Pangea…. A World of Fusion!
This Sunday after a craaay-zee insanely busy day working at my favorite shoe store on the planet “Village Shoes” my friend and co-worker Kerri and I decided to take a breather down the street at Pangea. I had dropped in for a smoothie before but hadn’t ever taken the time to sit down and enjoy actually eating off a plate. (novel concept that it is!)….and oh my is it ever good!
Pangea is located at 272 East Main Street, right near Bloomsbury Books on the upper end of downtown Ashland. And, just like the name infers..it’s a fantastic blend of fusion cuisine serving soup, salad, wraps and Panini. The legend on the menu says it best: “Fusing…Seasonally local and organic produce, free-range meats, super foods and exotic ingredients from around the world!” Oh yeah…
As you walk in…. the space is very small, but because the ceiling is very high and there’s good circulation it feels a lot more spacious than it actually is. Kerri and I make our way to the back of the restaurant next to the ordering counter and look at the menu. There are so many choices that look sooo good it’s hard to make a decision…but because we’re both famished after our day trekking up and down the stairs with stellar, fabulous shoes in hand…we order heartily!
Kerri orders the Bhutanese Tomato soup, “Gimmie the Greek” wrap, and the special drink of the day, a Pineapple Passion Dream Smoothie. I follow with the Thai Coconut Curry chicken vegetable soup, the “Eat Your Heart Out” Panini, and an absolutely fabulous Chocolate Chai Divine smoothie (don’t mind the drool on this review…please..it’s unintentional I promise..) The pleasant counter person hands us our table number and says she’ll be right out with our soup and drinks. Kerri and I make our way through the narrow dining space, dodging tables, chairs and other patrons and settle ourselves in a sunny window spot right up front. The décor is bistro artsy..with raw brick walls, black trim and local paintings decorating the walls.
Our server is prompt with our cups of soup and tall smoothies. The cups of soup are small, but very flavorful. Each serving is accompanied by a crisp piece of toasted flatbread that is sooo perfect with the soup. (Yes I know it’s August…And yes I know it’s not soup weather…Do I care?? Not one whit!) I love soup…I think there should be restaurants dedicated to soup alone… And barring any unforeseen Seinfeld references.. This soup’s for you.
Kerri had the Bhutanese Tomato…which was a chunky tomato puree stewed with onions, veggies spices and herbs and mixed with a creamy feta. It looked fantastic and Kerri said it was wonderful, very spicy but not too hot. My soup, the Thai coconut curry is a flavor I’m used to, as I’ve had several other versions, but this one was a great example. Creamy, savory & sweet, coconutty..and with lots of fresh veggies and chunks of chicken it was great!
Our drinks were fabulous as well…my chocolate chai divine smoothie was cold, creamy and decadent. Not quite as sweet as a milkshake but with all the flavor it was the perfect refreshment after our hectic day. Kerri was loving her pineapple passion dream smoothie as well. As the day’s special it had pineapple, passion fruit, mango, coconut and assorted other sweet fruity things all mixed together with yogurt and ice…yummo.
Our Wrap and Panini arrived shortly after we finished our soups and they were very good. Served alone on the plate they were a centerpiece by themselves. Each plate was nicely decorated with chopped chives and a sprinkle of spice.
Kerri’s wrap is the “Gimmie the Greek” composed of Kalamata olive relish, avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion and herbed feta. I saw the main ingredient of avocado in her wrap and with her avid praise, I’m sure it was fabulous. My Panini called “Eat your Heart out” was stuffed with chicken, artichoke hearts, grilled zucchini, spinach and creamy herbed feta cheese. This Panini was oozing creamy feta cheese and was served piping hot. Most paninis I’ve had weren’t grilled nearly enough, or were mostly bread. This sandwich was the perfect mix of filling and thinner bread AND was heated all the way through.
Both Kerri and I were more than satisfied with our meals. They were creative, casual, flavorful and tasty. Pangea proved to be a great place for a relatively quick meal, in a casual, artsy setting. The prices are mid-range for a lunch spot. Our meal ranged approx. $28.00 not including tax and tip. But for the gourmet and locally grown ingredients…a little extra cost is worth the benefit in good and good-for-you food. I know I’ll be back to Pangea to sample their other wraps and sandwiches. I’m quite interested in their paninis "Bison Ranch blues", and "Drunken Barbeque Chicken"…much less the "Tangled up in Bleu" wrap. I think their chalkboard above the register says it best.
“Shoot for the moon, because even if you don’t quite make it, you’ll end up among the stars….”
And quite the bright twinkly stars they are!!
