I went to lunch at Circa, John Bragg’s sleek new restaurant in the Pembroke Square part of 
Peabody Place on the ground floor of the old Goldsmith’s building; that’s 119 South Main. Just think: Someday a reference to Goldsmith’s will be unintelligible.
Anyway, we’re accustomed to saying in these parts that if a restaurant has any sense of contemporary style: “It feels as if you’re not in Memphis.” Poor provincial us. Circa, as it happens, is high design from the start, swanky yet casual. The main feature is a series of “walls” down the center of the deep, narrow restaurant that double as wine racks and divide the space into three long segments. The dominant visual motif, as you can see in a couple of these images, is the lozenge shape.
Circa offers a good lunch, an interesting yet ultimately safe lunch that caters to a (slightly adventurous) downtown audience. Restaurateurs and chefs understand that people don’t want elegance and finesse, much less innovation, when they hafta get back to the office. A soup special — and it was special — was a delicious bright red puree of tomatoes with basil, summer in a bowl. A “chopped” salad was a bit of a culinary joke, unless the definition of “chopped” means “anything cut with a knife.” This was an attractive arrangement of green 
beans, very ripe and flavorful halved cherry tomatoes, slim white asparagus and chopped (yes) artichoke hearts.
My friend and I went for sandwiches, though entrees are available. He chose the over-the-top hanger-steak and foie gras sandwich served on ciabatta bread. My only objection to this death-defying feat of cholesterol overload is that the foie gras was overcooked. The point of foie gras is its opulence and succulence, it’s incredible ripe, almost sweet and melting meatiness and its cloud-like texture. Cook foie gras too much, though, and it’s just another piece of flesh. I chose the grilled cheese sandwich with prosciutto, an impressive effort, made more so by the excellence quality of the bread, which we noticed all around. Both sandwiches came with superior frites.
Yes, we did dessert, too. My terrine of gelatos (vanilla, blackberry, peach and cinammon) and 
my friend’s Diplomatico cake were each extremely tasty, the terrine almost deliriously so, but the concepts were weighed down and blurred with too much frou-frou on the desserts and on the plates. There’s no need for all that swagging.
Lunch prices at Circa are $4 to $13 for appetizers; $9 to $16 for sandwiches, accompanied by frites; $10 to $14 for entrees; and $7 and $8 for desserts. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. (Dinner is 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday and Monday, 5 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.) There is no smoking in the building. Call 522-1488.
First Bites
Responses to “First Bite: Circa”
July 24th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Your Mention of Goldsmith’s hit a nostalgic note with me Fredric.
Goldsmith’s Lowensteins, Gerber’s, Bry’s, Britlings, Lowe’s State and Lowe’s Palace are long gone names downtown.
Soon names like like Union Planters and NBC will join C&I, Memphis Bank and Trust will join the forgotten distant lore titles of Memphis,
How about in the Restaurant area: The Carosel, Dobbs House, Toddle House (with two rebirths) Oman Inn, K’s BBQ, Robillio’s, Keithley’s Town and Country, The Knickerbocker, The Embers, Four Flames, Justines (and their sibblings place, The Aquarium on Summer), and of course Earl’s Hot Biscuit
Sigh, a lot has changed in Memphis!
July 24th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I had lunch at Circa by John Bragg with several business parnters that were in town from Chicago. We were all quite impressed by the classy and unique atomosphere. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious. The crab cake sandwhich is the best in town and the french fries can’t be beat anywhere….. my Chicago guests were quite impressed. Our waitress seemed a bit inexperienced, but she was very pleasant even when we couldn’t make up our minds on dessert.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:28 pm
Gaudchaux’s in Baton Rouge became Maison Blanche about 20 years ago, then went on to become Foley’s and some other things. I think it is now Macy’s. People in Baton Rouge still call it Gaudchaux’s. It took me years of visiting family there before I could figure out what they were talking about. I still call Shnuck’s Seesel’s unintentionally. And I don’t think I will ever quit saying Goldsmith’s. That was a great name for a department store.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
Goldsmith’s was an awesome store. No store in Memphis has the same feel anymore. Macy’s is the same old stuff you see everywhere–with notoriously bad service. The stores at peabody Palce are also ho-hum see it everywhere stuff. Why does every shopping center in Memphis have thesame stores–almost without exception.
As for Circa, we have eaten there for dinner and it is beautiful and hip– not a lot like other places in Memphis. Food was very good. Service acceptable.
Hope it does well.
