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| - In town for business, I was looking for a restaurant that exhibited a consciousness about the food they served. I prefer meat from animals that are raised properly on small farms; fish that is sustainably caught; and vegetables and fruit that is in season locally. Luckily there are lots of places in Toronto that cater to PITAs like me. I ran by this place and Earth after work that espoused environmental consciousness. Since Pangaea was closer to my hotel and it was late, I went there.
Pangaea is associated with a conservation program called Ocean Wise that helps chefs make environmentally responsible choices on ingredients and suppliers. Although I've never heard of the organization, it's mentioned prominently on the menu.
Pangaea is a seafood place. Meat makes a cameo appearance on the menu, but given the wide selection of and heavy emphasis on fish, I'm not sure why one would choose a meat dish unless you don't like fish and walked into the wrong place.
The by the glass wine menu looked good enough. I am surprised that I drink enough red wine to recognize labels and know if they're good (to me). I dislike the Grayson cabernet so had a Finca Martha Malbec that was pretty good at C$11/glass. The second glass was a much heavier pour than the first, which was already pretty good.
The menu lists small plates, starters and mains. My server said that small plates were very small servings, which was perfect for me. I had a tasty slice of scallop on a piece of pork belly.
My main was the Haddock special, served on green veggies and fingerling potatoes. The dish was served from the kitchen so quickly that I could taste the fresh heat of the pan on the potatoes; that really knocked me out. The serving wasn't huge, which I was thankful for, since I hate getting giant servings that I can't finish or have to take home. The fish was flakey and perfectly done.
Without much effort, the waiter talked me into having a chocolate bar for dessert, which is a frozen chocolate mousse on a meringue cracker (sort of looked like a crispy Pop Tart) with a caramelized pear. The pear itself was pretty awesome. The frozen mousse was much creamier than a sorbet.
Downsides: It isn't the most expensive place I've been, but it ain't cheap. The room was much larger than I expected - you can't really tell from outside - and the setting and ambiance of the room was more formal than I expected. That doesn't really have much to do with the food or service, but the set up of the room, decor, etc. didn't really make me comfortable.
Service was outgoing, friendly and helpful, and knowledgeable about the menu. If I was there for work, I'd certainly visit again.
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