Chef Angel Medina is the Founder of República & Co. and TODOS Media. Born in Southern California and raised between Guadalajara and Tijuana, Medina came to Portland in 2010 and built a path from Mexican-grown coffee to a small group of restaurants. His work treats Mexican cuisine as history and reclamation, separating what is ancestral from what colonization introduced. República has earned national recognition from the James Beard Foundation and Bon Appétit.

Established in November of 2020, República began as a humble space offering beloved classics such as Pozole, Menudo, and Cochinita Pibil. Within a matter of weeks, it gained popularity as one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city. By only its sixth month, the restaurant began to offer an evening Chef’s Tasting Dinner, which quickly caught the attention of not only the local press but also the L.A. Times.

Within its first year, República was named Restaurant of the Year by Portland Monthly, a week later Best New Restaurant by Eater Portland, and one of Oregon’s Best New Restaurants by The Oregonian. One month later it received its first James Beard Foundation nomination for Best New Restaurant. In September of 2022, Bon Appétit named República one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in America, finishing off one of the most impressive launch cycles the city of Portland had ever seen.

In February of 2023, República finished the build out of its new home, settling in on the busy corner of NW 10th and NW Couch in the bustling Pearl District. The new location wasn’t only a larger space but rather the right space, as it finally matched the quality of the food and the service it was accustomed to doing. The change served as an opportunity to curate an experience that wasn’t possible before, switching the service model and the overall style of the restaurant to one that mirrored something in Paris, New York, London, or even the restaurants of Mexico City. The presentation, the service, and overall experience brought on more recognition and attention to what was already one of the most beloved Mexican restaurants in the country.

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