The Bloomfield Curse?

Republic

39 Jerome Ave.

Bloomfield, CT 

Republic is the latest tenant of an ill-fated building on Jerome Avenue in the center of Bloomfield. In our lifetimes, the building has housed, among others, a Saybrook Fish House and a W. B. Cody's before burning down in its penultimate incarnation as the mediocre Mediterranean grill Mavi. Culinarily speaking, Bloomfield, like the building on Jerome Ave., is a bit of a grab bag. There are a lot of mainstream national-chain restaurants (think Ruby Tuesday's), but you can also find some gems like Ginza for reliably tasty sushi and hibachi, Pasticceria Italia for delicious cannoli, and some small mom-and-pop ventures that come and go. When we found out about Republic, which calls itself a "gastropub," we thought it was worth a trip. Could it be a worthy competitor in the Hartford County restaurant race? Could it actually draw diners away from the juggernaut of West Hartford Center? Could it beat the curse of Jerome Avenue?

In short: we think yes. 

Republic's parent company, The Mill on the River Restaurant Group, has totally recreated the interior to reflect that "industrial farmhouse" aesthetic currently in vogue with the youngish, stylish set: exposed ductwork and brick, wooden beams, hardwood floors, chalkboard walls, right down to the dishtowel napkins.

Urbanized rural.

The effect doesn't feel contrived or overly trendy, however. When we arrived on a Monday night before the 4th of July, the convivial chatter of the small crowd in the bar, along with the low lighting and warm wood accents, made the place seem cozy and welcoming. As reluctant yuppies, we felt right at home.

The menu was also intriguing. We both had trouble deciding what to order because it all sounded good. There were the dishes that you'd expect to find in a pub--hamburgers, mac and cheese--but also some unexpected details, like Catalonian pan con tomate, Vietnamese banh mi, and a Kobe beef burger.

Upscale international comfort food.

We finally settled on mushroom and fennel crostini, grilled skirt steak with chimichurri and the apple-glazed pork confit. The crostini was unremarkable, and completely overshadowed by the fresh-from-the-oven, still-steaming focaccia that was served with grassy green olive oil. The skirt steak was cooked perfectly and served with a vinegary, herby, totally decent chimichurri, three crispy fingerling potatoes, and an avocado salad that did not skimp on the avocado. The pork confit must have been delicious because one of us licked the plate clean without sharing with the other.

 Almost as good as going to Argentina for steak and chimichurri.

Pork confit and creamy polenta.

We washed down this very tasty meal with some of the house special drinks--something called an "1880" that featured rye and bourbon, and a "Cold Toddy" made of bourbon and cinnamon--and a glass of jammy Malbec. The drinks were stiff but not cheap at $9, while the wine list was varied and economical with glasses running between $7.50 and $9. We noted the well-chosen microbrews on tap and in bottles on the beer list, though we didn't try any of them. We weren't impressed by the dessert menu (tapioca soup? no chocolate? really?) and skipped that course. 

The portion sizes may be a point against Republic. We both cleaned our plates and were full, but those who have large appetites or like to take home a doggie bag may not find Republic to be a good value. For three drinks, a shared appetizer and two dinners with no leftovers, we paid just under $100. However, the menu does have a variety of price points; we ordered entrees in the $20-$25 range, but there is plenty on offer for $10-$15, like sandwiches and small plates.

The service was a little slow, but otherwise attentive and friendly. We waited a bit for the hostess to seat us and for our drinks and food; that may have been inevitable as a new staff irons out the kinks, or due to the fact that we were sitting upstairs, far from the kitchen. The manager stopped by our table to ask how we liked our food and also sent us off with a cheerful farewell. Our waitress was friendly and willing to answer our questions, and knowledgeable about the menu even though the restaurant had only been open for a couple of weeks.

The verdict? We're going back, and we hope you do too. Maybe Republic will finally break the Jerome Avenue restaurant curse.

Peruvian throwdown

Cora Cora
162 Shield St.
West Hartford
 
Tonight, it's a Peruvian throwdown: Cora Cora, the middle-class homecoming queen, faces Piolin, the scruffy cousin from the wrong side of the tracks. See our previous blog post about Piolin.

Cora Cora's exterior is pretty blah--it looks like it was the former home of a fast-food franchise--but the interior is warm and clean, with flatteringly dim lighting, tablecloths and cloth napkins. The walls of Cora Cora are decorated, predictably, with woven Peruvian tapestries and posters depicting (presumably) classic Peruvian scenes and landscapes. Families and couples chatted in English and Spanish as pop music played in the background. You could bring a date or your parents to Cora Cora. In comparison, they might be a bit disconcerted by Piolin's plain tables, fluorescent lighting and blaring Spanish-language TV. But we suburbanite Hartfoodieans like a bit of grittiness (style-wise, not in the food) to make us feel like urban pioneers.

The menus of both restaurants are quite similar. Both offer plenty of traditional Peruvian dishes with beef, seafood and of course roast chicken, which is our favorite offering. To ensure a true comparison, we ordered the ceviche mixto and the medio pollo a la brasa just as we did at Piolin. We also ordered something new: arroz chaufa or Peruvian-style fried rice with beef, which was colorful and tasty and better than any other fried rice we've tried.

Arroz chaufa. Tastes much better than it looks here.

The roast half chicken, served with crisp tostones (double-fried green plantain chips), is just as good at Cora Cora as it is at Piolin--tender, juicy and flavorful, it's enough to make an amateur cook despair of producing anything half as delicious at home.

How do the Peruvians get their chicken so perfect?

The ceviche impressed us less, especially in comparison to the entrées and to Piolin's version. While the marinade had a nice balance of acidity from lemons and limes, and freshness from green herbs, we felt that the red onion overpowered the delicate flavor of the fish, calamari and octopus, and that there were not enough shrimp or mussels (only one mussel!) given the otherwise generous portion size.

Ceviche hiding under an onion blanket.

We washed it all down with a Corona--sadly lacking a lime--and a Cuzqueña, a Peruvian pilsner that complemented the food nicely. We were almost completely satisfied with our meal, except for one glaring omission: the green sauce! At Piolin, we poured this addictive sauce (whose main ingredient we have since been informed is huacatay, a green herb--thanks, Sergio) all over our dinners and still couldn't get enough. Here at Cora Cora, we were served a thick yellow sauce with our fat fried corn kernels that just didn't have the same fresh, spicy, creamy taste of Piolin's.

Service was attentive, friendly and prompt. When our bill came, we noticed a bit of a difference in price as compared to Piolin: tonight's meal came to $45 plus tip, while a comparable meal at Piolin cost $36 plus tip. Although Cora Cora serves delicious food at a reasonable price, we consider Piolin the winner of the Peruvian throwdown.