Cork Wine Bar, 14th & Riggs St NW - Chef Jason Schreuder Replaces Kristin Hutter

[cajcaj]

We did end up going early on Saturday night, but turns out it wasn't as full as it normally is - even Tom said as much - probably due to the excellent weather. We had the fries - great crispy outsides with mashed potato like interiors, and I liked the house made ketchup, kinda tomato paste-y. We also had 3 cheeses (Humboldt Fog, Cowgirl Creamery RedHawk and a spanish blue) and a plate of proscuitto - really like the way they present their charcuterie here, with a pot of mustard, pot of cornichons and a generous helping of mache/microgreens on top. We also had the calamari, they were fried excellently, but they were a bit salty to me which is saying a lot - I think it was the caper remoulade. One of my faves of the night were the green beans - with lemon salt and carmalized walnuts - very good! For dessert I had the cookie plate and my boyfriend had the goat cheese cheesecake. We both found it more successful than other goat cheese cheesecakes we've had in the past.

As for drinks, I had the Italian sparkling flight and my bf had the Rose flight - that's about all I remember on that front!

[blakegwinn]

I know there are already quite a few posts on here about getting tables already but I have another. I am going to be back down in DC for my birthday this weekend and my brother and his girlfriend are taking me out to dinner on Saturday. I decided on Cork but I have never been and don't really know the size of the place, and the table setup so I am trying to figure out where I should put the limit on my crew. We have 5 of us right now and I have a few others I might invite if it doesn't jeopardize us being able to easily get in. Do any of you who have been there a few times and know the layout have any thoughts? We should get there before 7 if that helps.

[blakegwinn]

I know there are already quite a few posts on here about getting tables already but I have another. I am going to be back down in DC for my birthday this weekend and my brother and his girlfriend are taking me out to dinner on Saturday. I decided on Cork but I have never been and don't really know the size of the place, and the table setup so I am trying to figure out where I should put the limit on my crew. We have 5 of us right now and I have a few others I might invite if it doesn't jeopardize us being able to easily get in. Do any of you who have been there a few times and know the layout have any thoughts? We should get there before 7 if that helps.

Just to help anyone wondering the same thing, table situation is tough. We stuck to 5 people and I am glad. I think it would have been tough for anything larger than 6. Due to the format I don't think tables turn very quickly and even with 5 we couldn't really wait together at the wine bar due to the crowd. We did the call ahead, showed up about a half hour later and waited for a little over 50 minutes. I have to imagine this is a really tough gig for the hostesses because I think due to the small plates and variable after dinner wine consumption, the turnover times are all across the board and it is tough to gauge wait times. Also I think it would be tough to fit a party larger than 6 without splitting up. The only place I think that would be possible is that back room and you would have to wait for 4 or 5 tables in a row to all leave. ANd like I said before you never know when you will have one holdout two-top chatting over a bottle for a few hours.

All that said, food was COMPLETELY worth the elbows received while waiting at the bar. Everything was just fantastic. I think they mixed up our table number with someone elses and they kept trying to deliver them to our table. I am assuming our selections were going to that other table. Instead of letting them know they weren't ours, in hindsight I wish we had just kept our mouths shut and had them rack up the charge dim sum style at the end. I would have liked to try everything on the menu. The waitress was sweet as could be and with the wine flowing, we honestly didn't even notice the wait while they got us back on track with our dishes. The higlights (as mentioned in the where are you eating thread) were the chilled pea soup, flat iron steak and even though it was extremely simple, the asparagus dish.

It may sound like I was ripping on the service but as a former server I don't think mess ups make bad service (they happen to everyone), but I think handling them poorly does. The waitress and runners were calm, collected and polite and I probably wouldn't even have noticed if I didn't habitually pay attention to these kinds of things.

