HOUSTON – If you're in the nation's capital and are craving some authentic Tex-Mex look no further than Republic Cantina, opened three months ago in northwest D.C. and co-owned by Spring native Chris Svetlik. The restaurant has been hosting watch parties for Astros fans throughout the playoffs.
One of this eatery's specialties, designed specifically for the Astros and their World Series run, is a drink combo called 'The Altuve.' It is a pony Miller High Life and a one-ounce pour of Santa Teresa 1976 rum which is a Venezuelan rum. Their tagline for the combo is "it is short, Venezuelan, and hard-hitting like Altuve."
The restaurant grew out of Republic Kolache, started by Svetlik in 2015. Many Texans in the District got very excited, which led Svetlik and his business partner Sam Lipnick to create various popups over the years, growing a wholesale kolache business, and finally opening a "sister" brick & mortar location with Republic Cantina.
Some facts on the duo:
Chris Svetlik
- born in Beaumont, raised in Spring
- moved to DC in 2006
- background in design, started Republic Kolache on a lark in 2015
- family is Czech and has been making kolaches since ancestors came to central Texas in the 1870s
Sam Lipnick
- born/raised in DC
- 26 years old
- pours a mean cappuccino
- a Nats fan, but otherwise a good guy
