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

[ohstate]

I'd also like everyone to notice the highly literate motif of 15-minute increments in the preceding paragraph, thus placing the reader in the middle of the action, experiencing the process in an almost "24-like" fashion alongside the author. Barf barf barf.

Cheers,

Rocks.

Thanks. We are usually early people anyway, so this may work for us. The band doesn't start until 9, so we should have time even if we get stuck in a jam.

[Mark Slater]

There was a cozy warm glow last night on the late side. Magic Tom and Rachel behind the bar providing novel and extremely tasty gin concoctions. Return trips are obligatory.

[jparrott]

Honestly, you should be able to book a cot in that loft space for those nights where everything's just too good to want to leave.

[synaesthesia]

It is hard to stay away from this place if you regularly decide to show up at 5pm when they open. The place is so cozy and as an added bonus, empty! As Jake mentioned, Tom is truly underutilized. I brought two friends along for cocktails. He stirred up some lovely martinis and as my friend called his first with Lillet - martini +.

I opted for the house lemonade, which is carbonated, but could easily not be. It's definitely a drink that doesn't make a non-drinker feel neglected. The brainchild of Ron Tanaka, it comes from a concentrate with a number of aromatics that include star anise, coriander, cinnamon and some other things that I don't remember - I think. If diluted and frozen into ice cubes, the infusion could make ice cubes for a stunning gin and tonic.

[TedE]

It is hard to stay away from this place if you regularly decide to show up at 5pm when they open. The place is so cozy and as an added bonus, empty! As Jake mentioned, Tom is truly underutilized. I brought two friends along for cocktails. He stirred up some lovely martinis and as my friend called his first with Lillet - martini +.

I opted for the house lemonade, which is carbonated, but could easily not be. It's definitely a drink that doesn't make a non-drinker feel neglected. The brainchild of Ron Tanaka, it comes from a concentrate with a number of aromatics that include star anise, coriander, cinnamon and some other things that I don't remember - I think. If diluted and frozen into ice cubes, the infusion could make ice cubes for a stunning gin and tonic.

We were there for quite awhile later on Thursday as well. I really liked the Lynchburg Lemonade-ish type drink Tom made with that lemonade. It included Velvet Falernum and a ginger(?) liqueur as well. Really fantastically good.

[monsterriffs]

I finally got over here late last night around 11, whereupon I was quite enamored of the single malts selection, but opted for a Hendrick's and tonic as my opening salvo and then enjoyed a glass of the Pierre Gauthier, Bourgeuil, "Soif du Jour" 2006 (I'm trying to place it from looking at the online menu...). I really like this place a LOT more than Veritas. The high ceilings really made a difference to me.

[AlexC]

Ducked into Cork last night for a snack and to have a look at the newest edition to the neighborhood... Wow. It's a great space and it was packed at 7 PM on a cold, windy Sunday. Happily, we were still able to secure a table.

My favorites: $12 glass of priorat, the house-smoked trout salad (well before the priorat) and the cheese selection... Though the blues (one spanish, one french) were far milder than I expected, what I wasn't surprised by was the care with which the cheese menu has been compiled. A wide and interesting array.

This is a place I will frequent, and not simply because it is three blocks from my house -- I don't put too much time in at the Playbill Cafe.

Alex

[And]

Went to Cork for the first time on Friday. We were late and probably the last table served anything from the kitchen, poor form on my part. Started with 3 cheeses, some charcuterie, and a bottle of Plan de l'om. The cheese was fabulous, the spanish blue stood out as a highlight along with the sopressata. For our plates we ordered caramelized sunchokes, fries, duck confit, and braised lamb. The lamb and duck were amazing. I used a whole order of bread to soak up the reamaining braising liquid of the lamb.

If I had to nitpick, the sunchokes were not exactly carmelized (still very flavorful) and the fries were a little underdone. This was probably a product of my late arrival and did not keep us from eating our entire portions.

I am likely to go broke because this fine establishment is so close to my house.

[jparrott]

Nobody comes here any more. It's too crowded.

