FOOD
FOODIE
A
Republica
By Esther Allweiss Ingber
e strive to be a food and bev-
erage operation that caters
to the immediate area, a
neighborhood place where families
and young couples can come and
enjoy themselves7 said Petro Drako-
poulos, co-owner with restaurateur
Keith Omand of Republica — Food
and Drink Revolution in Berkley.
Since opening in September, I'm
happy to report that Republica rocks.
The story goes that Drakopoulos,
most recently the general manager of
Texas de Brazil in Downtown De-
troit, moved from Chicago in 2011
to marry Omand's daughter, Alexis.
Drakopoulos previously held corpo-
rate management posts with Jimmy
John's Gourmet Sandwiches and
Marriott Renaissance Hotel.
The partners sought"a great loca-
tion for a restaurant in an under-
served area" and believe they've
found it in Berkley. Republica is across
Coolidge Highway from Huntington
Woods and a couple blocks north of
Oak Park's 11 Mile Road border.
The former Berkley Bistro & Cafe
looks different with exposed ceiling
rafters. The poured-concrete floor,
nicely polished, replaced carpet-
ing. Red walls and a concrete bar
below tin ceiling tiles are new at the
entrance.
The dining room has slatted chairs
reclaimed from a Detroit restaurant
and refurbished pews from a Livonia
church. Wooden tabletops came from
the former restaurant-tavern owned
by Omand and his wife, Georgiann
Mitchell-Omand. Punching up the
space are colorful paintings, some
of Detroit landmarks, by the late
Greg Stephens. A wooden booth —
dubbed the"penalty box"— displays
Omand's hockey memorabilia.
Mitchell-Omand, a dietitian, helped
create the menu and sometimes
cooks with her husband and Drako-
poulos' brother, Dino. In 1949, her
grandparents opened the original
Mitch's Tavern on Cass Elizabeth Lake
Road, a mainstay in the Oakland
County lakes area. Her father, Bill
Mitchell, succeeded them. She and
Omand operated Mitch's II in Water-
ford until 2003.
"We've included a lot of classic
items people remember, such as ribs
and Greek salad, from the Mitch's
restaurants;'Drakopoulos said.
I can vouch for the flavorful, tangy-
sweet barbecue sauce slathered
on ribs. Hand-cut fries accompany
them and also come with the fish
and chips. Bob Kahn of Huntington
Woods, dining with his family, got a
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generous portion of the fresh-tasting
fish.
"He's picky, and said it was fabu-
lous;" said Kahn's wife, Yona.
A dining companion said Repub-
lica's made"the best grilled cheese
she'd ever had; but thought the soup
"tasted like pasta sauce" said Yona. I
tried the same tomato fennel soup
and found it overly thick and tart. I
should have noticed that menu items
are sometimes followed by the letters
"GF"for gluten-free,"V"for vegetarian
and 1/1"for vegan. This non-creamy
soup has all three.
"We strive for freshness and justice
for eaters, no matter what their
dietary needs; said Drakopoulos
about the three options."Our kitchen
has a grill and deep fryer especially
dedicated to gluten-free cooking:'
Republica is a gastro pub serv-
ing quality meals because, he said,
"there's no excuse to go to a bar and
have soggy burgers and other kinds
of poorly made food:"
The popular 10-ounce Revolu-
tion Burger offers smoked Gouda,
bacon, tomato, fried egg, onion ring,
arugula and spicy srirachannaise.
Berkley's Sugar Kisses Bakery supplies
the burger's brioche bun and other
gluten-free bread.
I agree with Drakopoulos that
Flower Roast is the best small plate.
The roasted head of cauliflower,
thyme-garnished, comes with walnut
garlic sauce — and a steak knife.
Also good but small is Greenhouse
Pie: Swiss chard, braised leeks, fen-
nel and feta cheese baked in a flaky
pastry puff.
The black Republica logo puts
"pub" in red, indicating this is a full-
service bar. Most craft beers come
from Michigan.
"We have a fresh fruit cocktail
culture, a take-off on the cocktails of
1970s and '80s;'said Drakopoulos, a
former bartender.
The Berkley 10 Step cocktail he
invented is raw sugar, muddled blue-
berries, Tanqueray gin and Pimm's
Liqueur, topped with tonic water.
"This cocktail, and our Basil
Blood Orange Gimlet, are the most
popular!' RT
I
REPUBLICA
1999 Coolidge Hwy.
Berkley, MI 48072
(248) 268-3175
www.republica.com
$$ out of $$$$$
www.redthreadmagazine.com