[giant shrimp]

The higlights (as mentioned in the where are you eating thread) were the chilled pea soup, flat iron steak and even though it was extremely simple, the asparagus dish.

visually, this is the best green on white i have encountered in some time, and the mint really makes it. soup is becoming adult ice cream this summer, helped by the creme fraiche in this case and the sweetness of the peas. i tried the mark bittman recipe for avocado soup from wednesday's times, which leans the same way helped by milk because of the fat in the avocado. the trick is getting these cold enough, to a point where they are more than just chilled. he recommended six hours, i impatiently cut the time in half, and could see where the soup was headed if i had given it more time, although its texture was quite luscious even so. garnishing this with shrimp, as he suggests, isn't really necessary, and when i make this again i'm going to skip the garnishes (parsley or cilantro, i used the latter) and give it a harder hit of the cayenne.

i like the lemon zest on the fries at cork. our flat iron steaks were good, thick, maybe a tad too charred, not exactly as tender as i have heard them described.

behind the scenes there was some melodrama going on, and i hope the tears were brought on by something romantic (i'm thinking of claude goretta's "the lacemaker") and not because of getting scolded for job performance. beatles songs were playing in the background and you could actually hear them. sunday also seems to be a good night for getting in more easily.

[blakegwinn]

Tom is pouring a very tasty rose right now (Bastianich)

I had that Bastianich as well and it was most excellent. Anyone know where this can be found retail?

[Hannah]

I had that Bastianich as well and it was most excellent. Anyone know where this can be found retail?

You can order any of the Bastianich wines direct from Italian Wine Merchants - that's generally easier than trying to find them retail around here. You might have better luck in NJ.

[blakegwinn]

You can order any of the Bastianich wines direct from Italian Wine Merchants - that's generally easier than trying to find them retail around here. You might have better luck in NJ.

Just so happens I live in NJ. I checked out wine library and didn't find it. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough? Are you referring to somewhere in particular?

[zoramargolis]

I had that Bastianich as well and it was most excellent. Anyone know where this can be found retail?

MacArthur Beverages has some Bastianich whites, so I imagine that they could get the rosé for you, if they don't already carry it.

[Hannah]

Just so happens I live in NJ. I checked out wine library and didn't find it. Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough? Are you referring to somewhere in particular?

No. Just figured there might be a few more places stocking it up there since Bastianich is based in NYC. Worst case, call IWM and ask them if there's someone around New Brunswick/Edison/etc. that carries the rosato.

[cajcaj]

I think the possible confusion comes from the fact that Hannah likely saw your signature tagline (or whatever its called) and assumed you lived in NJ, hence the "you might have better luck in NJ".

[deangold]

You can order any of the Bastianich wines direct from Italian Wine Merchants - that's generally easier than trying to find them retail around here. You might have better luck in NJ.

In DC Bastianich is thru Grappoli Imports so any shop can special order it for you.

[Heather]

My lovely low-key dinner at Cork included chilled carrot soup with Egyptian spices, Greek yogurt, and almonds (which I am totally going to puzzle out at home), quail with pine nut & raisin stuffing, Domaine Dupré, Régnié, "Haute Ronze," and a pop quiz on the ten Cru Beaujolais.

[blakegwinn]

Tom is pouring a very tasty rose right now (Bastianich), and the avocado bruschetta is creamy, crunchy and light. I'll be making that at home. The bar is delightful if you get in at 5, and leave before 6.

And the fries are still my favorite in the city.

I found this discount liquor store up here in NJ that was selling the 2007 Bastianich for 10.99 (credit) and 9.99 (cash) per bottle last week. Beth and I typically don't like the same Rose's. I like a more dry European style and Beth likes hers a little sweeter and fruitier but we both love the Bastianich. I bought 3 and I think I am going back for more tonight.

[Joe Riley]

I mentioned this in my Rickey thread already, but anyone going to Cork and feeling parched by the August heat can beat that heat with Tom Brown's take on the Gin Rickey: Boodles Gin, lime juice, simple syrup and prosecco.

Just wonderful.

Oh, yes, and the by-the-glass wine offerings are pretty darned good, too

[marketfan]

My lovely low-key dinner at Cork included chilled carrot soup with Egyptian spices, Greek yogurt, and almonds (which I am totally going to puzzle out at home), quail with pine nut & raisin stuffing, Domaine Dupré, Régnié, "Haute Ronze," and a pop quiz on the ten Cru Beaujolais.

