A new restaurant brings the flavors of the Mediterranean to the North Coast. Opened this month in the former YMCA building at 512 12th St., in Astoria. Civil blends faraway dishes with the local ingredients for a Northwest-Mediterranean fusion.

“The focus is mostly on the western side of the Mediterranean — so Spain and Morocco,” according to Brett Meyer, Civil’s co-owner and chef. “We want to use the techniques and the spices and the flavors from the Mediterranean with our local products.”

Front and center is tapas small plates, including the classic La Gilda, a Basque pintxo, or skewer, combining an olive, anchovy, and pickled pepper. Another menu mainstay is a savory tart, such as the first one featuring goat cheese, asparagus, and leeks. Pescatarians will enjoy sablefish (black cod) with romesco and dill, and salmon, when in season.

“We’re also going to focus on providing salads as much as possible,” Meyer added, like one with white beans, asparagus, Manchego cheese, avocado, and apples with a citrus dressing.

Vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-intolerant will all find something to choose from on the Civil menu.

The other focus is local, emphasized co-owner Melissa Barber. “We are talking to as many local vendors as possible so that we can source our fish, meat, and a lot of the vegetables as locally as possible.”

That includes their own efforts, from picking cherries or blueberries at Oregon farms or harvesting herbs from their own garden in Astoria, where they’ve lived for nine years. Some cuisine-specific ingredients, like European anchovies or membrillo (quince paste) will be imported to add to the authentic flavors.

Civil culminates a two-decades-long dream for Meyer and Barber. They used the Astoria Sunday Market, Uppertown Farmers Market and popups as testing grounds and previews. Civil will also serve empanadas as well as dessert hits from their Sunday Market booth, including a citrus cake with rosemary and olive oil ice cream made in-house. Bread and pastries will in time will also be made on the premises.

Meyer and Barber credit many colleagues in the industry with providing encouragement, advice, and even hands-on logistical help. “It’s such a supportive food community here,” Barber said. “Everyone works together to make it a thriving business community, and this is a way that we can give something back.”

The North Coast Food Web served as a business incubator for Civil.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without right their assistance,” Barber said.

Meyer and Barber rented the nonprofit’s commercial kitchen and used it as a home base for serving the local farmers markets. And they received support with licensing and networking.

“It gave them a jump start in the tough food business,” said Food Web’s program manager Andy Catalano. “Civil is really a success story. It was really great to see them come in with an idea and be able to iterate with low cost of entry. I’m just thrilled for them.”

The duo credit the previous occupant of the space, Gathered Market, for creating a solid foundation for the restaurant. Many of the furnishings are recycled, reused, or repurposed, including tables and chairs from a defunct brewery in Portland. A blue-tile pattern brought from Spain centers the beech bar top, which came from a Portland arborist friend. The Columbia bar pilot Mark Hails gifted a slab of Eastern European walnut tree for a side counter.

The restaurant, whose name, Meyer said, “is a play on the British pronunciation of Seville and also reflects our basic desire for people to be nicer to each other,” seats about 30, plus a few more at outdoor, streetside tables. With a full liquor license, it will start out serving beer, cider, and wine as well as nonalcoholic options.

Civil is open for dinner Fridays and Saturdays from 3 to 8:30 pm and Sundays from 4 to 8 pm; on Sundays, the restaurant will also be open for the market for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with enhanced to-go options.

In the fall, the duo plan to hold special dinners events, with set menus venturing on culinary adventures around the Mediterranean basin. “I don’t really know what the food of Malta is right now, but I would like to find it out,” Meyer said.

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Civil

Northwest-Mediterranean restaurant

512 12th St., Astoria.

Open for dinner 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Also Sundays, the restaurant will also be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Astoria Sunday Market with enhanced to-go options.