But those who do can get a white sangaree. 2004 Jo Pithon Anjou blanc, bit of brandy, dash Stone's Ginger, dash Falernum, lemon, quick sniff to see if it needs anything else, shake, strain, lemon twist. Yummmmmm.

[Joe Riley]

Ducked into Cork last night for a snack and to have a look at the newest edition to the neighborhood... Wow. It's a great space and it was packed at 7 PM on a cold, windy Sunday. Happily, we were still able to secure a table.

As Rocks would say, "Say hi sometime." (I was there at the same time - ha!)

That lemonade is a beverage treasure. Trying to remember what I had to drink (six days later...) all good though. The fertile mind of Monsieur Le Brun creates joyous anticipation for this cocktail fan.

[rbh]

Was here on Wednesday night... was able to snag a table w/o a wait at 7ish. Friend and I each had the sparking flight and I had the cab franc flight and she had the grenache flight. Shared the fries, sunchokes, and 3 cheeses. She also had mesculan salad, and I had the brioche sandwich. Everything was tasty and the place was packed by about 730 or 8. Only gripe was how long things took... particularly during the crunch.... I like not being rushed... but it took about 15-20 minutes for someone to take our order, and then another 20 minutes before we got our first flight. When all was said and done, we were there about 2.5-3 hours. And with the popularity, I'd think they'd want to turn the tables over a bit quicker. I'm sure those things will get ironed out though (it's got to be tough to get plates, glasses through the bar crowd to the tables on the left as you walk into the place). Definitely a great addition to the neighborhood.... prices are reasonable, and I hope to make it a regular place.

[ol_ironstomach]

Brilliant. By the time we left (a little after 7:30) there was but a lone 4-top unoccupied, and judging from the trickle of people passing inward, I figure it might have lasted another 70 seconds.

There is so much to love about Cork. Only about two dozen liquors on the shelf, but all very intelligently chosen near the interest/quality/value nexus by the inestimable Tom Brown: a few bas Armagnac, a Bruichladdich, a McDavid bottling of Caol Ila, Chinaco tequila, and so forth. Fer crying out loud, the well bourbon is Weller Antique 107, the most stupendous value going in a straight bourbon. I'd shed tears of happiness if more than two or three bars in the city had the goddamn sense to stock up this usefully, much less with one of the town's more capable mixologists behind the bar. I'll forgive the lack of rye whiskey.

Gubeen kicked off with a Falernum-enhanced Aviation, and I had the riff on Lynchburg Lemonade. As others have commented, the house lemon is brilliant. And almost an afterthought - Chef Tanaka likes using lemon zest a lot, and had all of these perfectly good lemons left over. Spicing the resulting juice though, is genius.

We nibbled through some apps: lovely chicken liver bruschetta, but would benefit from a being served a little warmer, maybe closer to cellar temp. The accompanying shallot marmalade is addictive. Also enjoyed the potato gratin. But the winner for me was the crispy duck confit with wild mushroom polenta (and a bit of escarole...sauteed to an almost crispy stir-fried level). I've had richer confits, but the crisp texture put this one over the top. One of the pricier items on the wallet-friendly bar menu and yet a bargain at $14.

Tom fixed me up with the La Giaretta Valpolicella 2005, which offered a nice earthy nose and healthy acidity to balance the duck, but even better was the Plan de l'Om Côteaux de Languedoc "Oeillade" 2005 he picked for Gubeen. Still a tad tannic, but with an astounding ability to evoke the liver pâté well after we had finished with it. I don't always "get" the whole retro-nasal tasting phenomenon, but the impact was unmistakeable here.

Cheeses come mainly from Cowgirl, and I selected the Pau (goat, Spain), Bleu des Causses (cow, France) and the Detroit Street Brick (goat, from Zingerman's!). All well conditioned, but my top was the Bleu, followed by the Street Brick...although I couldn't help but wonder how the Street Brick would fare with another couple of weeks of age on it. The green peppercorns were really perky, and the goat's milk bite nicely rounded off considering it's only two weeks old. We also hit the finocchiona, from an unnamed Italian producer, because I'm a finocchiona slut. Nice, but relatively mild and not nearly as unctuous as the version from Salumi (hint, hint).

