Focusing on providing guests with a great dining experience is what we do. Using some of the best ingredients from local providers, Circa 81 takes pride in offering a farm / sea to table menu as much as possible, supporting local fishermen and farmers. Scroll down for a list of some of our purveyors. Circa 81 is also a member of the Carteret Catch program. Hear the Circa 81 story.

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Circa 81 has participated in the NC Seafood Festival Chef's Tent and People's Choice Crabcake competition, the Beaufort Wine & Food Festival, and the Fire on the Dock culinary competition (where team Circa 81 was a finalist in 2013 and semi-finalist in 2014). Circa 81 was also finalist for the 2011 Best Dish NC contest.

 

Other awards include: 2015 Favorite Chef -  Clarke Merrell (owner Circa 81/Dank Burrito) from Coaster Magazine Reader's Choice Awards, Best Eats on the Crystal Coast by Cooking with Paula Deen magazine, Clarke Merrell - 2015 Arnold Murray Small Business Person of the Year by Carteret County Chamber of Commerce, Circa 81 has been named Open Table Diner's Choice 2011-2020. Circa 81 is also a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Winner and in the Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame for earning a Certificate of Excellence every year for five years consecutively. We have also been included in Cooking Light magazine (September 2011) and the 2012 NC Visitor's Guide. 

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All of these great opportunities and inclusions are the result of a never-ceasing focus on outstanding food quality and service, plus lots of hard work. 

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Circa 81 is also community and civic-minded; donating time, food and goods to numerous charitable organizations in the area. Giving back to the community that has embraced Circa 81 is an opportunity we are grateful to have.

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Many of our ingredients come from: 
- Garner Farms (Newport, NC)
- Blue Ocean Market (Morehead City, NC)
- Allan Benton, Benton Ham (Monroe County, TN)
- Ashley Farms (Winston-Salem, NC)
- Ashe County Cheeses (Ashe County, NC)
- Nelson Blueberry Farm (Bridgeton, NC)
- Anson Mills (Columbia, SC)

- Heritage Farms (Goldsboro, NC)

- Lady Edison (Chapel Hill, NC)

- Spinning Spider Creamery (Marshall, NC)

- Old Mill of Guilford (Oak Ridge, NC)