Portland Restaurant Republica Is Getting a New Chef | Eater Portland

"Morales has risen rapidly within the República and Co. restaurant group: she started at the (now closed) bakery Matutina in 2022, then switched over to Lilia Comedor later that year; in 2023 she took over the restaurant and, as co-owner Angel Medina said, “what was once a concept struggling to find its own identity among the República group and bringing the restaurant and its sister bar Comala to new heights.” Co-owner Olivia Bartruff praises her technique and temperament: "She cooks very much from the heart," and "Her focus is always on making things that are delicious and approachable and that make people happy." Bartruff also recalls a moment that highlights Morales's skill: “I remember a moment when she was breaking open uni, and the person delivering it said, ‘I’ve never seen anyone break open uni that quickly. Can I take a video to show all the other chefs in town?’” The restaurant has a masa-focused menu; the team nixtamalizes corn imported from Mexico, and Morales will bring that masa focus to her new role as well as a family birria recipe that some regulars come for every week." - Paolo Bicchieri