Cheers At All Corked Up

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  We went to dinner with two other couples at All Corked Up.  There was a live band that was actually very entertaining but too loud for the location. It was impossible to carry on a conversation.  The mahi mahi special and the chicken roulade were excellent.  My friend said the filet was average.  The staff was pleasant.  Overall, we all had a good time and got used to the loud band.

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  Posted on 02.16.13 Jeff G.

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  A disappointing experience.  
  
  The food wasn't very fresh - the beef had obviously been frozen.  The music was too loud.  The server delivered one wrong entree and another with the wrong side and didn't bother to apologize.  The music was too loud to have a conversation.

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  Posted on 01.23.13 Daniel P.

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  Not all it's corked up to be.
  
  I didn't eat here so I will only comment on my experience.
  
  Pros:
  
  -Good wine and decent craft beer selection.
  -Clean appearance
  
  Cons:
  
  - Music was way too loud. Hope you like your ears ringing the next day. 70's cover music so be warned (Sat night).
  -Location is in an industrial area which might be a PRO to some.
  -Place seemed to give off a "Thanks for your $$ have a nice day" vibe.
  
  Summary:
  
  There are too many other wine bars in the SCV to spend your hard earned $$ here.  I left feeling no desire to return.

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  Posted on 11.30.12 Joseph W.

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  They get a star for carrying some fabulous wines and having amazing creme brulee and being well-decorated.  The service from the poor waitress was great, however her manager/owner of the place, Al, left MUCH to be desired.  We went to meet some friends and listen to a dear family friend perform and found out after ordering a bottle of wine that there was a lack of communication on Al's end that led to the band I came for not playing that evening.  I know John Pinto well enough to know he would not re-neg on a commitment and for Al to come over to try to "smooth things over" by implying that the mistake was on John Pinto's end was the WRONG way to go about things.  And suggesting that we should have checked the schedule when we arrived?  Not cool.  He could have EASILY not lost our business by simply comping our dessert on our $100+ beer and wine tab and apologizing for any miscommunication, even if he felt it wasn't his fault. I predict this guy will not be in business very long, as something as simple as this could not be handled properly. Too bad, seems like a cool place otherwise, even if it is in a weird location. Side note: Average customer age was late 50s so if your looking for hip, this isn't the place. Music was very loud, as in almost impossible to carry on a conversation.

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  Posted on 11.29.12 Maureen W.

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  Awesome food and great service!

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  Posted on 09.16.12 Janice W.

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  We come here about once per month when the band G3 is playing (great band).
  Love that it's not your standard fare. Start with N.Y Strip Carpaccio - excellent. Grilled Churrasco is my favorite entree. Don't know what they called the dessert they brought us - chocolate with raspberry sauce - awesome. Great people running the place, good, but a little slow, service (when it comes to getting the food out) and typically a fun clientele.

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  Posted on 09.12.12 Mark F.

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  I have to say that I am not a drinker so if it weren't for there being a certain business meeting of the SCV Latino Chamber of Commerce at this location I might not have ever discovered this little gem.  A priceless gem indeed, I absolutely love this place! From the food, to the cook, to the server ,and most definitely the owner, Al.  I am Puerto Rican too and who would have ever expected a Puerto Rican restaurant to pop up in the middle of the Santa Clarita Valley?!?!  I am so pleased to have a little taste of home right here in the heart of the town where I live.  The atmosphere is warm and inviting, I love the furniture and the decor.
  
  I can't speak for the wines as I don't drink, although I understand there is a very large selection of excellent wines.  I've had a tour of the place and there is a temperature controlled room in the back where people can store their own personal wines on pallets in secured spaces.  That's pretty cool to say the very least.  
  
  Now about the food, I have had the Mofongo Relleno de Camarones, which is absolutely divine.  The flavors are perfect, exactly what I would expect, better even than the mofongos I've had in Puerto Rico proper.  The pasteles are equally delicious supposing you know anything about pasteles.  I have even bought frozen pasteles to go and cooked them at home too, absolute perfection!  I have also had the Churrasco, which is one of the best steaks I have had in quite some time, years even.  I can still imagine the wonderful taste in my mouth and that was almost a week ago.  I have been craving it ever since.
  
  I would highly recommend this restaurant to any one of my friends, family, business associates, etc.  I hope Cheers stays in the SCV for many years to come because they are the best and I have come to love their food. I will definitely be a regular patron.  I am undoubtedly a fan of Cheers at All Corked Up.
  
  Did I mention the live music on Fridays and Saturdays?  I really enjoyed the classic rock n roll music. :) happiness.

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  Posted on 08.08.12 Nadine R.

