Restaurant review: American Gastropub decor may be retro, but menu is contemporary

You know that saying: “Don’t look back. You’re not going that way?" When I heard the name Circa69, I had visions of “Incense and Peppermints,” “Crimson and Clover” and confronted doubts whether I wanted to return to the “Age of Aquarius." But the Jensen Beach restaurant looks nothing at all like 1969.

When you step off the sidewalk, you’re in an open area that is both the bar and outdoor dining. The lighting suggests a “Purple Haze,” while two musicians gently strummed acoustic guitars and sang to the lively patrons. The dining room has a calm vibe. Retro pendants and wavy chandeliers hang from the dark ceiling. Guitars are suspended above a long, teal blue banquette on a glass wall, behind which the kitchen was humming.

What exactly is a gastropub? I don’t really know, but it might have something to do with the cocktail and wine menu being the same size as the food menu. But there's plenty to eat with a nice selection of appetizers, such as flatbreads, mussels and a Greek chicken kabob; salads, burgers, tacos and entrees such as chicken, scallops and lamb chops.

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We started with a Chef Special that evening. Crab & Corn Fritters ($14) were golden fried crispy balls filled with steamy sweet crab and kernels of corn paired with a tasty lemon basil garlic aioli sauce.

The Panko Crusted Local Snapper ($32) had a crisp crust, enveloping a tender filet served atop fragrant jasmine rice. The savory miso butter sauce was an umami bomb to the taste buds. The Nesha Farms Salad ($14) was filled with fresh crunchy vegetables from Florida’s only 100% self-sustaining organic farm. Besides the greens, fresh beets, pickled red onions, creamy avocado and sharp gorgonzola melded into the green goddess dressing. The addition of two crabcakes ($16) took this salad to the moon. “The Beat Goes On.”

The Black & Blue ($18) was a juicy blackened beef patty topped with an explosion of flavors including tangy Gorgonzola cheese, applewood bacon,and red onion jam, which would uplift anything it’s slathered on.

Another Chef Special was Clam Chowder Gnocchi ($28), which combined a favorite from 1969 with a distinctly modern twist. This was not HoJo’s chowder. A thick, creamy stew was crammed with chopped clams, plus more clams in shells, swimming alongside large pillows of potato gnocchi. A sprinkling of herbs on top made it sing. The chowder was both decadent and comforting.

We didn’t have dessert, but did you know the No. 1 in 1969 was “Sugar, Sugar?” With a whimsical sign, an open-air bar, a restful dining room and a creative menu, Circa69 has taken the concept “Higher and Higher” and is the perfect spot for “Everyday People.”

Circa69 American Gastropub

• Cuisine: American

• Address: 3750 N.E. Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach

• Phone: 772-405-0069

• Hours: 3-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday

• Alcohol: Full bar

• Online: circa69pub.com

Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: Circa69 American Gastropub in Jensen Beach is retro