I’m looking for a top shelf birthday dinner, along with my wife and teenage daughter. We eat early - 6pm. In reviewing restaurants rather much these last few days, I have concluded that - for me - there are two tiers of restaurants that make sense from a QPR standpoint: high-end, serious spots that deliver and that you pay princely sums for and on the other end there are low-end, great food gems that serve an honest (and delicious) meal. What I really try to to avoid are the middle of the road, pseudo high-end places that really don’t have the commitment or infrastructure to support the smoke and mirrors and yet charge as though they do. With that in mind, I am stuck between these two. I have been to Mozza Osteria and Trattoria but not for a few years. Republique I have skipped in for breakfast only but I had many great meals in the slightly moribund Campanile days, so I love the space. Preamble aside, any thoughts on these two? R seems ridiculous in it’s pricing but I hear good things. MO is solid bet but is it more than that, is there any excitement in the dishes? Thanks for any thoughts.
low QPR for Republique but very good food. I typically clock in @ $100pp with 2 drinks each, and that’s with careful ordering. If you go crazy on the larger format items and mains you can go way, way above $100pp.
Seconding Ns1, but I still prefer it to Mozza - with the caveat that I’ve only been to Mozza once. That said, I did not find the food nearly as interesting or exciting as at Republique, and am more than happy to pay the premium for it.
Osteria Mozza is great and good value for the money. So is Chi Spacca.
Food : flip a coin - they both do most things very, very well at about the same price point. Fewer clunkers at OM, I think, and the cooking seems re-invigorated there these days (based on a visit last week, compared to my last visit a few years ago).
Crowd: Broadly speaking, of course, the crowd is older at OM - well heeled late 40’s and up vs. many more 20-30 somethings at Republique (though probavbly not so much at the time you are eating).
For birthday, go to OM.
ended up at republique very happily.
super attractive restaurant, serious about food but still unpretentious
only disappointment was seared foie gras which was poorly paired with oatmeal (? wtf) and bland apples, everything else delicious if a bit rich. late harvest riesling and wash state cab franc both very good.
and yes, very expensive. was it worth it? hard to answer that-- everything wonderful but is that worth $250?
Oatmeal porridge? Seriously?
yep, misguided dish to be sure… and too bad because we have foie gras about once every two years only. our go-to has been Jiraffe until its close, and they did a damn fine job there. other than foie gras, everything was excellent but i say just go with classic prep - some starch, ideally toast or brioche, and some fruit with bright, acidic tartness.
Classic French presentation, the fruit is in your wine glass.