First Look: Pangea in St. Charles

Pangea, the debut restaurant from chef-owner Jessie Gilroy, is set to open Thursday, Sept. 7, at 3245 Rue Royale St., in The New Town neighborhood in St. Charles.

“We’re focusing on simple food with bold flavors,” said Gilroy, who most recently served as sous chef at Sidney Street Cafe.

To that end, she’s put together a menu of eclectic dishes that lives up to the restaurant’s expansive name, from salmon crudo topped with slivers of radish and pickled cucumber, to flaky potato-crusted snapper augmented by roasted beets. Many of the dishes feature ingredients from nearby Herman's Farm Orchard and GlenMark Farms.

Pangea features a tight list of cocktails, like the Negroni-esque Camillo’s Cousin, featuring local Pinckney Bend gin, Aperol and Lillet Blanc, and a selection of wines by the bottle and glass.

Pangea boasts 64 seats in the dining room plus another 10 at the bar and a few seats are available outside for those wanting to dine al fresco. The restaurant’s minimalist decor underscores Gilroy’s less-is-more aesthetic: muted colors, exposed ductwork and understated table settings are accented by streams of natural light, thanks to the building’s abundance of windows.

Pangea will be open Monday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Here's a first look at what to expect when this Sauce One to Watch alumna opens doors:

Matt Sorrell is staff writer at Sauce Magazine.