July 24th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I may be a little in the dark here, but, who is John Bragg? And what makes him so well know that his name was the “by line” when he opened River Oaks and now Circa? I had never really heard of him before then. Food is decent though at Circa.
July 25th, 2007 at 12:10 am
I’ve known of John Bragg since he had transformed LaMontagne into a gourmet place. I believe Koeppel has reviewed all of his ventures over theast few years. He seems to have a devout following among those who something about food and wine.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:48 am
I experienced Circa by John Bragg for the first time for lunch last Monday. I have been back twice since. The space is cool. The walls and wine-walls give a feeling of privacy even when the restaurant is full. I tried three of the sandwiches – the beef tenderloin, the chicken and the hamburger. All three were excellent. In fact the grilled hamburger was one of the best I have had. I also had the tomato soup and agree it was wonderful. Prices are good for lunch. While I usually race back to Germantown after work, this will become my new downtown business dinner and pre-theater restaurant.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Regulars at the finest restaurants in Memphis definitely know who John Bragg is. LaMontagne was his first full-fledged venture, but he studied under some of the best chefs in the city (Erling Jensen is one) and graduated with honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before striking out on his own. His culinary star is definitely on the rise and as talbot says, he already has a devout following.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Sorry Talbot. Just never heard about him. I thought I knew all the better chefs such as Erling, Jose’, Wally, Rick Farmer, Ben Smith, and even Scott Lenhart. I guess he’s known now with his name on the restaurants.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Sorry Talbot. I thought I knew all the better chefs such as Erling, Jose’, Wally, Rick Farmer, Ben Smith, and even Scott Lenhart. I guess he’s known now with his name on the restaurants.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Sorry Talbot. I thought I knew all the better chefs such as Erling, Jose’, Wally, Rick Farmer, Ben Smith, and even Scott Lenhart.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Regulars at the finest restaurants in Memphis definitely know who John Bragg is. LaMontagne was his first full-fledged venture, but he studied under some of the best chefs in the city (Erling Jensen is one) and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before striking out on his own. His culinary star is definitely on the rise and as talbot says, he already has a devout following.
July 25th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
FIG/BILL
Interesting and exact response from you both. How strange and obvious.
Just voicing my opinion and spreading good and interesting news about good restaurants in town. I was in Circa last Friday for lunch and while there, a photographer for Food and Wine was photographing the place for an upcoming issue. I was impressed.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Talbot, thanks for the heads up about Circa & its upcoming Food & Wine coverage. I agree totally about Goldsmith’s - I used to work on Front Street & all my co-workers & I missed the downtown store terribly when it closed. I would still drive downtown & shop there if it hadn’t closed, but only if it had remained Goldsmith’s. It had an atmosphere & appeal all its own, including the restaurant. I still remember my mom taking us downtown to shop & we would buy clothes for school there every year. My high school age great-niece was highly upset when Parisian closed & Macy’s opened at The Avenue Carriage Crossing in Collierville. She said Macy’s clothes are just like everyone else’s & everybody shows up wearing the same things when they shop there.
Funny story about Robilio’s. We made the mistake of having our office Christmas luncheon catered by them the year they were in the process of closing. We were all sitting at festively decorated tables in our conference room, waiting for food to be delivered at the appointed time, but no food appeared. The committee that planned the party finally went to Robilio’s in person & were greeted with mass chaos. Finally someone in the kitchen threw her hands in the air & exclaimed, “We just can’t do it!” They refunded our money & we all headed to The Pier for lunch (when it was still open during the daytime) instead. It was one of the best Christmas parties we ever had 
July 25th, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Thanks for the the buzz on Circa. I had dinner there tonight out of curiousity. The Lobster and Crab bisque was amazing. The beef tenderloin melted in my mouth. I never heard of Bragg either until this blog, but whoever he is, I’m glad he has opened Circa. I can’t wait to go back and try other dishes.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Does anyone remember a place called Berretta’s ( I think) and also a place called Tropical Freeze? I used to go there as a young child and cannot remember exactly where they were. So many points in Memphis have changed and I lived elsewhere for several years.
July 26th, 2007 at 10:28 am
We’re dealing with several topics here, so I’ll try to go in order (sort of).
First, John Bragg is indeed a talented chef, but you have to remember that he was chef at River Oaks by John Bragg for only six months before he was outta there and his name was (metaphorically) chiseled off the building. So let’s be a little cautious about applauding the achievement at Circa, which has been open for about five weeks.
