Fine dining. Cocktails. Bohemian style. Seafood. Live music and happy hour. Yep, you can have all that and more at The Repp in historic downtown Snohomish.
I have walked past The Repp many times admiring the stained glass on my way to the Snohomish bakery and thinking, “I should check that place out.”
Then, recently, our family needed a change of pace from our usual hangouts.
My husband, my son and I had reservations for 7 p.m. on a Thursday and we arrived 15 minutes early. The host seated us right away. We quickly received our menus and our drink orders were taken.
My husband had an iced tea ($2) and I had a glass of rose, Le Vielle ferme ($7). The drinks came with a basket of herbed rolls made by the Snohomish bakery and served with rosemary butter. The wine and the rolls were very fine.
For our starter, we ordered a caprese salad ($7). The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and the mozzarella seemed fresh. It was beautifully presented and luscious, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, reduced balsamic vinegar and basil. Just the right amount to tide us over until our entrees arrived.
My son ordered fish and chips ($7) off the kids’ menu. My husband ordered the New York steak with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables topped with fig demi glaze ($21). I ordered scallop bouche, a dish of pan-seared sea scallops with roasted vegetables and a mushroom marsala sauce served over puff pastry ($21).
Our food arrived promptly. My son’s fish, three generous pieces of cod, appeared to be hand battered. The fries were average.
The sauce that came with it wasn’t true tartar sauce; it was more like a cross between Russian dressing and tartar but with a little more spice. I thought it was tasty but my son stuck with ketchup.
He really enjoyed his meal but he said there was a little too much pepper in the batter for the fish. I thought the fish was very good and I would eat a whole plate of it myself.
My husband’s steak was ordered medium rare. It was well marbled and seared perfectly. The fig demi glaze was a nice, sweet contrast to the savory steak. The steak itself was exceptional. He also commented that the roasted red potatoes were excellent. And the vegetables were tasty as well.
My scallop bouche was delectable. There were about seven medium-sized scallops on my plate, perfectly seared on one side and resting in a garlicky mushroom sauce.
The puff pastry was well buried under a large amount of sauteed mushrooms.
I was dubious of the mixed vegetables. Most of the time when I am served a pile of greasy mixed vegetables, they are overcooked. That was not the case here. The vegetables were roasted to perfect doneness and were good enough to eat on their own. It was a delicious meal.
If I had to make one critique, it would be this: I prefer my scallops cooked to medium and not well done.
My husband and I cleaned our plates using the remainder of the rolls to scoop up the sauces. That was how scrumptious everything was.
Our overall dining was exceptional — except for our dessert.
We ordered a creme brulee Neapolitan ($6). I expected layers of puff pastry and custard with a bruleed top. What we received was layers of custard and I think pie dough with no brulee. The plate was unadorned. It was good but not the classy dessert I was expecting after everything else was so top notch.
If you need a place to go for a special occasion or just want a really nice dinner out with your loved ones, The Repp in Snohomish is the place to go.
Keep these things in mind:
Live music plays from 7 to 11 p.m. every Thursday and Friday.
Reservations are recommended for dinner.
There is a full bar and a lounge where you can enjoy your drinks.
The wine list is exceptional, and every Sunday you can get a bottle of wine for half price when you buy a starter or main dish.
See the website for the current offerings. It seems that they update their menu frequently.
The Repp
924 First St., Snohomish; 360-568-3928; www.therepp.com.
Hours: 3 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 3 p.m. to midnight Friday though Saturday; 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Specialty: Fine dining.
Vegetarian options: Limited.
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