No wonder this place is packed. There could be some minor tweaks here and there, but right from the get-go Cork is exactly the kind of neighborhood place that New Yorkers always seem to want to taunt us about not having in DC, with gentle prices and far better food than you'd expect. Bravo...and I hope it inspires other neighborhood-scale restaurateurs.

[Pool Boy]

You all are really making me want to try this place...soon. A few questions--

1) I don't see Cork on OpenTable...Do they take reservations (require them?) or is it a walk-in first come first serve kind of joint (i hope not the latter, I hate that).

2) Is this easily metro accessible or better to drive and park (if the latter, how's parking? do they have valet?)?

Grazie!

[jparrott]

They're not on OpenTable. They take pre-theater reservations from 5:30-6:30, is all.

Cork's at 14th and Riggs, so it's pseudo-close to U St.-Cardozo (Metro's website says 600m or so). I've never had any trouble finding street parking around there, though I haven't tried at prime time on a Friday or Saturday.

I'll forgive the lack of rye whiskey.

Blame Rittenhouse's distributor.

[DPop]

I have to say, while I enjoy the Sunchokes everyone is talking about, they are not even one of the 10 best items on this excellent menu. This place was packed to the brim last night, but we were lucky enough to get a seat by the window and have a great time with excellent service from Danny. The highlights were the Celeriac Salad (great creamy/tangy balance), the Roasted Eggplant (mint/chili flavor works so well here), and the Lemon and Black Pepper Dusted Calamari and Rock Shrimp (mmmm, caper remoulade). The Goat Cheese Cake, while a bit pricey at $7 for two small lumps, was excellent, with the cake bringing all the natural goat cheese flavor without being artificially sweet, which is where the tiny cookie crumbles came in to give it some sugar.

When I go to this place, I feel like they just get it in ways that a lot of other places in DC do not (I agree with ironstomach's comment about the plethora of neighborhood bars in NYC). I love that Cork is in my neighborhood, and I hope that we continue to see more like it around the city.

[dcandohio]

I was there early Saturday, arriving aroun 5:20. I so, so, so much wanted to love it - maybe my expectations were inflated by such positive early reviews. There was no hostess in front for about 15 minutes, which created a lot of angst among arrivals who wanted to get on the table list. This angst carried on to the bar area, which got very crowded, making it difficult to really sit an enjoy the creative wine list. There were people behind us (understandably) trying to get menus and place orders, and we felt like people were yelling over our heads for much of the time we were there. I will definitely return. The place shows so much promise...but I will wait until the newness wears off, and I can sit, relax, and chat with the bar staff about wine options.

[foodfiend]

With all of the buzz, I was very eager to try Cork last Thursday night. I have to say though, my initial experience with the place made me want to run in the other direction.

My party called ahead (under Cork's policy allowing a 30 minute call ahead for a table) and yet we waited about an hour for a table. My problem really wasn't the wait, so much as the attitude of the hostess staff and the fact that they were not being realistic with the wait times. There were a few tables when my group arrived but we weren't able to be seated though we had 2 out of the 3 in our party present. When our 3rd member arrived 10 minutes later, all tables had been filled and we were told it would be a 30-minute wait. This, too, would have even been fine... but when we made our way across the crowded bar to check in with the hostess 30 minutes later, we were told that we would have to wait another 30 minutes. No acknowledgement of how long we had been waiting but, "People are lingering longer than we expected."

We were finally seated about an hour after we arrived and my party enjoyed two grat bottles of wine and the variety of small plates. Our waiter was also nice as can-be (and he even commented that my party had been waiting for awhile!), but

the unsympathetic and unhelpful hostess really is a bad introduction to the otherwise delightful Cork.

[B.A.R.]

