Circa, neatly lettered on a white foil background, hangs above the door on 1754 N. Franklin St. And that's the only indication customers are going to get of this comfortable little bar, just north of Brady Street.

The lamps cast a warm glow over the tables and chairs. A pile of papers and a map adorn a black table in the back. Much like drinking a beer inside an Ethan Allen store, Circa exudes atmosphere, and the ponytailed bartender, Bob, does what he can to maintain that atmosphere, lighting a candle and setting it on the bar.

Circa is a quiet, unassuming place. Every Thursday night is a folk and country night. "Banjo, stand-up bass, flute...whoever wants it," Bob comments.

"The word is out; people are coming in from all over now," says Bob. Perhaps it's for the 50 cents off all drinks from Monday to Friday until 7 p.m. Since the place has always been a bar, since 1888 when the building was built, it's easy to understand why the location works.

Joe Jeffrey owns the place. He's a coin collector, so buying and selling is his interest. He used to own the Shorewood Coin Shop but in October 2001 he opened up Circa. Jeffrey lives a few blocks away, and he remembers when Circa used to be The Schmidt House. As soon as it went for sale Jeffrey jumped on the opportunity.

It took 14 months to remodel, but ripping out all those layers of linoleum was worth it: the bar now has hardwood floors, and a peaceful feel that most bars try hard to emulate. Circa is a homey pub with prairie-style chairs, purple and white flowers on each table and music (typically early-'60s) floating in through a couple of well-hidden speakers.

Behind the bar, an old cash register with golden dials and a wood cash drawer sits nestled between shot glasses and bottles of hard liquor. There's nothing on tap here; but take a look at Circa's Belgian imports. With names like Delirium Nocturn, Liegmann's Frambozenbier and Lucifer it's hard to go wrong. In addition to the regular bar fare, there's also the Lakefront and Sprecher Brewery beers.

Circa is a good place to bring a date or an excellent start to the evening before heading out to the restaurants and "other" bars. Most couples order a bottle of wine and play checkers or chess at one of the corner tables.

Over the register is a smiling likeness of Dionysus. "We try to stay away from the typical bar games and electric signs," says Bob. Instead, the walls at Circa are adorned with mirrors and black and white photos of old saloons. Wooden columns flank the back of the bar.

Circa doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It stays true to its roots as a quiet East Side bar, a comfortable hangout to go with a significant other or a bunch of friends and a pack of cards.