I am wary of the recent Riviera gentrification project that seems to be underway, but Rebel Republic is so undeniably cool! Outdoor patio, casual inside tavern-esque bar with a modest menu of bar bites that blow my mind. Impressive beer selection but they make a decent old fashioned as well.
The brainchild of H.T. Grill's Nael Taki and Hennesey's Paul, the menu appears deceptively simple yet brings out sensations most complex.
I've had pork, I've had cheek, and I've had tacos, but I've never had these Pork Cheek Tacos. The pork is impossibly tender and shreddy-soft, as it floats beneath avocado burnt by poblano. Radish-onion salsa anchors the pillows of pork as the queso fresco enriches the mix.
They may make the best meat in the Riviera if the Short Rib Double Dipped is any indication. Short rib is so easily bland and tough, yet the slivers that slip out of this crusty baguette are almost as soft as the pork cheek and almost dynamic enough to stand alone. Add an au jus with enough elements to be a brothy soup, and you have a sandwich that rivals Phillippe.
Rebel Republic. Wow. You have to a set of brass ones to come up with a name like that, and your food better make a punch-me-in-the-face kind of impression. Bold and innovative it is not, but the meat did make one heck of a lasting memory. Delicious favorites in a fun-in-the-sun-and-shade kind of bar is hardly a rebellious concept, but they do add a spunky spin on all the things that go with beer. And damn, it does go well.
I usually don’t care what a restaurant is called. You could name it Poop as long as the quality (and content!) of the food isn’t reflective of the name. But Turquoise is the color of the Mediterranean from which this food hails, and with a name like that, the restaurant just has to be classy all the way.
Turquoise lives up to its name with vibrant walls of beautiful art, and so did my Grilled Salmon Pesto Panini. Any panini with a name like that is obviously going to be mind blowing, and this one was out of this world. The wild Scottish salmon is softly seared. The flavor is fresh and pure, with basil pesto balancing a solid fish. Avocado adds a fatty creaminess to the otherwise spring-y sandwich, and even the ciabatta is remarkably chewy and soft, with the whole wheat adding heartiness to each perfect bite. Sounds simple, but I’ve never had anything where the flavor combination made such a splash.
Five stars and all I had was a freaking sandwich. It just happened to be the best freaking sandwich I’ve had all year, and after a freaking sandwich like this, my usually brown eyes were glowing Turquoise by the end of the meal.