That sounded exactly like our dinner Friday night there. And we snagged a table outside at 7:30 pm.

[jigones]

We had an absolutely fabulous meal at Cork two Sundays back. The only negative thing to note is that we stuffed ourselves too much and I was hurting the rest of the night. We ordered most of the hot items on the menu. The sauteed wild mushrooms had a great texture and really kicked off a great meal. The Pan roasted organic chicken was cooked wonderfully and had a lot of flavor...nice and juicy. And some might kill me, but the have the best fries in town, which by the way.....go great with the mussels. The calamari were alright but lacked a little flavor, but everything recovered well with the chicken liver bruschetta. I could go on for awhile, but I have to get to ceiba.

The wine selection is eclectic, wonderful and gives visitors a taste of many varietals that just hit the right notes.

P.S. The staff is wonderful and informative.

KUDOS TO CORK and thank god you are right around the corner.

[meatwad]

the best fries in town.....

the chicken liver bruschetta...

P.S. The staff is wonderful and informative.

Yes.

I hope more restaurants can play the game Cork is in. Nothing to do with "concepts", investors, celebrity chefs, pr firms and using culinary school externs as line cooks... Standing in the bar at Cork is surreal. I've never seen a more integrated vision of D.C. It's goddam touching.

[edenman]

Great little stint at the bar yesterday. Got there at 5:30, before the rush...it was really starting to get going when I left around 7.

Old-Fashioned Whiskey Sour

Champagne (can't recall the producer but it was tasty stuff)

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Chicken Liver Bruschetta

House-Cured Trout

Brioche Sandwich (Prosciutto, Fontina, Egg)

Everything was great, but the trout and tomato salad deserve special mention. The trout was firm, meaty, with a great salty-sweet-herbal cure. And the tomato salad was a wonderful homage to tomato season: simply dressed with balsamic reduction, with a few leaves of basil and some mild (goat?) cheese. So good.

[DonRocks]

Great little stint at the bar yesterday. Got there at 5:30, before the rush...it was really starting to get going when I left around 7.

Old-Fashioned Whiskey Sour

Champagne (can't recall the producer but it was tasty stuff)

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Chicken Liver Bruschetta

House-Cured Trout

Brioche Sandwich (Prosciutto, Fontina, Egg)

Everything was great, but the trout and tomato salad deserve special mention. The trout was firm, meaty, with a great salty-sweet-herbal cure. And the tomato salad was a wonderful homage to tomato season: simply dressed with balsamic reduction, with a few leaves of basil and some mild (goat?) cheese. So good.

I had that tomato salad last week, and it was incredible - as good as any I've had this year including the phenomenal version I had at Mendocino Grille. It was served with burrata. The (very good) Champagne by the glass they're currently pouring is made by Thierry Triolet.

Cheers,

Rocks

[edenman]

I had that tomato salad last week, and it was incredible - as good as any I've had this year including the phenomenal version I had at Mendocino Grille. It was served with burrata. The (very good) Champagne by the glass they're currently pouring is made by Thierry Triolet.

I looked it up on the list, and turns out it wasn't Champagne, but Domaine de Martinolles, Blanquette de Limoux, "Le Berceau," Brut NV. Good stuff. And you were right about the burrata, I just didn't know what it was called.

[edenman]

I just recommended Cork to a co-worker, who found this on http://www.corkdc.com/menu.html:

Cork will be closed from August 25-September 1 to give our staff a well-deserved break.

[DameEdna]

Why is Cork closed Aug. 25 to Sept. 1 ? Because they are slackers, that's why.

[dirtymartini]

Slackers ehh? During our hiatus the owners will be replacing the kitchen floor, updating the wine selections, reviewing policies, and touching up paint and other odds and ends. Mean while the rest of the staff will be...slacking on the beach See ya'll Sept 2nd!

[edenman]

Pernod-braised lamb. Go get it. Thank me later.

[mdt]

Pernod-braised lamb. Go get it. Thank me later.

Got it last week. Very good.

[synaesthesia]

Little birdie told me there is pied de cochon to be had this week.

