Republica, one of Portland's Best Mexican Restaurants, Is Closing

"República, the groundbreaking tasting menu restaurant specializing in Mexican culinary legacy and influences, will close in February, owner Angel Medina has confirmed. The restaurant was a James Beard Award semifinalist and, as our critic Jordan Michelman called it, "one of the best Mexican restaurants on the West Coast, with storytelling and history proudly brought to the fore." República first opened in November 2020 as a collaboration between Medina, pastry chef Olivia Bartruff, and chef Lauro Romero, previously of King Tide Fish & Shell."

"Over time, República evolved. Romero began serving a more serious tasting menu in the evenings, often featuring inventive moles incorporating Oregon-grown produce, memelitas with house-nixtamalized masa, and evocative dessert courses. One dish, a tri-colored quesadilla filled with quesillo and served with an earthy-nutty salsa macha, became an iconic course on the tasting menu. Servers delivered each dish with historic or personal context, talking about foodways and cultural influences. It served ingredients hard to find on other Mexican restaurant menus around Portland, including chicatanas (ants)."

República will close in February. The restaurant opened in November 2020 as a collaboration between owner Angel Medina, pastry chef Olivia Bartruff, and chef Lauro Romero. The concept began as a daytime coffee and masa snack operation and transformed into an evening tasting-menu destination. The menu featured inventive moles with Oregon produce, memelitas with house-nixtamalized masa, a tri-colored quesadilla with quesillo and salsa macha, and a chanterelle risotto made with house-nixtamalized beans. The kitchen explored aguachile influenced by Japanese techniques and used rare Mexican ingredients, earning a James Beard semifinalist nod.

Read at Portland Monthly