A pub is born: The Republic, Farmingdale
Mac & cheese-stuffed meatloaf at The Republic, Farmingdale Credit: Joan Reminick
New to the Farmingdale’s Main Street restaurant scene: The Republic, a neighborhood bar and grill offering a moderately priced menu of hearty Irish classics (plus a few interesting twists).
I stopped in one evening to pick up a menu and my curiosity was piqued by one dish in particular — mac & cheese-stuffed meatloaf with balsamic ketchup gravy ($14). Had to try it.
And so I did, at lunch one recent afternoon. The mac & cheese filling could not have been better – al dente cavatappi in a creamy cheese sauce with a spicy kick. The meatloaf encasing it, though, was a bit too dense — under-seasoned and burger-like. Plating the macaroni-stuffed loaf with garlic mashed potatoes might have amounted to a starch overload had not the spuds been so good.
Simple and satisfying: a friend's beer-battered fish sandwich ($9), served with sweet potato tater tots.
The Republic's more-than-respectable brew menu boasts 19 on tap, 29 in bottles and 2 in cans.
The Republic is at 217 Main St., Farmingdale, 516-593-4400
Mac & cheese-stuffed meatloaf at The Republic, Farmingdale