[Joe Riley]

Go in and ask Tom to make you the "Joe Riley" cocktail

W.L. Weller 7-yr 107-pf Bourbon

Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur

John D. Taylor Velvet Falernum

Crème Yvette

Lemon juice

Simple syrup

served up with a lemon twist. :9

I'm so incredibly honored, I can barely stand it. This cocktail practically made my trousers vibrate.

[ebgbdc]

First time at Cork last night--the quick review: Had a fantastic glass of white burgundy at the bar while waiting for my friend (K, I lied: I had 2). We did the flight of champagnes, which for $20 I thought was a good deal for 3 yummaliscious 3oz pours...

Also had:

the french fries. Seriously, these might be the best fries ever. The outside was perfectly crispy. You know how sometimes at a greasy spoon diner if you ask for the fries "extra crispy" they will occasionally hit the magic formula and you get a pile of dark golden brown frites that are crispy on the outside and just a hint of mashed potato-ey goodness on the inside? Like that. But better. Not wild about the tomato-saucy homemade ketchup. I am a Heinz purist. But still. YUM

The fried shrimp/calamari. A nice light touch on the breading, but nothing transcendent. Tasty, though (can you tell I like stuff when it's fried?)

The sauteed kale - awesome, buttery, garlicky with parmesan shavings on top. Loved it. We didnt order it, but I loved it anyway (our waiter said he put in "kale" instead of the "quail" we ordered--lol)

Quail - meh, this dish was lackluster to me. Not nuts about the kinda gummy dressing it was stuffed with...

The staff was great--very kind hostesses who sat us promptly even though my friend was an hour (!!) late for our 6pm res. Our waiter was also excellent, despite the (pretty amusing) kale/quail mixup.

[brettashley01]

As I made my way from the restroom back to the bar, I bumped into Diane, one of Cork's owners.

"You need to have a cocktail list," I told her, "I've never had anything like these!"

"That's why we don't have a list," she replied.

Cork is a wine bar. But if the secret were out, they might not be selling very much wine at all.

My rum punch included nutmeg and clove liquer imported from Barbados; there was a take on a classic cocktail (name escapes me) that featured Cork's homemade lemonade and star anise. My mouth sang. My liver hates me.

I will be back.

[Rhone1998]

I remember stopping by sometime in September, in the waning days of summer, when the days were getting cooler...I wanted something to remind me of the warm days behind me and make me forget about the cold weather to come, and Tom made me his version of a Singapore Sling (I think he called it a DC Sling) that hit the spot perfectly. All the mixed drinks I've had there have been great.

[DonRocks]

Dear Ron,

Put the branzino on the regular menu, exactly as you prepared it this evening. Please trust me on this.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[gnatharobed]

I had the bronzino special too. Loved it. The fish was exactly how I like it- skin crisp, flesh tender. It should definitely be on the regular menu.

[Walrus]

Had a great meal here with Tripewriter and a work colleague the other night. Also loved the fish dish -- superb -- as well as the avocado/pistachio and the roasted tomato dishes (served on crispy breads). Quenelles of goat cheese cheesecake were also a hit. The fries were good, and we finished them all, but they started a hankering for the Palena fry plate that's intensifying daily...I'm thinking we need to make a run up there soon. Also enjoyed the rose flight -- wines all around were interesting and new -- definitely not the same old, same old!

[deangold]

Early stop at Cork with lovely service from Tom Brown. Started with a sherry mint cocktail. Nice light and refreshing. Cheese and olives were accompanied by a jura white in the sherry like vein. I did not make connection of what was what, but the round white rind cheese, goat I think, was superb. Next up house cured trout with fennel and mache. Trout was moist adn plump and good. The fennel and mache seemes a little plain as accompaniments but the overall effect was very refreshing and light. The duck confit has incredible skin on a savoy cabbage base. I thought the cabbage needed to be softer and with maybe more of a spice/dressing. But ohhh the skin. All in all a nice stop!

[GWilly]

Cork is one of my favorite wine bars in the city. The drinks are delicious and I'm a big fan of the menu. Definitely worth a look if you're looking for a nice, relaxing place to grab a drink with a few friends.

