re:public with the robertsons

re:public

South Lake Union

She Said:

Reservation for The Robertsons, 7.30 … Holy Crap!

Our first Date Night as an official married couple! Brett and I decided that we’d venture out to a hot new restaurant and show off our new bling.

After hearing that it came in as #1 on King 5’s “Top 5 Best New Restaurants” re: public sounded like just the spot to see and be seen. And also, the menu looked yum.

Now, Brett and I haven’t had outstanding luck at these South Lake Union joints that we visit. But our track record didn’t deter us. Neither did the torrential downpour we had to tackle to get there. We had heard great things, and who doesn’t love a restaurant that puts punctuation in the middle of a word!? Nobody, that’s who.

We showed up and the place was just as expected – perfectly simple and uncomplicated. Dimly lit, industrial; dark wood tables, comfy booths lining the wall; the front wall comprised of a massive garage door; the bar was gorgeous.

We were seated at a teeny tiny table almost on top of a couple next to us. Now, I’m all for communal eating… and I’m also a fan of private eating. But this whole ‘in between’ thing that some places are doing – where they bump you up literally 4 inches away from the next table – I mean, this is confusing for us diners! Do we say hi? Introduce ourselves? Offer them some of our bread?! Or do we ignore them, even though I can hear every word they are saying, and actually find myself laughing at some of their jokes and witty banter. Whose date am I on, anyway?

Would’ve preferred one of the big cozy booths against the wall – if you go, definitely request this style seating – way better for some Date Night snuggles.

Regardless, was a great place to people watch. And the food was awesome. Brett ordered the Half Mad Hatcher Chicken : Shaved Local Truffles : Potato Puree. (22) I decided on the Spaghettini : Butternut Squash : Sunchoke : Foraged Mushrooms. (14). Our favorite thing on the menu, however, was their mission statement: re:public is happy to navigate the shortest distance between the farm and your table. Re:public is the latest in Seattle’s locavore movement.

Reasonably priced, we thought, for a good amount of food. Brett’s chicken was unbelievable – you could taste truffle in every bite. My pasta left a bit to be desired – a little flavourless. Lucky for us, this South Lake Union hot-spot actually had salt on the table, so I was able to remedy this.

We devoured our food, sipped our Boundary Bay IPAs, and as we were buttoning up, noticed that it was WAY more crowded as we were about to leave – around 9pm, than it was when we arrived at 7.30 (it was a Saturday, after all). I bet this would be a fun bar to hit up with the gals for a sophisticated night on the town.

We headed home and rented Alice In Wonderland to finish off our Date Night (to match the theme of Brett’s appropriately named chicken) – now that we’re old and married, we can’t handle too much excitement in one night! This was just enough.

Definitely try it out. Not our favorite – nothing really wow-ed us or stood out (except the service – our waitress was adorable!), but it was a sweet little Date Night out with my new husband – how on earth could I complain?? Happy dating!

RATINGS:

re:public
429 Westlake Ave N
(between Harrison St & Republican St)
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 467-5300
www.republicseattle.com

Romance: 3 - the place had potential, but where Brett and i were sitting, we barely had room to hold hands over the table. Would've loved a bit more space.

Cool Ambiance/Interior: 4 - really dug the decor. Dark and sophisticated.

All Around Service: 4 - our waitress was adorable. Everyone was very nice.

Cost: $$$ = entrees from $14 - 22

Would we recommend it? 4: Good! Just not our favorite…