The recent and unexpected departure of Executive Chef David Landrigan from Circa 1875 left a big toque to fill in the kitchen of the downtown French restaurant. “We wish him well,” Jeffrey Downey said of the chef who was there from the first day, 10 years ago when co-owners Downey and Donald Lubowicki decided to develop their authentic French bar into a true brasserie-bistro. “We didn’t see it coming,” Downey said. So it goes, especially during this past year of unforeseen life challenges and untoward hardships in the restaurant industry. Fortunately, an apt heir was already at Circa, and familiar face Ja’Derrick Reed now has executive chef embroidered on his chef’s coat.