[Choirgirl21]

Cork, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

Went to Cork last night for the first time with 4 friends. Between us, we ordered every single plate on the menu aside from the olives, the 2 salads, and the shrimp dish. We also got 5 cheeses, 5 charcuterie, and 3 of the 5 desserts. It was totally gluttonous, and insanely good. Wines were consistently good to outstanding, as was the food, and our server, Devon was fantastic. Her food recommendations were in fact some of the best dishes and her wine knowledge was impressive.

Food first. To keep it simple, I'll just put the dishes into 1 of 3 categories:

Good, but wouldn't necessarily order again - for me this was the trout and the avocado, although others really liked both. I just found them a little plain, the trout in particular, although it was very light and refreshing (a LOT of citrus, too much for my taste). The brioche sandwich also belongs here I think (who doesn't love a sandwich with an egg on top, but that's all it was), and the pork tenderloin, which would move up a category if not for the overly bitter greens (mustard I think?), and the chicken breast (not sure why anyone ordered the chicken? )

Really good, I would happily eat again (and again) - The flat iron steak, simply b/c it was a solid dish, but still in the end just steak (and it came medium rather than med rare), the sauteed mushrooms, really delicious but some bites were oversalted (they were great on the flat iron though) and the sauteed kale, although it was one of the best kale dishes I've had in a restaurant. Torn about where to put the duck, but settling for putting it here. I found the contrast of the rich duck and the beets and vinaigrette refreshing and different, but it's not the best duck confit dish I've had.

The must order dishes - the leeks w/bacon and burrata, possibly my favorite dish although it's a combination I really like, the chicken liver bruschetta for anyone who likes that sort of thing (and in this case, you may be able to win over someone on the fence), the oil cured roma tomatoes were much loved by everyone at our table, as were the brussel sprouts. Seriously, those were 2 dishes I sort of brushed aside as things I could get anywhere or make at home, but they were both outstanding in their simplicity. Oh, and the fries, but minus the homemade ketchup - I think they were better than Palena's to be honest (bracing myself for the feedback on that one, lol). Finally, the branzino served on a bed of some type of beans (details are failing me here).

We had the crostada, the chocolate torte, and the goat cheese quinelles for dessert - I would recommend any of them depending on your tastes.

I started with the sparkling wine flight, particularly enjoyed the last one, which was a sparkling riesling. It was delicious with our vermont blue cheese. Then I had a french sauv blanc Devon recommended as an alternative to the leek pairing - it went great with all of our cold plates, I thought it was a spot on recommendation. We also ordered bottles of a tempronillo (don't remember the name right now, but it was $45/bottle) that we all really enjoyed. Finally, a glass of the moscato d'asti paired with my dessert was the perfect ending.

I would really recommend going in a group if you can - it was a great way to sample so many dishes. I will definitely be back. I wonder if the service is so good across the board too - if not, I'll just be requesting Devon everytime.

[Choirgirl21]

the round white rind cheese, goat I think, was superb.

Guessing that was the Humboldt Fog, served nice and gooey? I love humboldt fog, although my favorite of the evening on our plate (I knew I wanted it going in) was the Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk. So good!

[deangold]

Guessing that was the Humboldt Fog, served nice and gooey? I love humboldt fog, although my favorite of the evening on our plate (I knew I wanted it going in) was the Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk. So good!

Not Humboldt Fog. Probably the Detroit cheese I think

[Choirgirl21]

Not Humboldt Fog. Probably the Detroit cheese I think

Huh, we got the Detroit goat as well, but it didn't have a rind. Maybe just the piece we got.

[DPop]

Saturday we decided on a nice quiet meal at Cork as it had been a while since we had been in to the bar. It was still comfortably crowded at 10:30 when we sat down, a testament to this restaurant's staying power and consistency since it's opening last year.