With all of the buzz, I was very eager to try Cork last Thursday night. I have to say though, my initial experience with the place made me want to run in the other direction.

Not making excuses (but I am....) estimating turn times in a restaurant is an acquired skill. A hostess with 10 days of experience at a restaurant that has been around for 20 years should be able to guage the flow of customers very effectively. A hostess with 20 years of experience would have no clue at a restaurant open 10 days.

A restaurant is a living, breathing organism that goes through dynamic changes in short periods of time. You may have caught Cork in its larvae stage. It's gonna be a butterfly.

[dcandohio]

Not making excuses (but I am....) estimating turn times in a restaurant is an acquired skill. A hostess with 10 days of experience at a restaurant that has been around for 20 years should be able to guage the flow of customers very effectively. A hostess with 20 years of experience would have no clue at a restaurant open 10 days.

A restaurant is a living, breathing organism that goes through dynamic changes in short periods of time. You may have caught Cork in its larvae stage. It's gonna be a butterfly.

Agreed. However, when a place opens at 5:00 and people are buzzing around the host stand trying to get on the list, there should at least be a HOST there. When we arrived Saturday, we were told that the staff was in a meeting. To be fair, the hostess did show up by 5:30, but by then, many anxious parties were jockeying for position to be the first to be added to the list. It was a small, controlled, panic. Maybe Cork could take reservations all night for just the back rooms, guaranteeing some folks on a schedule a confirmed reservation, and leave the front room around the bar as first come, first served seating. I'm going to wait till things calm down before I return!

[Waitman]

Polished off a couple of bottles late Saturday -- like closing time -- and it was still jammed. The noobies were most impressed by the general hotness of the waiters. Given last call's rapid approach ours just kind of dropped a bottle of red and a bottle of white and the check on the table -- affably and at our request -- and lurked nearby in case we needed anything else, as we drank fast and the place cleared out. Fun spot but it's hard to imagine trying to wedge in after 7 or before midnight.

On the immediate issue, I think hosts ought to be better about over-estimating the wait. Too often, there's some wishful thinking involved -- they don't want to disappoint (I won't explore the more evil interpretation of bait and switch mentioned on another thread) so they give an optimistic estiment. Much better to say "an hour" and get the people to their table a little quicker than expected, than to say "a half hour" and have people like me stewing at the bar.

[foodfiend]

Polished off a couple of bottles late Saturday -- like closing time -- and it was still jammed. The noobies were most impressed by the general hotness of the waiters. Given last call's rapid approach ours just kind of dropped a bottle of red and a bottle of white and the check on the table -- affably and at our request -- and lurked nearby in case we needed anything else, as we drank fast and the place cleared out. Fun spot but it's hard to imagine trying to wedge in after 7 or before midnight.

On the immediate issue, I think hosts ought to be better about over-estimating the wait. Too often, there's some wishful thinking involved -- they don't want to disappoint (I won't explore the more evil interpretation of bait and switch mentioned on another thread) so they give an optimistic estiment. Much better to say "an hour" and get the people to their table a little quicker than expected, than to say "a half hour" and have people like me stewing at the bar.

I agree. I meant to say this in my original post... until they get do a better job estimating, they are better off under-promising and over-delivering. This, however, still doesn't excuse general attitude of the hostesses. I understand she is probably under pressure, but I'm pretty certain she would get a better response from folks if she seemed more sympathetic.

[mdt]

Well Cork certainly goes from empty to packed quickly. Started off with a nice Manhattan followed by some wine while eating through the menu. The wine list, all old world, looks very good with most priced under $50 which makes this a great spot for getting with a group to go through some bottles. Of course finding the space do to so might be hard. We enjoyed the duck confit, chicken breast, and calamari dishes. The large slice of chocolate tart was a bit rich and the crostada was enjoyable.

Service was good at the bar and table despite the fact that the place was mobbed. It appears that they don't seat parties of 2 at 4 tops despite the fact that several 4 tops stayed open before and after getting a table.