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  Cheers is sort of "off the grid", located in a business park in an industrial section of town. The place is a bit of a surprise when you walk in;  Based on the spartan exterior one might expect to find an array of work benches and shop equipment inside. But rather than toolboxes and drill presses, you'll find an upscale, wine-themed restaurant adorned with candle lit tables and a granite wine bar (complete with dramatic accent lighting).  
  
  The interior decor here is done in that ubiquitous "Tuscan Old World Opulence" vibe that was so vogue about 10 years ago, with rustic sponge-painted walls accented with faux stone treatments. And while the result isn't unpleasant, it does have a bit of a Reed's Furniture feel to it.  I doubt Jeff Lewis would be impressed, but in reality it works just fine for a wine bar in the burbs.
  
  The dining room here is fairly intimate, with about ten tables in the main room and four others in the adjoining "VIP" room (where we ended up being seated).  I'm more of a booth guy but unfortunately there are only two to be found here;  The rest of the seating is mostly granite and wrought iron tasting tables with matching leather bar chairs (which I found a bit uncomfortable as the evening progressed).  
  
  As this is a wine bar, the wine list here is reasonably large;  Most patrons should be able to find at least one interesting bottle.  I wasn't in much of a drinking mood so I opted for a glass rather than a full bottle.  Unfortunately, I found the selection of wines by the glass to be pretty limited, with maybe six reds total. My GF and I tasted nearly all of them before ordering and weren't all that impressed, especially considering the price ($13 to $14 per glass).  I ended up with a Pinot Noir, which unfortunately tasted like it had been opened for quite a while (one reason I rarely order wines by the glass).  Foolishly, I had thought that since we were at a wine bar I wouldn't be poured last night's dregs - No such luck, I'm afraid.
  
  Moving onto the cuisine, the menu here is fairly unique for a wine bar and has a distinct Latin flavor to it, offering dishes such as Bacalaitos and Mofongo Relleno De Camarones, with sides like Sweet Plantains and Pasteles.   There are some interesting selections here, as well as old standbys for the less adventurous.  
  
  In terms of my choices for the night, I started with the cheese plate, which had some nice selections presented with the usual condiments, as well as some prosciutto (a nice touch).  For my main course I opted for the Grilled Churrasco, which was well made but not super flavorful (I've had Churraso in the Yucatán and Central America more than once and have tasted better Chimichurri sauce).  And I love me some Plantains, so I ordered a side to go with the beef, which was a nice treat.
  
  Moving onto dessert, all of the selections were made on the premises and included a home made lemon bar, a chocolate ganache torte, and of course the requisite crème brûlée and chocolate lava cake (ugh - there must be an ordinance that requires every restaurant in LA to serve the last two).   I decided on the torte, and my GF did the lemon bar;  Both were decent, but nothing really amazing.  I also asked for an espresso but was told they only serve coffee. Bummer - I really enjoy sipping my java out of those little cups.
  
  Note:  Cheers apparently offers live music on the weekends, as there was a band setting up in the main dining room when we arrived.  I love live music and was looking forward to hearing them play during dinner.  Unfortunately, rather than a sophisticated Jazz trio playing standards, Cheers opted instead for classic '70s rock (WTF?).  This seemed a little out of place to me;  I don't know about you, but when I visit a wine bar, I'm more in the mood for "Take Five" than "Sweet Caroline".  To add insult to injury, this band was LOUD;  We were sitting in a different room and still could barely hear each other over the power chords slamming through the doorway.  My ears are still ringing.
  
  But all in all, we had a pleasant evening;  The environment was casual, the service was friendly and attentive, and the food was quite decent (albeit nothing really off-the-charts).  If I lived in the area, I'm sure I'd come back again;  But unfortunately, this is not the kind of place that I'd drive out from the valley or LA to visit;  There are just way too many nicer options close to home to warrant such a trek.  But if you're a local looking for something new, definitely give Cheers a shot  - odds are you'll have a good time.
  
  PS: There are absolutely no other restaurants or retail businesses near Cheers, so if you like to go walking after dinner you're sort of out of luck here (unless you have a fascination with parking lots and rolling garage doors).

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  Posted on 07.23.12 Michael L.

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  The food is fantastic, probably some of the best you can get in the SCV.  Try the Ceviche.
  
  The wine list is phenomenal, and its a great place to go to get great food and fantastic wine.

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  Posted on 07.17.12 Brice C.

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  A new Latin-inspired restaurant and international wine bar is bringing in Puerto Rican customers near and far- and many non-Latino-for "just like home" cooking created by Chef Carolyn Rivera, and a new appreciation of Latin food that is not over-spiced, but spiced just right. Cheers @All Corked Up, and its third-time-is-a-charm partners Al Robles and Chef Carolyn, have brought more than a flair to Canyon Country: They've created a destination for international dining and wine.
  
