Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Dinner at Circa, San Francisco, CA
For Giao's office holiday dinner we went to Circa, a place partially owned by one of Giao's bosses (full disclosure). It was actually pretty good and the prices (although we didn't pay) were very reasonable. The large plates were all under $20. There were several hits and a couple of misses on the food front, but overall it was a very solid meal with good service. They even passed our water test (which is rare) with flying colors, even after we switched seats, serving Alexis still and Giao sparkling.
Dungeonesse Crab Tater Tots
We had assumed that these would be mostly crab and were wrong, as they were mostly potato, so the texture and flavor were not what we were expecting. The outside could have been crispier as well.
Seared Foie Gras
A playful take on PB&J. The foie was oddly cold, although seared. Better than torchon, worse than if served hot. Also, the PB&J aspect could have been more pronounced.
Garlic Prawns
Simple, flavorful and well cooked.
Scallops
A fairly standard preparation, but the scallops were well cooked and by that, we mean almost rare.
Sliders with Onion Rings
The rings were mostly batter, but the sliders were respectable.
Lobster and Truffle Mac n' Cheese
Utterly amazing. Rich, dense, super flavorful. Whoever said cheese and fish don't go together, well, they were wrong.
Derby Salad
A decadent cobb. Very tasty.
Spicy Chicken Strips with Mango Cucumber Salsa/Salad
The chicken was surprisingly moist and certainly flavorful. It went well with the bright flavors of the crisp salad.
Salad with Beets and Fried Goat Cheese
Not sure what the beets added, but you certainly can't go wrong with fried cheese.
Riblets
If these had been a bit less saucy, they would have been stellar. Still, the flavor was great.
Stuffed Chicken
Not our favorite. The chicken was a bit dry. We usually don't order chicken in restaurants, so maybe our own aversion is tainting our review of this dish.
Grilled Cheese Bites
Served with the soup below.
Tomato Soup
Great flavor, although it I had made it I would have strained the soup for a smoother texture.
Iceberg Salad Stuffed with Crutons and Blue Cheese
A tasty take on the classic wedge.
"Lollichops"
These were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the pomegranite was a perfect contrast of color and bright, tart flavor.
Flat Iron Steak and Onion Rings
The steak was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. The onion rings were, well, onion rings.
Halibut with Wasabi Mashed Potatos
This dish had a lot of potential, but no follow-through. The fish was overdone and the potatos were bland.
Duck with Oranges
A clean, modern derivative of duck a l'orange, this was one of the best dishes of the night.
Assortment of Fruit Flavored Creme Brulee
Although I am partial to plain, unflavored creme brulee, the texture was spot on.
Apple Crisp
Warm, sweet-tart goodness. This felt like eating at grandma's.
Caramel Corn (too much caramel and too hard), Assorted Homemade Chocolate Desserts (too sweet) and Bread Pudding (others seemed to love it, we didn't try it, the dish was clean at the end of the meal).
Dungeonesse Crab Tater Tots
We had assumed that these would be mostly crab and were wrong, as they were mostly potato, so the texture and flavor were not what we were expecting. The outside could have been crispier as well.
Seared Foie Gras
A playful take on PB&J. The foie was oddly cold, although seared. Better than torchon, worse than if served hot. Also, the PB&J aspect could have been more pronounced.
Garlic Prawns
Simple, flavorful and well cooked.
Scallops
A fairly standard preparation, but the scallops were well cooked and by that, we mean almost rare.
Sliders with Onion Rings
The rings were mostly batter, but the sliders were respectable.
Lobster and Truffle Mac n' Cheese
Utterly amazing. Rich, dense, super flavorful. Whoever said cheese and fish don't go together, well, they were wrong.
Derby Salad
A decadent cobb. Very tasty.
Spicy Chicken Strips with Mango Cucumber Salsa/Salad
The chicken was surprisingly moist and certainly flavorful. It went well with the bright flavors of the crisp salad.
Salad with Beets and Fried Goat Cheese
Not sure what the beets added, but you certainly can't go wrong with fried cheese.
Riblets
If these had been a bit less saucy, they would have been stellar. Still, the flavor was great.
Stuffed Chicken
Not our favorite. The chicken was a bit dry. We usually don't order chicken in restaurants, so maybe our own aversion is tainting our review of this dish.
Grilled Cheese Bites
Served with the soup below.
Tomato Soup
Great flavor, although it I had made it I would have strained the soup for a smoother texture.
Iceberg Salad Stuffed with Crutons and Blue Cheese
A tasty take on the classic wedge.
"Lollichops"
These were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the pomegranite was a perfect contrast of color and bright, tart flavor.
Flat Iron Steak and Onion Rings
The steak was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. The onion rings were, well, onion rings.
Halibut with Wasabi Mashed Potatos
This dish had a lot of potential, but no follow-through. The fish was overdone and the potatos were bland.
Duck with Oranges
A clean, modern derivative of duck a l'orange, this was one of the best dishes of the night.
Assortment of Fruit Flavored Creme Brulee
Although I am partial to plain, unflavored creme brulee, the texture was spot on.
Apple Crisp
Warm, sweet-tart goodness. This felt like eating at grandma's.
Caramel Corn (too much caramel and too hard), Assorted Homemade Chocolate Desserts (too sweet) and Bread Pudding (others seemed to love it, we didn't try it, the dish was clean at the end of the meal).
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 1, regional American, restaurant, review, Service: 2
# posted by Giao and Alexis @ 8:45 PM 
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