A friend and I had a very nice lunch at Circa today. You’ll remember that John Bragg’s restaurant closed for lunch back in the fall (dinner was not affected) and recently reopened. That’s a boon for downtowners.

We started with the appetizer of crawfish beignets, lightly breaded and very crisp on the outside yet almost creamy inside with a sort of deviled crawfish mixture; these came with a sprightly remoulade sauce ($7). They would make a great bar snack with an ice-cold martini.

I ordered the fish of the day, a perfectly grilled talapia filet served with a light and mild-mannered lemon-butter sauce. Also on the plate were a scoop of dense mashed potatoes and a couple of asparagus spears and baby carrots ($14); simple fare but delicious. My friend’s crab-cake sandwich featured two or three smallish and full-flavored crabcakes; the plate was dominated by the restaurant’s excellent house-made potato chips ($10).

A glass of the refreshing Loimer “Lois” Gruner Veltliner 2006 from Austria ($9) and an espresso ($3) rounded out a satisfying lunch.

Circa, 119 S. Main at Gayoso, opens for lunch at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. Call 522-1488 or visit circamemphis.com.