[JLK]

I don’t know. Thus far, I just don’t get the hype about Cork. And I wanted to be as swept up as everyone else, but after two visits I’d give the food a B, and the service a C.

The way I’d describe my experiences with the service at Cork would be more toward friendly, but flaky than aggressively bad. The servers who have handled my tables in two visits (both very good looking as noted by another poster!) started strong, showing an appropriate level attentiveness and seemingly displaying knowledge of the menu. But in both visits service issues cropped up as the nights went on.

During my first meal at Cork, our server offered opinions about the cheese selections and helped us create a nice plate of five cheeses. We chose one of the options he gushed about and four others we identified as interesting. When the plate arrived, it was clear our blue cheese was not there. We asked our waiter to ID the cheeses; he could not. We pointed out the lack of blue cheese so he went back to the kitchen for it.

After that, he seemed to hide from us. We were seated up in the mezzanine, a very intimate nook that I wouldn’t recommend to the claustrophobic. Given the proximity to the other tables, we were hard to miss and yet he studiously avoided eye contact in spite of our efforts to reach him with “excuse me”s and raised hands.

The rest of our food ranged from fine to very good. I really enjoyed the braised lamb and the oil cured roma tomatoes on grilled bread with chevre. The French fries arrived and all I could think upon seeing all of the garlic was Gordon Biersch. Although the three of us like the fries, we all hated the housemade ketchup. Part of it is, I’m sure, our being accustomed to Heinz, but I have had other housemade ketchups and they didn’t end on such a sour flavor note as this one did. We ordered other dishes including the mushrooms, but I'm drawing a blank on the others at the moment.

Without asking if we wanted dessert, the server brought the check. We did want dessert and asked for the apple walnut crostada which was fine, nothing tremendous.

The second visit didn’t start off at all auspiciously. We tried and failed to signal the [very busy] barman for about ten minutes. When we did manage to order, he was out of two of our three wine selections. It was loud and crowded in there so we almost left, but decided to have one drink and then our table was ready.

I’d had a late lunch so I mostly picked at my friends’ dishes and drank wine. One of my friends, on the other hand ordered a boatload of food including a five cheese plate, calamari (he ate every last bite), the tomatoes and grilled bread to share and the duck confit. Our other friend had mussels which he ate without comment (I think he liked them). The duck confit never did arrive so we pointed that out and asked for it to be removed from the bill. He said “of course” but did not in fact do so. Because my friend noticed this AFTER we paid the bill, we debated whether or not to mention it. Our server saw us hesitating and, to his credit, addressed the situation.

I certainly don’t hate Cork. It has lots of potential in my opinion, but I’m less likely to seek it out between the crowds, how loud it is in the main bar area and the fact that neither the food nor the service blew me away.

[LoganCircle]

... My problem really wasn't the wait, so much as the attitude of the hostess staff and the fact that they were not being realistic with the wait times. There were a few tables when my group arrived but we weren't able to be seated though we had 2 out of the 3 in our party present. When our 3rd member arrived 10 minutes later, all tables had been filled and we were told it would be a 30-minute wait. This, too, would have even been fine... but when we made our way across the crowded bar to check in with the hostess 30 minutes later, we were told that we would have to wait another 30 minutes. No acknowledgement of how long we had been waiting but, "People are lingering longer than we expected."

Thank goodness it isn't just me! I've been to Cork twice and have had really negative experiences with a member of the host staff on each occasion, negative enough that they have deterred me from returning. One involved the hostess quoting a 40-minute wait upon our arrival, only to have the exact same quote (i.e., an additional 40 minutes) repeated when checking-in after 35 minutes at the bar. On another visit the issue was less significant but still serious enough to leave a bad taste in the mouths of all in my party. In each instance it wasn't the substance of the error that was most upsetting; it was the frigid and uncaring manner in which we were treated by the hostess.

At the end of our meal on the second visit, I shared with the owner an account of our experiences with the host (the thin, blond, white woman). She apologized for the treatment we had received and said that she had received similar complaints from others. It's disappointing to hear that things have not improved.

