Yay! New non-chain bar restaurant opens in Updale!

Okay, the new Republic on the second level of Calhoun Square isn’t totally one-of-a-kind; it’s an offshoot of the original at Seven Corners on the West Bank. But at least it’s not a national chain like Primebar and Bar Louie, and all the other mall brands that have infested Uptown – Crate and Barrel (CB2). Victoria’s Secret. Urban Outfitters. Columbia Sportwear. Jimmy John’s. Timberland. North Face.  L.A. Fitness. The Apple Store.

 The new Republic doesn’t have quite the rustic old brick charm of the original, and the decibel level can be pretty brutal, but it has most of the original’s other charms — good food, reasonable prices, and nearly 50 craft beers on tap, including a lot of local brands, like Indeed, Steel Toe, Summit, Surley and Harriet. According to our server, they plan to regularly feature a couple of cask-conditioned beers.

The menu, identical to the West Bank, offers typical simple but imaginative gastropub fare, ranging from fish tacos, chicken wings and burgers to fish and chips ($13), steaks ($18-$24) and walleye ($15). Local ingredients are highlighted, including Star Prairie trout, Wild Acres turkey and Thousand Hills beef.

I only tried a couple of dishes on my recent visit, but enjoyed them both — a classic fish and chips ($13), and a walnut pesto linguine ($10). 

P.S. Check back tomorrow for another mini-review. I have a whole backlog of deals and discoveries that I haven’t had time to write up, so I’m planning to dish them up daily until I run out. (We’ll see how long that lasts.) 

fish

fish and chips

walnut pesto pasta

Author: Jeremy Iggers

Jeremy Iggers is a journalist, university instructor and social entrepreneur with interests that include food, philosophy and global-local connections. Previously, he was a staff writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and publisher of the Twin Cities Daily Planet. He lives in south Minneapolis with his wife Carol and two cats.