Author: Taryn Kim

Photographer: Jasmine Li

Upon walking through the revolving doors of Cira, one is immediately hit with the familiar comfort of home. Adorned with dimly lit chandeliers, colored velvet couches, and wooden dining tables, Cira feels more like visiting a well-designed friend’s house than a hotel restaurant. Located in the Fulton Market District alongside other famed Chicago restaurants, Cira is one of Boka Restaurant Group’s newest additions, opening its doors in 2019. Cult favorite dinner spots like Ema, The Purple Pig, Aba, Avli, and Avec have set the bar high in the world of Mediterranean food, but Cira stands out with Chef Chris Pandel’s mission to bring flavors and culinary practices from all 21 countries that touch the Mediterranean Sea together. I came into the night with high expectations, bolstered by my successful foray into other Boka-owned restaurants and my suitemate’s insistence that Cira topped my personal favorite, Aba.

Starters

Since it is obligatory at any Chicago Mediterranean restaurant, we began the night with the Brown Butter Hummus as our starter. I have yet to be disappointed by a hummus dish in this city in general, but Cira’s take was one of the best I have tried (although, in my opinion, still second to Aba’s). Whereas the name might suggest it to be overly sweet, the Brown Butter Hummus was surprisingly refreshing, with pumpkin seeds, radish, and some sort of crispy topping that all combined to create a sensorily textured experience. One of my friends, in particular, could not emphasize enough how much the “crispies” brought the dish from an 8/10 to a 10/10.

Small Plates

From there, Cira offers both small plates and large plates. For the small plates, we ordered the Citrus Salad and Local Burrata. Since I never fully grew out of my I-don’t-eat-salad phase from when I was a kid, I rarely enjoy salad dishes in general. However, I was pleasantly impressed with the Citrus Salad’s distinctive flavor and texture. Topped with fresh basil, pistachios, and honey grapefruit vinaigrette, the Citrus Salad was light and sweet, hiding the bitterness of the lettuce (which is my usual gripe with salads). Like the hummus, the pistachios, sesame seeds, and more pumpkin seeds contributed to the crunchy texture. Even as a typical salad-hater, I very much enjoyed the Citrus Salad and would get it again. From there, the burrata met our expectations, with a nice balance struck between the sweet pomegranate and the savory olives. However, for the price ($18) and size, we did not think it was a necessary addition to the meal.

Large Plates

For the large plates, we decided to go with the Sardinian Gnochetti and the Grilled Whole Dorade. Given that Chef Pandel is known for his handmade pastas, I was most looking forward to the gnochetti, yet unfortunately, the most letdown by it. Overwhelmed by the pecorino and the tanginess of the mushroom bolognese sauce, we were largely unimpressed with the pasta dish. Even beyond the flavor, the dish was missing the characteristic softness of gnocchi and was weighed down by the mushy texture of the sauce. Overall, the dish was missing the delicate balance of flavors that we appreciated in the other small plates. The Grilled Whole Dorade, however, was everything that the Sardinian Gnochetti was not. The fish was beautifully soft and melted in your mouth in a way that is rare in Chicago (I come from Los Angeles, where the fish and seafood in my opinion vastly outperforms what I have tried here). At the same time, the crispness of the skin and charred cipollini provided much needed diversity of texture. The fish lay in a simple romesco sauce, which added flavor without overwhelming it. My friends and I all agreed that it was one of, if not the, highlight of the night.

By the time we cleaned off our five plates, we could barely move and decided to forgo dessert. However, I have, on previous occasions, tried the Cira sorbet and can vouch that it is the perfect palate cleanser to end the night. Overall, we were pleased with our latest endeavor to find the best Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago. Aba still occupies my number one spot, but my suitemate was reaffirmed of her conviction that Cira still remains top for her. We are still eagerly waiting for the day that we find a Mediterranean spot that knocks them both out.