Republic

A little cramped and the service was spotty, but the food and drink was outstanding.  If you don't mind sacrificing one for the other, Republic is your place!

Cozy, two floor pub atmosphere near the center of Bloomfield.  Draft beer selection is limited but decent.  Bottle selection I think is better at least in terms of numbers.  I had the truffle parmesan popcorn for an appetizer which was stale tasting; I don't recommend it for $5.  If you really want popcorn, you're better off with Pop Secret.  My wife had the gazpacho chopped salad, which was a highlight.  Excellent, fresh combination of flavors.  Portion was not huge, if you're looking for a large salad (for me, the size was fine).  My wife got peel and eat shrimp (a special) in old bey.  She didn't really care for the amount of liquid, and it had other flavors besides the old bey, but I sampled it and thought it was excellent.  I had the coq au vin, which I found to be excellent.  The stew was rich and flavorful, the chicken was tender, falling off the bone.  I would have liked to have seen more carrots and other stew compliments, but overall this was an excellent dish.

Went to Republic for happy hour after hearing recommendations from a few people.  Was happy to see local beers featured as specials (City Steam, Hooker, Ten Penny, as well as Narragansett), and local Cato Farms cheeses used for their cheese plates (not a happy hour special).  What really puzzled me though, was the choice to serve toasted raisin bread with the cheese plate.  It really interfered with the flavor of the cheeses; some plain naan would have been great.
Anyway, I really dug the interior and open kitchen, and the service was adequate.  I'd be interested in coming back to try the hummus plate or guacamole during happy hour.