VanTrece also runs Catering by VanTrece, and she was recently selected as the curating chef for the American Express Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
“Between the restaurants, the Centurion Lounge, the constant catering requests, a new cookbook and final negotiations for a network television show, I was just pulled in too many directions,” VanTrece said in a prepared statement. “Something had to give. And as much as I love Italian cuisine and the food we were crafting at La Panarda … it was the last restaurant to open, so it was the one we chose to close.”
La Panarda’s menu was inspired by VanTrece’s time living in Italy. Dishes included pan-seared branzino, Tuscan smothered chicken, seafood bucatini and oxtail osso bucco.
VanTrece and developer Shea Embry have been operating restaurants in Cascade Heights since 2022, when Oretha’s at the Point opened. Embry reached out to VanTrece in 2021 to discuss ideas for the properties she owned in Cascade Heights, with the goal of bringing more Black-owned businesses to the community.
“(Shea’s) vision for the revitalization of the business corridor was and is brilliant,” VanTrece said in a prepared statement. “She has been an ideal partner to work with and we’re looking forward to continuing our successful relationship with Oreatha’s. Soon another restaurant will move into the La Panarda restaurant space and, with the support of the neighboring residents, the area will thrive. The local community deserves that.”
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