THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Circo

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Circo Restaurant Review:

One of the Warehouse District’s newer restaurants, Circo is also one of the city’s most interesting looking. Nearly all of the Warehouse District’s buildings are among the oldest in town, so creating a contemporary look can be challenging. One of the most striking visual elements is the collection of fifteen glass panels that separates the restaurant from Zibibbo, its popular bar. The panels are composed of glass chips that are illuminated by constantly changing colors passing through fiber optic wires in the glass. The cuisine successfully combines the traditional and contemporary. Most Italian places serve calamari-usually breaded and fried rings. Here, though, calamari bistecca, a hearty appetizer, consists of two nicely seasoned sautéed calamari steaks with roasted tomatoes and spinach between them and stone-ground mustard butter over them. Another amazing appetizer is carciofunghi ragout con tartufi, breaded artichokes stuffed with goat cheese, served with wild mushrooms, chicken sausage and roasted red peppers laced with truffle oil. Typical of the entrée standouts are vitello T-osso, a 12-ounce veal T-bone with a Cognac and morel mushroom sauce served with smoked mozzarella ravioli, asparagus and pearl onions; and rospo rostini Gambatese (named for the chef), a Carolina black grouper filet served in layers with prosciutto and goat cheese, ratatouille, basil vinaigrette and a Parmesan tuile; and scallops alla Parma, several large scallops wrapped in prosciutto and pan seared, and served over artichoke hearts, crimini mushrooms and arborio rice with a tomato-basil butter.