Pangaea Lounge in North Bennington had some sweet reviews, so we headed in sans reservation. Unforch we couldn't sit outside on this beautiful night, but we still got to sit within 10 minutes on a Saturday (early) evening.
Note that we are in the Lounge, not Pangaea Restaurant, which is shmancier. It's like Palena Cafe or Bourbon Steak--we do it up right in the Lounge. The menu had a lot of options, with sandwiches, burgers, salads, sides, and a bunch of appetizer or entrees, depending on the size. We decided to choose a la carte from the tasting menu, mostly.
Mmmm meat. This burger was really well cooked (as in, medium rare) and the thin potato slice fries were a nice touch.
The star. The diva. The reason why we'll definitely return: gnocchi with peas and basil in a mustard cream sauce. The gnocchi's texture was perfect - it wasn't mushy, it wasn't hard. The flavor of the sauce was uhhhhhhhhhhhh ok, so I might have asked if they would sell it to me by the jar. (They wouldn't.) Go. Eat seasonally, and enjoy the gnocchi.
Pangaea Lounge
1&3 Prospect Street
North Bennington, VT
You ever make gnocchi at home? I tried once with the kiddo. On our first attempt, they came out delicious. With practice, they would be better. But an amateur and a kid were able to make something light and pillowy the first time out of the gate. As usual, I followed the advice of Marcella Hazan, so perhaps we already had an unfair advantage.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, since that experience, I lost any tolerance for mediocre gnocchi. Glad you found some good ones.
Wow!! That gnocci looks delicious!! The pictures are awesome- thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMaking my own gnocchi...hmmm...I see what you're saying, but it sounds like so much work. Why am I so lazy these days?
ReplyDeleteIt's some work, but it's not hard work. I did it with a three year-old. It would be easier without the "help."
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's something to consider on one of those cold summer Sundays during winter, when potatoes are the only thing available at the markets.