We enjoyed an outstanding 6 course tasting menu at NJ Monthly Top 30 restaurant, The Circle.
It was our first, and certainly not last time, at this charming little restaurant. I highly recommend this restaurant. The service and food was impeccable. It was worth the 1 hour trip through dark long and winding country roads. Everything was bursting with flavor. They used freshly foraged mushrooms in their incredible mushroom bisque. I like the fact that the chef does not use conventional preparations with his dishes. For example, most chefs would prepare their duck dishes with a sweet compote or jam. This chef prepared his perfectly cooked duck in a savory spiced broth that contained cardamom and cinnamon. The perfectly cooked scallops included carrots prepared several ways (smoked, pickled, pesto, etc.). They were very nice to swap out raw oysters (which we do not like) with a delicious beet salad. We also enjoyed a flourless chocolate cake with raspberry jam and espresso ice cream for dessert. It all went great with an excellent 2013 Napa cabernet sauvignon.
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Hey you did go 
The filet and sides look delicious. How was the bucatini? I wanted to try that but didn’t know if it was worth the price lol. How about the trout tartare, was that good?
The bucatini was ok but the sauce was a little watery. I wouldn’t recommend it for you. The trout tartare was excellent. I would highly recommend the carrot soup. The filet and smoked gouda gratin was excellent. The king oyster mushrooms didn’t add much to the dish.
Glad I didn’t order the bucatini then I’m not a fan of carrots, but I’ve had carrot soup (only bc it came with the meal), and it was pretty good, so I can imagine this one is probably 10x better. I think I’ll wait for the mushroom soup though Thanks for the feedback.
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