Circa is like a Vegas showgirl with an MBA: there's glitz, there's glamour, but there's also plenty of substance. Formerly Cozmo's Bar & Grill, this spot on the corner of Fillmore & Chestnut Streets reopened a few weeks ago, and we went in for dinner Sunday night.
There's more than a dash of Sin City in the decor, from the bright white neon sign that's perched sideways on the outside of the building, to the outward facing, semi-circular booths scattered throughout the dining room. Glass bead curtains hang throughout, reminding me of champagne bubbles, and gigantic photographs of flowers add a sense of drama to the walls. The restaurant is awash in hushed grays, soft browns and warm golds, and the huge rectangular bar that was the focal point of Cozmo's, though still just as big, seems less emphatic after the redesign. We were disappointed that their selection of gins was not more refined -- neither Hendrick's nor SF's own Junipero made it onto the list -- but perhaps they will eventually restock the bar to better effect. The only other disconnect for me was the presence of flat screen TVs in the lounge. When the owners announced the makeover, the San Francisco Chronicle quoted them as saying, "We want to get away from bar and grill." Maybe they're still hedging their bets.
As for the food, quite simply it rocked. We started with the Dungeness crab "tater tots," which is a cute name for crab croquettes. The smoky cayenne aioli had me nearly licking the plate, but Mr. Food Musing's mom, who has a more sensitive palate, wrinkled her nose. The sliders were meaty, juicy and perfect for sharing -- if you're willing to let anyone else have a bite of the Brie and truffle madness -- but the real draw of that plate is the pile of sweet Maui onions, lightly fried and served with housemade ketchup. We even ate the strays that fell on the tabletop without shame.
The tomato soup was creamy and rich but full-flavored, and though I liked the idea of the grilled cheese finger sandwiches on the side, the actuality was a bit average. No matter; chef Erik Hopfinger himself brought over the next dish, and it was a fitting one for him to deliver. As a friend reminded me, this is the man who opened Spoon (now Tablespoon), which is and was rightly famous for their amazing mac-n-cheese. Well, the man has outdone even himself and created The Best Pasta Dish in The City. Lordy, Lordy, the name alone made me weep with joy: lobster and white truffle mac-n-cheese. Small pasta shells hid in an ooey-gooey sauce alongside succulent bites of fresh lobster meat, and the heady scent of truffles oozed out of every molecule. Dahlings, it was divine.
Other favorite dishes included the grilled baby octopus salad with frisee, peppers and candied macadamia nuts; lamb "lollichops" with pomegranate seeds and mint; and the mini-creme brulees, four to a serving (one for each of us!) with a fruit surprise on the bottom. I got blackberry, Mr. FM had raspberry, and there was also white peach and guava. The tops were super crispy crackly, and the thimble-full was just the right amount of sweetness to end on.
Two dishes that didn't stand up to the competition were the Yucatan grilled chicken salad and the grilled king salmon. Something about that grill was too fierce for all our tastebuds; everything seemed overly smoky. Hopefully that's a kink they can work out.
I have to mention that the kitchen didn't seem to have hit their stride by Sunday. We waited a solid 20 minutes, maybe more, between our first two rounds of food, and another 15-20 between the next round. The restaurant was a third full, if I'm being generous, and it was almost painful to have the evening fall from the high of the mac-n-cheese to the low of drumming our fingernails on the table as we waited for salad. As we killed the bottle of wine, hoping to stave off the hunger pangs, Mr. FM wondered aloud how service could be so off since this is not a new restaurant. I reminded him that most of the kitchen is staffed by people who can ill afford to sit by without work during 6 weeks of planned renovation, much less the 3 months it actually took. More than likely, the chef had to replace all of his kitchen staff, and so in essence they are a brand new restaurant. I'm sure they'll get it worked out in no time, and we will definitely be back for a taste of that mac-n-cheese...soon.
Circa, 2001 Chestnut St (at Fillmore), 415.351.0175
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