By Jason Klaiber

Staff Writer

Circa Ce Soir has returned to the area six years after its closure, and with that, so has its scratch-made and nutritious food.

Previously a fixture in the village of Cazenovia until 2014, the restaurant’s comeback in January brought it to the shopping plaza near the fire station on Cazenovia Road in Manlius.

Years after closing the farm-to-table restaurant she owned, Alicyn Hart ended up running the kitchen for Heritage Hill Brewhouse from late 2018 to mid-2019.

Marco LiCicero, one of the cooks on her line at the Pompey brewery, reached out to Hart after her stint there concluded to see if she had interest in pursuing a project with him.

“I seized that moment and asked if she would want to partner up,” LoCicero, a co-owner of Circa Ce Soir with Hart, said. “That brought us to where we are now.”

LoCicero said it brings him happiness to be associated with an already-established name synonymous with high-quality food.

“It’s enough of a nod to the previous restaurant to where people know what they’re going to get before they even walk in the door,” he said.

With its ever-changing menu inscribed on a chalkboard, however, the Manlius Circa Ce Soir will more than likely be keeping patrons on their toes.

“The items go on and off depending on what we have and what we put together,” LoCicero said. “For the most part, something that’s been there one day won’t be there the next day.”

Mainstays include the fried egg sandwich and grain bowls. Others, like the bean burger, stay in the rotation based on trends of popularity.

The dinner specials switch on a nightly basis, although early on in its run the restaurant had been known to offer leftovers the following day at half price.  

It all has to do with Circa Ce Soir’s no-waste principle.

“We sell out by design,” LoCicero said. “We make everything from scratch, and we make it all in small batches. We would rather sell fewer dinners to make sure that nothing goes to waste. It’s just something that we believe in.”

Customers ordering take-out meals have been encouraged to bring their own reusable containers.

Though the sizes of those personal vessels vary, the portion sizes never change.

“We don’t fill up the container,” LoCicero said. “That’s just the vehicle to transport the meal to get it home. Everybody usually errs on the side of caution and brings something that has more than enough room.”

The restaurant also permits patrons to submit a $1 deposit to borrow a mason jar or a $10 deposit for a stainless steel hotel pan.

In addition to an unwillingness to squander food or materials, Circa Ce Soir relies heavily on local sources.

The Cazenovia-based Local Roots Farm provides chicken to the restaurant.

Lucky Moon Farm, also out of Cazenovia, supplies items like potatoes, onions and celery.

Common Thread, based in Madison, hands over such ingredients as carrots and garlic.

Regional Access, an Ithaca wholesaler, contributes dry beans and grains.

“At the end of every day, we can hold our heads up high knowing that we did everything we could to work in an industry that we love yet do it in a way that has a low impact on the environment and is a benefit to local farmers and producers,” LoCicero said.

The restaurant also serves imported products, like wheels of cheese from places as far away as Italy.

The name Circa Ce Soir means “around tonight” in French, suggesting a roughly thought-out plan for an evening—a message LoCicero said fits with the eatery’s emphasis on both its dinner menu and take-out option.

The restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and dinner is served starting at 4, but ordering by 6 p.m. is a requisite.

The space offers a community table with seating for about 10 people as well as a standing bar.