[Elias Hengst]

Cork is the kind of independent restaurant that makes a city unique, and, to me, is a refreshing reminder that good local restaurants have something that the out-of-town-celeb-chef-driven "concepts" so clearly lack: soul.

I've had nothing but great experiences at Cork and some of the small bumps people describe are typical for ANY new restaurant. Having only been open a month or so, I think they are ahead of the curve.

The restaurant is simple, warm, and elegant without being pretentious, and DC could use a dozen (or more!) neighborhood places like it.

[mdt]

Cork is the kind of independent restaurant that makes a city unique, and, to me, is a refreshing reminder that good local restaurants have something that the out-of-town-celeb-chef-driven "concepts" so clearly lack: soul.

I've had nothing but great experiences at Cork and some of the small bumps people describe are typical for ANY new restaurant. Having only been open a month or so, I think they are ahead of the curve.

The restaurant is simple, warm, and elegant without being pretentious, and DC could use a dozen (or more!) neighborhood places like it.

I certainly hope that it is just that. Maybe if we had a dozen more places like in the city this one wouldn't be so crowded.

[Poivrot Farci]

My problem really wasn’t the wait, so much as the attitude of the hostess staff...it wasn't the substance of the error that was most upsetting; it was the frigid and uncaring manner in which we were treated by the hostess...

The logic truth table would then suggest that the guest would be glad to wait for a total of 120minutes so long as the server is genuine and airline passengers would prefer to be informed by Garrison Keillor that their flight has been delayed rather than the Orwellian static of a television monitor. Perhaps the host has been under the duress of demanding guests who channel meter maids.

Saturated neighborhood establishments are in the business of serving analgesic beverages and food, not consolation hugs to sensitive individuals, which, along with free coffee and the occasional pizza can be found at any of the churches listed in the CityPaper.

[monsterriffs]

I went to Cork last night and we must've had good karma on our side, cause we were able to snag two seats at the bar in no time. We had to wait close to 5 to 10 minutes to get our drink orders taken, which was irritating, but once we got our orders taken, the service at the bar was real attentive. Also, the sauteed wild mushroom dish was just awesome.

BTW, Dave, I tried that McDavid bottling of the Caol Ila - simply wonderful. I feel like it's a little less harsh than the standard 12 y/o.

[food.fiend]

I went to Cork last night and we must've had good karma on our side, cause we were able to snag two seats at the bar in no time. We had to wait close to 5 to 10 minutes to get our drink orders taken, which was irritating, but once we got our orders taken, the service at the bar was real attentive. Also, the sauteed wild mushroom dish was just awesome.

BTW, Dave, I tried that McDavid bottling of the Caol Ila - simply wonderful. I feel like it's a little less harsh than the standard 12 y/o.

I must also have good karma, b/c the two times I've been (last night and opening night) I was able to get a table right away. I think, though, that I am helped by the 30-minute call-ahead policy? Both times I have used that option & I was seated w/in 15 mintues. Also, we were able to snag seats at the bar last night (around 7:30) before being seated. So my expereince has been definitely different from the others, including the other "foodfiend". (Another?! ha.)

Also, while I have had the scatter-brained waiter or two, they have all been quite nice and informative when asked questions., and I think they have just been fairly busy.

[silentbob]

I went to Cork last night and we must've had good karma on our side, cause we were able to snag two seats at the bar in no time. We had to wait close to 5 to 10 minutes to get our drink orders taken, which was irritating, but once we got our orders taken, the service at the bar was real attentive. Also, the sauteed wild mushroom dish was just awesome.

I showed up at 8 on a school night this week and it was packed. Our party was huge, so we basically rotated between standing by the bar seats and sitting at the bar. The staff did not seem pleased (in fairness, justifiably) that we were effectively blocking a large portion of their path between the front and back of the room.

Once I actually sat down at the bar, it took about 5 minutes to get drink/food orders in. But service was great thereafter. My duck confit matched up great with the polenta, but the star of the dish were the mushrooms (couldn't tell what kind they were, but they gave everything an added zing). Fries were pretty good, definitely one of the better versions around but I wouldn't go so far as to call them the best.