Second, boy, are we ever waltzing down nostalgia lane here. Beretta’s was at Park and Highland, southwest corner, a staple there for decades. You could eat in the restaurant of drive up to the covered areas and a waiter would come to your car. Passingly good barbecue, but my favorite was the combination plate of veal cutlet and spaghetti. When I was a student at MSU (lo, these numerous years ago) that was a favorite place to go, and also when I returned after graduate school to teach in the English department there. It has been gone for many years.
Tropical Freeze was (I think) at Poplar and White Station, where Starbuck’s is now and a Pancho’s for quite a while before now. My first wife, who went to St. Agnes, used to tell me that especially in the spring and summer the place was a huge East Memphis teen hangout (in the 1960s).
Scott Lenhart left Memphis for Chicago.
C.H.: Hilarious story about Robilio’s.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:10 am
talbott, the Tropical Freeze was at the southwest corner of Poplar and White Station on the spot currently occupied by Starbuck’s. Berretta’s rings a bell, but I can’t quite place it in time or space.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Talbot, I am really enjoying being reminded about Berretta’s & Tropical Freeze. The people who responded about those locations are right on the money. Tropical Freeze had some of the best ice cream I ever ate. It was kind of a pinkish-orange color & it tasted like a cross between a Creamsicle & Hawaiian punch. It was indeed an East Memphis hangout, for those of us who went to White Station too. I ate a ton of that stuff every Sunday night after church & my friend swore they had the best chocolate milkshakes anywhere. It was a sad day when the place shut down. As I recall, an older lady owned it & she was sitting on some prime real estate that someone eventually talked her into selling. It was probably either the Pancho’s folks or the rental car co. that is located on the Poplar side where Tropical Freeze faced. My aunt & uncle lived near Berretta’s & I ate a lot of food from there when I was growing up. There is a convenience store on that site now (as if we don’t have enough of THOSE!)
July 26th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I know! Memphis needs a family outside hangout. St. Louis still has Ted Drewes which remains crowded.
July 26th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Votes for Memphis hangouts:
Jerry’s Sno-Cones (mmmm supremes)
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana (needs to move into town though…and sell ice cream)
Ben & Jerrys? (which screams “we need a real, home made ice cream place in Memphis!”)
July 26th, 2007 at 3:46 pm
Talbot, I did post twice, because the first posting under FIG(Food Is Good) did not go through. “Word Detector” popped up. So I posted again under my real name Bill a second time. My comments about John Bragg were not meant as a negative one, just that I really have not heard of him mentioned before like the other chefs I named. I did say in my first posting that I thought the food was good.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Gregg,
Where are these places ( I know where B& J is). Let’s open one in E. Memphis or midtown. I think Ben and Jerry’s is not the best. Haagen-Daz better. Or a cool hamburger stand with awesome fries and tasty burgers in brown paper?
FIG–Just wondered why the personal aside to me. Life and food are good and never last long enough. I have met Bragg at his restaurants and he seems like a nice, normal family man who is excited with his vocation. Who cares about anything but the food, anyway?
July 26th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
Gregg, maybe you can shed some light on why Jerry’s Sno-Cones is closed every time I pass by there in the middle of weekday afternoons during the summer! I drove out of my way to go there on the way to K-Mart on Austin Peay Mon. & they were closed around 3:30. Do they close early when school isn’t in session?! When I have been there in the winter they are open at that time, & very busy. I had my mouth all set for a wedding cake sno-cone 
Talbot, Jerry’s is on Wells Station Road, which is what Waring Road becomes when it crosses Macon going north. Las Tortugas is on S. Germantown Pkwy. in Germantown. I haven’t been there, so not sure what it’s near. From what I have seen of Ted Drewes on Food TV, Sheridan’s Frozen Custard is supposed to be sort of like it menu-wise, but it’s a drive-thru & there isn’t much room to sit outside.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Sheridans is nothing like Ted Drewes. There is no seating at Ted Drewes. Throngs of people just stand there to meet, greet and eat. So delicious.
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
We ate at Circa Tuesday night and had an very good meal. To start we had French onion soup and a wild mushroom & blue chevre crepe. The soup was good, and although it will not make you forget the best French onion soup you ever had, neither is it the typical gummy salty mush. Instead it’s light and focused on the sweetness of the onion, with the gruyere crouton a pleasant aside. The mushroom crepe was the second dish I’ve had this week which was wildly overpowered by the blue chevre (the other was the heirloom tomato tart at Stella - way too much goat cheese!). I say this as someone for whom the words “too much cheese” previously did not exist. I had to search for evidence of the mushrooms and while I was able to see them, I couldn’t much taste them. The entrees were excellent - salmon “Rockefeller” and vol-au-vent, both with the now ubiquitous fingerling potatoes. The Rockefeller preparation was spinach simmered in Pernod and the salmon was perfectly golden brown around the edges, tender in the middle. The chicken in the vol-au-vent was also tender and moist. For dessert we tried Il Diplomatico but I found it weighed down by the chocolate topping and not as coconutty as I expected given the description.
