Republic - Autumn Menu

The Republic - 120 Magill Road, Norwood SA 5067

As the seasons change, so do our cravings for different foods. As we move into the colder season through Autumn, I start craving big, warm meals to help me build that bikini body for the summer! It was great timing that Republic have revamped their menu to align to the change in seasons. We headed into the Republic on a recent Friday night to try a few of their menu items. We were provided with a gift voucher that contributed towards the meal. One of the highlights of previous visits to the Republic is their slow roasting rotisserie. Delicious large plates of meat have been a feature, and I was looking forward to tasting a few of their new options.

Duo of Dips - $12 

We started with a standard offering, Duo of Dips - served with sourdough & crudities. This evening the dips on the menu were a sweet potato and a skordalia (Greek potato and garlic). Both had good texture, made with a good amount of chunky vegetable bits that complimented the fresh and soft sourdough bread it was served with. For mains we ordered two of the new items to the menu. We chose the Spit Roast Half Chicken (oregano, preserved lemon, yoghurt) and the Slow Smoked Beef Brisket (gluten free) (coleslaw, chargrilled corn and baked potato, sour cream).

Spit Roast Half Chicken (GF) - $22

The chicken came out with a big pile of roasted veggies and a side of gravy too. The first thing I did was tear the chicken apart and get into it while it was fresh off the rotisserie. It was delicious. The meat was still juicy, the skin was crunchy and the lemon / oregano matched these elements very well. Having a preserved lemon there to squeeze on when needed was a good addition to the dish. The two side dressings, yoghurt and gravy added some other flavour bases that complimented the roasted vegetables along with the chicken, but the chicken was the hero and was great on its own.

Slow Smoked Beef Brisket (gf) $28 

Brisket is a cut of meat that's becoming more popular on menus now. It's a cut of meat that needs some time cooking to break down and become soft, juicy and delicious. Doing this with a smoker adds another element of flavour. The Republic's delivery of the brisket was spot on. The fat and connective tissues had sufficient time to break down and create that meat butter affect. The sauce that surrounds the brisket is part gravy, part sweet BBQ. With such a tasty brisket, the sauce was just the right texture and flavour without overwhelming the meat. Another dish that highlighted the meat as the hero. The downfall with this dish were around the complements. The coleslaw was flat and tasteless, with no dressing to combine the elements. The corn was only slightly charred and wasn't as tasty as we wanted it to be.

One of the things that make a good experience great for us is service. On the night, we didn't feel we received this - we had to obtain the drinks menu ourselves, almost yell across the dining room floor to flag down service to place an order, and we were never asked if we wanted a second drink. Other little things like having our table cleared during courses were absent also. We would usually forgive this in a situation where the room was packed, or a new starter was learning the ropes, but on this particular evening, the floor wasn't busy and the staff members appeared to be experienced in service.

On this visit to the Republic, we were treated to some great new Autumn menu items. Both dishes highlighted and ensured that the meat was the hero, even if some of the sides weren't as expected. Having been a few times to the Republic now, I'll still return for their delivery of great meat dishes.