The place seemed to clear out somewhat around 9:30ish, so in the future my friends and I will either go very early or very late.

[Joe Riley]

I'm very pleased to report that the excellent lemonade which Tom Brown puts to great use behind the bar (a creation of chef Ron Tanaka) will soon be available for diners to actually buy and take out.

This is great news. I rarely get so excited about a non-alcoholic beverage, but this lemonade has more happy applications to it than a can of WD-40 and is much more pleasant to drink.

[synaesthesia]

I'm very pleased to report that the excellent lemonade which Tom Brown puts to great use behind the bar (a creation of chef Ron Tanaka) will soon be available for diners to actually buy and take out.

This is great news. I rarely get so excited about a non-alcoholic beverage, but this lemonade has more happy applications to it than a can of WD-40 and is much more pleasant to drink.

YAAAAAY!!!! Christmas come early! This seems like a silly question - but the concentrate or the diluted stuff?

[jparrott]

I predict gin and bourbon sales to skyrocket immediately.

[Joe Riley]

YAAAAAY!!!! Christmas come early! This seems like a silly question - but the concentrate or the diluted stuff?

Just my assumption, but I'm guessing the ready-to-drink stuff, just as Tom has it behind the bar.

For my sake, I hope that we're allowed to go inside and buy gallon jugs of the stuff

[Joe Riley]

Tipped-off by chef Ron Tanaka, after a chance encounter on Tuesday, I popped into Cork late Wednesday afternoon to try a fantastic new rabbit dish (just in time for Easter!). Ron actually made rabbit stock for it, too - amazing! The rabbit was done in a sort-of confit style, I don't have the vocabulary for it, but it was devine. A side order of potato leek with gruyere and some calimari, a glass of Tissot crèmant and a glass of Pas St. Martin saumur blanc, and I was quite the happy diner.

Not sure how long Ron is keeping this dish available, but it is well worth a special trip for it. Please keep in mind, it's a small plate, I think it was only around $11, so don't expect some heaving dish overflowing with lapin.

If the Easter Bunny is missing this weekend, then we know why he disappeared.

[Hannah]

Stopped in last night before the Raveonettes show. The rabbit was by far the best dish of the night - confit of rabbit, loin, and a rack of tiny rabbit chops, in a sauce of apple juice and rabbit stock. The flatiron steak was also cooked just right, and the brussels sprouts that come with the steak are excellent - I generally don't care for them, but these were lovely and tender and didn't have any sign of that horrible bitter taste.

Also had a fine Sazerac - first one I've had using real absinthe instead of one of the various substitutes, and the real stuff does make a difference.

[synaesthesia]

Chef Ron snuck up to where jparrott and I were sitting and asked us if we liked avocado. Then he slid a plate of avocado bruschetta in front of us. It is delicious bread topped with buttery avocado goodness, some olive oil, and buttery chopped pistachios with a sprinkling of sea salt. It has a brilliant, rich mouthfeel that made me just as happy as if I was eating foie gras, and impressed Jake who is not even really a fan of avocado.

Get the rabbit. It is ridiculously delicious, and awesome. Chef totally cracked me up as he toddled up behind us at the bar, and with a slightly silly, slightly sheepish voice, said, "I forgot something," and sprinkled some walnuts on top and toddled away.

He told me there's going to be a few more great spring items coming up on the menu, so be on the lookout.

[1000yregg]

I, too, went to Cork Wine Bar before the Raveonettes show this weekend.

Here are some pictures.

I enjoyed the Rosemary Chicken Liver Brushetta- and that shallot marmalade- nice.

I loved the Sunchokes - as a parsnip fan, it hit the spot.

I had the Red-Wine Braised Lamb which was really nice- perfectly cooked I liked the pomegranate in it.

Also tried the Duck Confit which was good.

For dessert- the Grapefruit Financier was light and delicious, as was the Goat Cheesecake.

