gracious and knowledgeable. He’s as passionate about the restaurant as the owners and for good reason. He’s been at this location for decades, staying on from the previous restaurant and when the Pangaea Grill opened on New Year’s Eve, 2018.  In fact, 80 percent of the staff stayed on, most with decades of experience. Mira and her husband Matthew clearly care about their staff which makes for a wonderful experience. Pride of service and ownership ooze comfort and goodwill.

But, that’s only the beginning.

Every course is delectable.

To start, we ordered Luli Pinot Noir 2017 Santa Lucia Highlands.

I usually don’t care for Pinot Noirs, but this is outstanding and sure to suit all red wine lovers. And it’s available at Costco, Martine offers at our gushing. Wine.com also sells it ($22.99). It’s described as having lots of strawberry, dried flowers, and subtle earthy notes; medium-bodied, outstanding balance, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

I describe it as simply delectable!

Next, we had the Tuna Poke—a very generous portion! And one of the best we’ve tasted. So fresh, no crackers needed. We catch and eat a lot of fish and this has our approval.

For dinner, Ron dined on grilled rib-eye while I had the filet mignon. Both were cooked to noteworthy perfection. We both requested extra veggies instead of potatoes, so the picture you see above is tailored and not the usual fare. I love that the vegetables were thoughtful and equally important to the dish. So often, veggies are an afterthought. But, not here.

For dessert, Martine served complimentary (Happy Anniversary!) servings of crème brûlée—the best I’ve ever had! I couldn’t determine the special ingredient that made it the best, but there’s definitely something special going on there. I’d come here just for this dessert and I’m not typically a fan of crème brûlée.

After dinner, we spent quite a bit of time visiting with Mira and her husband Matthew. We learned that Matthew is the architect who designed the space after Mira’s vision of “dining under the stars.” And that’s exactly what drew us to dine here.

But, it’s the food and people who will keep us coming back. ♥

And the name, Pangaea?

Pangaea was the supercontinent comprising all of the known landmass in the world 335 million years ago. Pangaea began to split apart 175 million years ago to eventually become the seven continents of the world. Mira believes, due to communication technologies and social media, that we are becoming one planet again. She welcomes everyone from around the world to share the familiar and different cuisine offered at Pangaea.

• Address: Ocean BTW Delores & Lincoln, Carmel By The Sea, CA
• Phone: (831) 238-6478
• Noteworthy because: Excellent service and the warmest welcome from server Martin and owners Mira and Matthew. A full-true experience and not just a dinner out. Excellent fusion food—from East to West. Reasonable prices. Great wine choices.
• Food that stood out: Grilled Rib-Eye, Filet Mignon, Luli 2017 Pino Noir Santa Lucia Highlands wine, Crème Brûlée
• Trip Advisor
  • • Rated 4.5/5 stars – 189 reviews

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