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A Cigar People's "Republic"
Los Angeles Restaurant-Lounge Opens Up to Smokers
Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
By Alejandro Benes
The Dining Room includes a cylindrical fire pit and a 20-foot tall tower of wine.
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It's about 100 degrees throughout greater Los Angeles and my buddy and I are walking into what seems like an arctic chill. A strong air conditioner is a good thing. I am curious, however, as to (1) how the blonde sitting at the corner of the bar is staying warm when she is wearing what appears to be not enough and (2) why the fireplace is going strong at Republic, a self-described restaurant-lounge on "Los Angeles' hip dining row on La Cienega Boulevard" -- also a description found on the Republic web site.
In truth, the La Cienega corridor seems in constant transition. Fine dining is still just steps away from a strip club, but what's also true is that the corner of La Cienega and Melrose Place has significantly improved since Republic was reincarnated more than a year ago.
Republic has won awards for its design and, while the general feel is very familiar to anyone who has been to higher-end clubs in Southern California, there are notable charms. The floor-to-ceiling wall of wine is impressive, if not unique. (We did not get to see the hoisting of a woman on the pulley system to retrieve a bottle from the summit.) The bathrooms are well conceived for maximum socializing, with the sinks outside of the gender-specific compartments.
The challenge that Republic takes on is to succeed as both a restaurant and a lounge -- which means that on some nights it's also a club, mainly upstairs. The second-floor M Lounge overlooks the dining room. The private lounge has "alligator leather print wallcovering." (I'm just letting you know since the Republic web site makes a point of letting you know.) Now, and this is where I come in, Republic is seeking to become a destination for cigar lovers by converting its patio on Wednesday nights. This should prove a very welcome offering, especially in cooler weather.
The space to the south of the main dining room is only technically not an indoor room, what with skylights semi-open to the sky. That, in part, is what allows Republic's visitors to smoke cigars while being served innovative food from the kitchen of chef Arturo Paz. Paz displays touches of his significant culinary experience on the dinner menu at Republic. To classify the cuisine risks inaccuracy, but I'm characterizing it as a successful mix of New Orleans-meets-Puerto Rico. Of course, the menu also borrows from Asia, the Southwest and other regions. No worries. It's pretty much all good and leans heavily toward proteins that amply complement any cigar choice.
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