The service was efficient and friendly, and we enjoyed wine recommended, the Chasseur Chardonnay. The approach to the wine-list appears to be ABF: Anything But French, which is fine but a little surprising. The wine prices are somewhat high, especially by the glass, but the value is good. The dinner prices were among the most reasonable in town for this kind of restaurant (does anyone but me think Cafe Society is crazy expensive these days? I still love it, but really!)
The thing that struck the most about Circa, and I’m surprised no one else has mentioned this, is how very pretentious it is. It goes beyond Bragg putting his own name in the by-line. Before we could order we were briefed on Chef’s regional roots, work history and approach to cuisine. The menu is full of distracting whimsy (some examples: “Beguine” instead of starters, “Land, sea and air” instead of meat, fish and poultry, “Rico Suave Reds” on the wine list.) The decor is overwhelming yet still doesn’t obscure the fact you’re in a rather plain building lobby.
It’s as though Bragg is not content to let the food and wine speak for themselves, although he should. Everything at Circa is turned up to 11. For someone who’s seems to believe he’s a local hero returned, he’s trying awfully hard to be noticed.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I had dinner at Circa early last week when I mistakenly waited too late to eat at Sauces. The pan-crisped red snapper was good, and the service was notably capable and friendly. I imagine I’ll be stopping by again.
August 4th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I happen to know that John Bragg is the sole owner of Circa, not to mention the one who conceived most things there. Why shouldn’t his name be on there–just like any other place of business with the owner’s name–including several restaurants. The design is notably awesome and, if anything,perhaps a little over the head of some folks around here. Why should everything in Memphis be the same? I applaud the place for trying to reach a higher level.
August 4th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
My earlier post does not seem to have gone through, so please excuse me if this is a duplicate…
I happen to know that John Bragg is the sole owner (and, of course, chef) of Circa, not to mention the one who conceived the concept. So why shouldn’t his name be on the place–just like any other place of business with the owner’s name on the door–John Gray’s Chevrolet, Humphrey’s Insurance, etc….—and many other restaurants, by the way.
The design is notably awesome and, if anything, may be over the head of some folks around here. Why should everything in Memphis be the same?
I agree that the food is excellent and that the song and dance at the beginning of the meal may be too much. But fine dining is a show every night.
I also applaud a “surprising” wine list in Memphis–and anyone who strives to reach a higher level. I’d rather dine at a place that is trying very hard to reach an 11 than many that don’t and cannot even reach a 5.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:48 am
John Bragg is the one and only owner of Circa. Why shouldn’t he put his name on the place? Many types of businesses do just that–including restaurants!
Thw design is awesome and world-class. Why should everything in Memphis be the same? I applaud someone for trying to be better and reach an 11!
August 5th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Ignore all the duplicate posts. I could not get them to go through and was wondering how it works………………Sorry.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
I’ve read each post and everyones thought on Memphis, cuisine and decor and the contribution it has on the MidSouth. I’ve been in the Memphis area for only a few years (5) and have found that like many things, fashion, food, music, movies some of the areas are a little slow to catch on. For restaurants because of the cost of daily opportation it’s important that chefs continue to do what everyone else has already done a million times. This is a system ( track record) so they can be sure people will enjoy or at least have eaten it some where else. Kinda a Chefs (safety net) until the business is outa the RED or DARK, I think it’s cool the Guy at Circa is streching the limits for Memphis. Its creative, Food is an Art, so why would he wanna just copy each other crapy restaurant. Ive been in the restaurant business for as long as I can remember, and have done well. It’s a feeling, personal expression, some people like it and others dont. Not everyone likes the same paintings. So dont knock the Chef with creativity, it’s better than most of the Memphis ” Chef’s “, “Cooks”, they are like walking can openers.
FYI, Had dinner at Circa and River Oaks both great, They each something incredible to offer and completly different , thats why they are fantastic. Who wants the same preparation, atmosphere, ingredients, all of the above at each place we dine, enjoy the difference when done with passion and creativity.
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