Martha’s Pick:

Circo
19102 Q St #114
Fare: Italian fine dining
Cost: $134 for one two drinks, one appetizer, three meals and one dessert
Reservations: Recommended

Greetings, Eaters and Readers!

Our most recent food adventure took us west to Circo — a modern Italian fine dining restaurant near Millard West High School. We hadn’t enjoyed Italian for a while and I secretly hoped Circo would be the kind of Italian that left me thinking, “Well that was a fun twist on a classic.”

Jaclyn’s friend/coworker Sarah joined us. She’s a self-described, lifelong Omahan (by way of Elkhorn) who also loves trying new restaurants. She met us after work on a sunny Tuesday and we headed inside.

Circo’s lobby and overall décor were a bright and modern blend of colors and artistic takes on all the things: light fixtures, booths, walls, tables, chairs. We loved the vibe and were eager to see if it carried through to the menu.

Rosemary Focaccia ($5) — Honey ricotta, sea salt

We got lucky that the yummiest-sounding appetizer also happened to be the cheapest. This focaccia bread was a fantastic opener to our meal.

The rosemary was light, giving it just a touch of aromatic earthy flavor. But the real punch came with the honey ricotta we spread on our slices. It was sweet, smooth and paired perfectly with the chunks of sea salt.

When you visit Circo, do yourself a favor and get two orders of this crispy, chewy perfection.

Cozy Blanket ($10) — Tequila alternative, lime, grenadine, cinnamon, bitters
Siesta ($10) — Tequila alternative, aperitif alternative, grapefruit, lime

Jaclyn and Sarah explored the non-alcoholic drink menu and each ordered some fun-sounding sips: a Cozy Blanket and a Siesta. Jaclyn’s Siesta was heavy on the citrus and light on the sweet, which was a refreshing contrast to the rising temperature outside. Sarah enjoyed her Cozy Blanket, saying it gave off margarita vibes — bright, zesty and a hint of cinnamon spice.

Filet Medallions & Scallops with Lobster Sauce ($45) — Served with truffle whipped potatoes and asparagus

I haven’t had a lot of scallops in my lifetime, but I had a distinct memory of really enjoying them twice: once when my mom made them, and another when my friend Traci made them with a scrumptious risotto.

I quickly spied the filet medallions and scallops on the menu and ordered it. The server mentioned the medallions are prepared medium unless otherwise requested. Normally, I’d ask for medium-leaning-to-well, but I acquiesced because I’m trying to do better with respecting how the chef wants to cook it and envisions the dish.

Hot take: I’ve never been disappointed when I let the kitchen/chef prepare the dish the way feel it’s best cooked and enjoyed. Do with that what you will.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the dish and was happy I ordered it. The medallions were perfect and melted in my mouth. The asparagus was flavorful. The potatoes were creamy and dreamy. But the scallops — the thing that caught my eye — were my least favorite part of the dish. No shade or fault to the kitchen, I just didn’t enjoy the flavor and taste of scallops the way I thought I did — or would.

But if Traci is ever in town and wants to cook ’em up again with her risotto? I’ll allow it. On my next trip to Circo, though, I’ll focus on steak or another dish.

Ricotta Tortellini ($22) — Red pepper romesco and hazelnuts

When Jaclyn’s Ricotta Tortellini hit the table, I was hit with a pang of food envy. It was beautifully plated with a dusting of the thinnest shavings of parmesan she’s ever seen.

Her first bite revealed bursts of tomato and red pepper mixed with creamy ricotta and a crunch of hazelnut. Jac was surprised to discover how well the hazelnuts complimented this dish. The stark difference in texture was something she didn’t expect to enjoy so much — and it was a good reminder to always trust the chef.

Crispy Atlantic Salmon ($25) — Black lentils, summer ratatouille: yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper, eggplant

Sarah was in the mood for a light, summery dinner — which she found in the Crispy Atlantic Salmon. Served over a bed of bright, steamed vegetables and lentils, her salmon was indeed crispy as advertised. She commented it was quite salty, but not in a bad way. Savoring each bite, Sarah mentioned how much she loved the soft, ratatouille-style vegetables.

Limoncello Cake ($10) — Layered lemon sheet cakes with raspberry and lemon curd

I left it up to Jaclyn to pick the dessert since all of them sounded good to me. She settled on the Limoncello Cake, which came as an 8-layer stack of cake on cake on cake.

After each of us took a few bites, we we looked at each other puzzled. We didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. But why? The flavors were good. Was it the texture? Perhaps with that many layers of cake, the lemon curd and raspberry got lost. I think after being so impressed with our main meals, we were left feeling a bit underwhelmed with this dessert.

Final Bites

Despite the kind-of-underwhelming dessert experience — when we zoomed out to assess the overall experience and food and execution, all three of us decided Circo had earned three forks up from three very satisfied stomachs.

Our server was present and helpful as we navigated the menu and peppered her with questions. Jaclyn and Sarah loved the handcrafted, alcohol-free drinks. The food was delicious and presented beautifully. And we all agreed there were numerous other items on the menu that we would love to try,

We can easily imagine a return trip or, at the very least, happily recommending Circo to our friends and family. Whether you live near or far from West Omaha, give this twist on Italian a try.

Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals + Sarah

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