Circa at Clarendon
After all the rain last week, hubby and I were dealing with major cabin fever. I’m certain most restaurants must have taken a pretty big hit because I know we weren’t the only ones hunkered down all week, sheltered from the nasty storms.
On one of the first sunny days to return, we ventured out to what I think might be one of Clarendon’s best outdoor patios: Circa at Clarendon. My husband sold me on Circa when he pointed out the fact that their most recent menu features fried green tomatoes as a small plate. (It’s no secret that I have a slight obsession with fried green tomatoes.)
For a shared dinner, we selected three ‘small’ plates (although none of the plates were actually small): fried green tomatoes, mac and cheese, and the “Shorty.”
The fried green tomatoes had a latin/caribbean flair with pepper jack cheese, black bean mango relish and a cilantro lime crème fraiche. Each order comes with 3 large tomatoes - plenty for sharing. It was the first time I had tried this twist on fried greens, and I thought it was quite delicious.
The mac and cheese was a nice addition to the mix, but it wasn’t the best mac and cheese I’ve had. I loved all the components: Italian prosciutto, asparagus and artisanal cheese sauce. My biggest complaint is that I wish the cheese sauce would have been thicker. It was too runny, and just sat at the bottom of the bowl. There was some cheese melted on top of the dish, but it didn’t give it the creamy texture I need in mac and cheese.
The Shorty, on the other hand, was phenomenal - best part of the meal. It consists of sliced beef short rib, carmelized onions and blue cheese on a crispy polenta cake. It was outstanding. The short rib was tender, the gravy was thick and flavorful, and the blue cheese paired so well with the flavors of the short rib.
In these last days of summer, and into the early fall, try to make it out to Circa’s patio. It’s a lively scene with lots of people-watching, we had excellent service, there is plenty of seating, and the small plates work well for both happy hour and dinner. The more I visit Circa, the more I grow to really love the place.