We kept it light and focused on wine, getting Kale and Fries to snack on and settling on the Branzino and Shrimp and Calamari for our "mains". Everything was pretty awesome aside from the Branzino, which was overcooked and a little boring if you had a bite without the bacon on it, and the housemade ketchup, which tastes different every time I have it (the latest rendition draws a strong resemblance to cocktail sauce). Tom Brown's talent behind the bar should not be ignored, he made me a sherry cocktail that was just outstanding. The wine list continues to be great, if a bit expensive.

[DPop]

Strange to think, after the wildly busy opening, that there hasn't been a post about Cork in 9 months on this board. I think it reflects a positive change (at least for residents of Thomas Circle/Logan Circle/U Street) at the restaurant, which was 80% full and extraordinary last Thursday night. We arrived and were seated immediately at one of the tables outside, positioned well a few feet from a heat lamp that kept us warm enough on a nice, brisk night. Our server (whose name escapes me) was exceptional, a breath of fresh air after having multiple bad experiences at other establishments lately. She was a delightful young woman who was more knowledgable about the wine list than a server needs to be and found the elusive balance of being attentive without being the least bit intrusive. I wish I had kept my receipt so I could put her name in this review, as she contributed significantly to a very good dining experience for us.

For food, we decided to keep it light (or so we thought), ordering our usuals of Kale and Fries and taking our server's recommendation to order the Grilled Asparagus , which were served room temperature on 3 excellent pieces of bread with an excellent ricotta crumbled beneath, capers, and lemon oil. Simple, refreshing, and really excellent vegetarian dish.

After that, we were treated to that night's special, which was a warm Wax and Green Bean Salad cooked delicately in brown butter with garlic. Again, simple, light, and such a nice dish for the weather we were having last week. Our final dish (which we couldn't finish) was the Black Pepper Calamari and Shrimp, which we'd had before and enjoyed, but not as much as we did last night. Something about the tenderness of the calamari along with the lovely caper remoulade was a perfect cap for a very reasonably priced meal ($78 for all these dishes + 3 glasses of wine).

I'm surprised to be writing such glowing praise for a meal almost entirely devoid of any protein, but Cork knocked it out of the park last week. I selfishly hope that Cork has turned into more of a neighborhood spot like it was last Thursday as opposed to the destination-wine-bar madhouse it was last year. My wife and I will become much more regular customers.

[Rhone1998]

Cork is such a wonderful place to have in my neighborhood. I love the fact that you can always count on a consistent set of great standbys (the avocado on toast with toasted pistachios, the sauteed mushrooms, the fries with that lemon zest, the lemonade, while also finding a new treat or two on the menu every time you go back. We took a couple of out of town friends there on a Saturday night about a month ago, and had no wait for a table at 7:00. It was crowded, but not slammed. When I go, I always ask for a table in the back. It's much quieter, and you get a nice view of the open kitchen.

[goodeats]

Well, sometimes the written visual is all you get, as even the strong pains of hunger will block the memory to whip out the cell phone camera, as lousy as pictures come out on those.* The point of this post is to go get the Pan-Crisped Brioche Sandwich that people talk about up-thread ($10 - of prosciutto, fontina, sunny-side up egg) because you will have this visual moment of "OOOooooh" when presented to you.

Crustless, buttery, pan-crisped triangular halves, with a gently-placed sunny-side up egg atop makes a nice "pOp" when you knock the yolk open right over all of it. And if you are like me, you'll sop up the yolk with the sandwich (or place the remainders inside). The pickled cauliflower and peppers side salad elevates the color visuals, make this place a nice excuse for your dining options when you visit the last day of the MidCity Festival today.

*Many thanks to jparrott for suggesting this place as a "bubbly bar" because there are 2 pages of bubblies to choose from, and a Bartolomiol Prosecco ($8) made a nice contrast to the richness of the sandwich.

[leleboo]

Had a truly lovely meal at the bar with GennaroE tonight. Literally everything was a hit: the avocado (oh the pistachio oil and sea salt), the mushrooms (these are stupidly good), the calamari (perfectly lightly fried), the kale (garlic heaven, and also, cripes that was a metric fuckton of kale for $5), and the skirt steak (exactly medium rare with great anchovy and lime accents) and pork schnitzel (tender as anything, superbly gingery) were all strong showings, well-seasoned with nothing over- or under-done. The desserts, which I didn't even plan to sample, may have stolen the show, particularly the goat-cheese cheesecake, presented as three quenelles with crumbs instead of crust.

