Restaurant Review

Circa

"We wanted it to look and feel like it had been here forever, to fit in with the historic look of downtown High Bridge," Rudy Alvarez, general manager of Circa, told reviewer Rachel Willen over the phone, after her visits. He was referring mainly to the restaurant's decor, but also to its embrace of comfort food. Read Willens's assessment of how well Circa carries out its stated mission.

The word “circa” evokes a bygone era, and so does Circa. “We wanted it to look and feel like it had been here forever, to fit in with the historic look of downtown High Bridge,” said general manager Rudy Alvarez on the phone after my visits. The original tin ceiling has been saved, and the lighting mimics gas lamps, giving everyone a healthy glow. In warm weather, tables are set on the wide front porch.

Comfort is the theme. Co-owners Alvarez and his wife, Heather, the chef, carry it through on the plate. Portions are generous, sometimes overly so, which would be fine if execution were more consistent.
Mussels steamed with beer, onion and bacon set the bar high at the outset. The broth was liquid gold, worth sopping up with the (just okay) bread. Spinach salad with blue cheese, grapes and (too many) walnuts was dressed in a refreshing cider vinaigrette. Chicken pot pie revealed tender meat and crisp peas and carrots under a buttery, well-browned crust. Outstanding braised chicken tacos in house-made tortillas came with a zippy salsa verde that popped with fresh lime.

On the other hand, we labored through a lackluster meze plate; bland, overly battered tempura shrimp; and pitifully overcooked grilled oysters and steamed clams. A seasonal pumpkin goat cheese tart lacked goat cheese tang and was burdened with a stale, undercooked crust.

Pan-roasted chicken, the best of Circa’s eight entrées, combined crispy skin with juicy meat. Pan-roasted salmon, similarly crisp-skinned, with a medium center, was tipped off balance by a dense, too spicy aioli and a huge portion of green beans cloaked in that clumsy tempura batter. Butternut-squash ravioli in brown butter with (too many) pecans was well made, satisfying and big enough for two. But an overly sweet butternut squash casserole (like pumpkin pie spices on steroids) overwhelmed delicious braised short ribs. Mild, fresh shrimp faced an upward battle against too much chorizo and tomato sauce.

Hanger steak frites, that bistro staple, arrived pre-sliced and cold to the touch. The good flavor of the house-made steak sauce was trumped by being fridge cold. An all-shellfish version of cioppino, the classic Italian seafood stew, was ample, but smacked of stale, dried spices.

The exception among desserts, generally supersized and heavy-handed, was tres leches cake—wonderfully moist white cake soaked in a delicious mix of three creams and a bit of coconut. It made me think of the perfect tacos we’d had earlier. Someone in the kitchen understands these Latin classics and presents them with balance, nuance and restraint. Circa needs more of that.

Restaurant Details

  • Cuisine Type:
    European - French - Greek/Mediterranean
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