Republique is the hotly anticipated restaurant that replaced Campanile and La Brea Bakery. Walter Manzke and his chef wife Margarita Manzke partnered on the business with Bill Chait. The grand space, which is rolling out in stages, started hosting dinners in mid-December. Republique features high-top, often-communal seating and a global brasserie menu. Breakfast service, a pastry program and a more upscale back room with prix fixe menu are still to come. People are not suffering in the meantime. The seasonal dinner menu features California ingredients and primarily draws on European cooking traditions. A premium pasta dish still took me by surprise.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra ($19) consisted of firm pasta tossed with two types of clams, meaty, brinier Manila clams and supple razor clams extracted from their long, thin shells. It’s no cote de bouef, but spaghetti alla chitarra sautéed with garlic and chile flakes and sprinkled with crunchy breadcrumbs and parsley made for a satisfying pasta dish.