I met up with First Bite last month to check out Cafe Circa. If the word isn’t yet out on this hidden gem, its just a matter of time before it is. Just down the street from Boulevard on Edgewood, Cafe Circa is a sleek and sophisticated Caribbean restaurant.

We met up on one of the last pleasant evenings of the season. As I was a little early, I headed upstairs to check out Cafe Circa’s new roof top deck. It looks so inviting and fun. I would love to return in the spring and hang there on a warm spring evening.

But back to dinner. Shortly after I made my way back downstairs to our table, Jessica arrived. After looking at the menu, I could have gone for just about anything on the appetizer menu. Empanadas, Curried Mussels, Goat Stew, Conch Cakes – all sounded delish. I couldn’t pass up the lamb ribs though. And Jessica shared with me that Ackee is the national dish of Jamaica, so we decided to try the Ackee with Salt (cod) fish.

I couldn’t get enough of the lamb ribs – meaty, sweet, tender. If I didn’t sample anything else that entire night, I would have been a happy girl. My Ackee experience was a little different. I’m an adventurous eater and I’ll try just about anything. However, I didn’t like the Ackee flavor. The other items in the dish – peppers and salted cod were tasty and perfectly fine. I suppose the Ackee is an acquired taste. Having recommended it, our server felt bad that we didn’t eat much of it and although we didn’t expect it, he took it off our check. How nice!

Our entrees of Shrimp and Grits and Scallops were heavenly. The flavor combination, seasonings and textures were amazing. Jessica’s Shrimp and Grits were some of the best I’ve ever had. The large plump shrimp covered and creamy sauce with bits of andouille sausage was perfect. And my perfectly cooked scallops, were complimented with a spicy tomato emulsion and pureed sweet potatoes. I even mopped up the curried cabbage.

Our server was outstanding, not flinching when I whipped out my Scoutmob, even encouraging me to save it for next time. The space at Cafe Circa is pretty as well. It isn’t huge, but would make a great spot for a group gathering.

464 Edgewood Avenue SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
404 477 0008

Extras: At the time of this post, you can get 1,000 Open Table points for just about any time slot for Cafe Circa.