I need to go back to try that rabbit- maybe tonight before the Boredoms. . .

[cf75]

Cork on Friday night -- a juicy French glass or three from Bin 28 (Domaine la Manarine - Cote du Rhone) with the chicken liver pate w/shallot marmalade - I could devour this morning, noon and night. Mesclun salad was a refreshing complement to a trio of cheeses, moist lamb w/pomegranate, brilliant fries w/homemade sweet & spicy ketchup (love the lemon/parsley/garlic zest) and smooth and creamyt Goat Cheesecake perfectly fit for the three people.

Kudos to our server for being new and having a solid understanding of the wine list from experience. Still crowded there, but every seat is a good one and service isn't slowed because of the crowds.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Cork for charcuterie plate, celeriac, mussels, chicken livers {delicious!}, chocolate tort, espresso, and regular coffee. Pre-meal activities included marinated olives and two flights of wine: Prosecco (for the hot weather), and reds from southwest France. Cork had a pre-opening wine tasting that was open for the public.

Also, I had one each of a fine French Pinot Noir (Billard), and a Spanish Licorella.

I'll be back to Cork.

[Heather]

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.

[food.fiend]

Had a great meal at Cork this weekend...

The smoked trout salad was delicious as always, as was the chicken mirabella... and the speck, oh, and the carmelized sunchokes, and... oops. Too much more.

But, the best part? We were seated within 5 minutes, on a Saturday, at 7:30 pm. And we hadn't even called ahead. Somehow, not quite sure, but we hit it just right!

So nice...

Also, never wrote about it, but hte wine tasting a few weeks ago was great fun on a Saturday afternoon. Hope they have more soon!

[peters43]

Finally made it to Cork two Saturdays ago (and to Pixie's "stuff shop," next to AYT, on the way). What a delight! We arrived at 5:00 and enjoyed two Italian reds before the kitchen opened at 5:30. Then tried the shrimp and the chicken liver. Mmmm. I walk by to and from work every day, so it's getting harder to pass by.

Peter

[ol_ironstomach]

That avocado bruschetta is one of the current specials, and it rocks. Also, everybody should try Ron's french fries. They're cut to the size of conventional fries, but double-cooked like proper frites, only better. Very crisp, and served with a really flavorful house-made ketchup.

I'd rave about the pan-roasted chicken breast, particularly way the slivers of preserved lemon play against the jus, but you'll just have to discover that for yourself. And gosh darn it, with all the recent press he's been getting lately, y'all drank Tom clear out of rye whiskey again!

[synaesthesia]

ZOMG. Chilled English pea soup with mint and some sort of oil that I did not pay close enough attention to. I was told that the stock is vegetable stock, but this soup is surprisingly meaty tasting. The mint is actually a little tingly, which makes this already creamy, delicious soup even more cool.

P.S. Arnold Palmer with blackcurrant iced tea

[cajcaj]

Been meaning to try this place for months - if we show up around 5:30/6 tonight we should have a good chance at getting a table, right?

[Rhone1998]

Been meaning to try this place for months - if we show up around 5:30/6 tonight we should have a good chance at getting a table, right?

Yes, but it will fill up quickly soon after that.

Last night got a chance to try the lemonaide for the first time...fantastic, lightly carbonated, spiced with...? coriander? anyone?

[mdt]

Yes, but it will fill up quickly soon after that.

Last night got a chance to try the lemonaide for the first time...fantastic, lightly carbonated, spiced with...? coriander? anyone?

Say hi next time.

Sloe Gin Fizzes were a hit at Cork last night as well. Tom certainly got a work out.

[JPW]

Sloe Gin Fizzes were a hit at Cork last night as well. Tom certainly got a work out.

Perfect way to start off the evening. Gracias, Senor Brown.

[synaesthesia]

Yes, but it will fill up quickly soon after that.

Last night got a chance to try the lemonaide for the first time...fantastic, lightly carbonated, spiced with...? coriander? anyone?

cardamom, star anise, coriander, cinnamon, clove, and bay leaf