I am not complaining about the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having. This past weekend actually felt like winter and I… was not a fan. So let’s look back on a recent weekend that was so warm, we were able to brunch outside.
We were up in the Takoma area to do our boozy Christmas shopping, and decided to check out Republic. I loved the relaxed vibe of the restaurant, and the casual atmosphere on the back patio.
I was starving from a late-morning kickboxing class, so we ordered brunch appetizers along with bloody Marys, because when you’re hungry a cocktail garnish is the most exciting thing you’ve ever eaten.
The bloodies were good, and the apps were even better. We ordered the potato latkes, which were piping hot and extra crispy and the slow cooked corn grits. The latkes were very enjoyable, but Tom and I found our spoons dueling for each bite of grits, which were rich and creamy and the perfect texture.
For my entrée, I ordered the shakshuka – two poached eggs in a spiced tomato sauce with squash, quinoa tabouli and grilled bread.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this at all. But it was my fault and not the restaurant’s. By spiced, I was assuming they meant spicy, when what they really meant was “all of the cumin”. And I hate cumin, so… fail. I will say the eggs were cooked well and the quinoa tabouli was a cool idea. If you like cumin, you would probably love this.
Tom went with the buttermilk biscuit with scrambled eggs, fried chicken and bacon. Mixed greens on the side instead of fries because he’s super health conscious.
This entrée was fantastic. I stole several bites and wished I could have had the whole thing to myself. The bacon was thick and chewy, just how I like it (I know, crispy bacon lovers, I know) and the chicken was boneless white meat (I know, fried chicken lovers, so vanilla but sorry I’m not sorry) and the biscuit simply melted in my mouth. The eggs were made with white cheddar and thus super fluffy and delicious. All in all, this dish was stellar.
Also, it appears that Tom was playing air guitar in that photo. It must have been a love song to the biscuit. I can’t recall.
Cumin aside, Republic was another one of those restaurants that makes me wish I branched out more often from the neighborhoods and restaurants close to home (Bar Civita is another) and just goes to show that there are ample benefits to switching things up every now and again.
Leave a Reply