The wine flights were very well arranged, and Pete recommended a nice Bordeaux to follow my flight of something that used to be called "Funky France" but was apparently changed to something like "Undiscovered France" (I can't recall) for the chalkboard.

I have loved Cork since I first came, and have been remiss in not returning since I decamped to Southeast. But it's consistently one of the most solid wine-bar experiences I've had, and truth be told, some of the better food I've had in a while, small plates or not. I've had Ba Bay and Chesapeake Room in heavy rotation; if Cork were over in my neighborhood, I'd have three favorites here instead of two.

[Flavortown]

the avocado (oh the pistachio oil and sea salt)

Dish of the night for me, though everything was across the board fantastic. After some momofuku inspired doubt regarding the state of DC restaurants, Cork was just what I needed: really flavorful, precise cooking, accompanied by great wine, all served at seriously reasonable prices. And that cheesecake definitely did come close to stealing the show, especially when paired up with the suggested wine.

[Flavortown]

As usual, another awesome meal at Cork tonight. Order the chick peas with saffron broth, swiss chard, tomato, and mint, a dish that doesn't stand out on paper (next to all the other options), but turns out to be a bowl of warmth and perfection.

[ChiantiandFava]

Johnny Monis and his lady friend seemed to enjoy their [possibly v-day] meal last night too.

[ol_ironstomach]

A pre-show meal reminded me that even as the choices along the Logan Circle / 14th St corridor have multiplied, Cork remains one of the strongest and most consistent purveyors of small plates in the neighborhood.

As if it were not enough that Ron Tanaka has excellent technique, his true gift (IMHO) is for constructing brilliant and assertive sauces using seasonal herbs at their peak, which make the main ingredients really sing. And he makes it work in small plate quantities.

The crostini are wonderful as always, but where he really shines is with vegetable or fish dishes, especially right now when asparagus, dill, and tarragon are in season. The pork tenderloin, for instance, was very good, but pork is too dominant to show off his form at its best. From a Michel Richard protégé, there isn't so much a self-conscious attempt to include multiple textures in every bite, but flavorwise the current menu is loaded with items that knock it out of the park. Do not miss the morsels of turbot, served with a piquant horseradish crème fraiche, roasted baby beets, truffles, and tarragon.

We split a rich pot de crème (ginger-lemon curd-chocolate shortbread-something I'm blanking on) for dessert that demanded combining bites of the shortbread with each spoonful. I don't know that I'd have been able to finish one by myself.

Bam bam bam; dishes arrived at a nearly-sustained rate that let us enjoy a full dinner before rushing down the street on foot. Small plates rule.

[Kev29]

A pre-show meal reminded me that even as the choices along the Logan Circle / 14th St corridor have multiplied, Cork remains one of the strongest and most consistent purveyors of small plates in the neighborhood.

You got a shout out...

Quick Feeding: Trystian Inspiration and Belgian Chef Secrets

Posted by Michael E. Grass on Apr. 14, 2011 at 2:48 pm

Words to Eat By: Some thoughts on Ron Tanaka's cooking at Cork Wine Bar: "From a Michel Richard protégé, there isn't so much a self-conscious attempt to include multiple textures in every bite, but flavorwise the current menu is loaded with items that knock it out of the park. Do not miss the morsels of turbot, served with a piquant horseradish crème fraiche, roasted baby beets, truffles, and tarragon." Yum. [DonRocks]

[JPW]

Words to Eat By: Some thoughts on Ron Tanaka's cooking at Cork Wine Bar: "From a Michel Richard protégé, there isn't so much a self-conscious attempt to include multiple textures in every bite, but flavorwise the current menu is loaded with items that knock it out of the park. Do not miss the morsels of turbot, served with a piquant horseradish crème fraiche, roasted baby beets, truffles, and tarragon." Yum. [DonRocks]

I always knew that Dave and Don were the same person. has anyone ever seen them in the same room together?