  My editor Michael Perlis and I met with Chef Carolyn over lunch: I had grilled Wahoo filet fish tacos nestled on small housemade flour tortillas, pineapple, cabbage, cucumber and spices. It was the spices that got my attention, subtle and not overpowering, spicy but not hot.
  
  "We use a lot of spices, similar to Mexican and other Latin dishes, but we use them differently," Chef Carolyn began. "We marinate many of our dishes in a mixture of Adobo, a blend of garlic, oregano and other Latin spices; Sazón, a seasoned salt; Sofrito, a sauce used in the Caribbean, as well as Central and Latin America."
  
  Some of the Puerto Rican dishes on the menu include Mofongo, a rice dish infused with meats, fish and spices; marinated pork chops, coated in what ISN'T Cayenne pepper but instead is a brick-red colored Puerto Rican marinade; Rice with Green Pigeon Peas, a dish I witnessed Puerto Rican dinners raving over; and Plantains, sweet or crisp.
  
  One of Chef Carolyn's Latin dishes is her Ceviche: Served on shells the fish comes marinated in mint, basil, parsley, cilantro and mucho more.
  
  And, lest we stop there, be sure to leave room - I'm giving you notice that you must - to try her homemade desserts. My favorites are the Rosemary and Vanilla Crème brûlée, Tiramisu, Cheesecake and many others.
  
  And note that several items on the menu are gluten-free. Cheers is listed in the gluten free registry due to many of its no flour options on the menu.
  
  And from Michael, "I've eaten everywhere and I can say that Carolyn's food ranks with the best in town. Not spicy in what we define as spicy, but flavorful."
  
  And how did these dishes, and Chef Carolyn, find their way into the hearts of locals? She began by being born in the right place at the right time. Al said, "I've known Carolyn her whole life, actually before she was born, as her father is one of my oldest friends."
  
  Carolyn was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She came to New York to get her degree from the Culinary Institute of America, which included several weeks on learning about wine grapes, regions and wine pairing.
  
  "After sampling 8-12 glasses of wine a day at the Culinary Institute I grew to really like red wine. Now I make a sample menu of what I'd like to create to pair with wines from different regions, then plan a wine dinner. Tonight is our Italian Wine Pairing Dinner, next will be one with Robert Reyes of our local Reyes Winery tentatively planned for 6/20, then we will do a Napa pairing and another one with French wines."
  
  Contact
  
  Phone: 661-259-2000
  
  (Wine Pairing Dinners require advance reservations.)
  
  26340 Diamond Place Suite 100, Santa Clarita, CA 91350
  
  Hours 7 days a week starting at 11:00 a.m.
  
  Children's Menu, Brunch Menu, Wine List and Wines and Beers by the glass available.

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  Posted on 07.01.12 Eve B.

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  As an every Friday night customer of the original ACU, it pains me to say this but after trying the new Cheers at ACU, I probably will not be coming back. Nothing terrible about the new but it is very expensive and the food is bland and underseasoned. Mofongo is a Cuban staple but what I had last night was too dry to swallow. Pork chop o.k but underseasoned, chicken picata, bland, missing the acid and bite that makes picata. Nice wine selection but expect to pay at least $35-45 a bottle or $10-13 a glass for a small pour. Service is attentive but lacks finesse, trying hard but not demonstrating real knowledge of what they are serving. Prices are like this, the couple we were with had ceviche and caprese salad, chicken picata, pork chop (yes 1 chop @$22) and 4 glasses wine, total was $113 + tax/tip. My wife and I had beef carpacio (@$14 best food of evening), spinich salad, shrimp mofongo and 4 glasses wine, total $81 + tax/tip.  That's the bill without me ordering an entree. Band was fine but so loud it made conversation impossible. Seriously, u had to wait for a song break to order because staff could not hear.

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  Posted on 06.30.12 Jeff T.

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  We had my fathers surprise 60th birthday party at this place and it is hands down the best place to eat & have great service in SCV. We had about 50 guest who had no idea this place existed but are now fans. The food... Excellent! Carolyn the chief is great at her craft. The owner makes you feel at home which is always a plus. I have frequented a few other restaurants in SC where the staff, food & service were not up to par and the environment was snooty - this place is not like that at all. Love love love!

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  Posted on 06.17.12 Christine W.

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  Cheers at all corked up is located way off the path of other restaurants in Santa Clarita. I have had 3 meals since they re-opened in the All corked up space.. I tried the fish and chips. hot and tasty. I have the lemon chicken and we shared the chocolate cake and Ice cream. Everyone loved the cake.
  I had the steak sandwich with fries and a spinach salid at lunch. The staff and the Chef are very friendly and attentive. So far every meal has been great. The also honor the 25Score card, 10% off all purchases saves a some cash on your purchases.

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  Posted on 05.31.12 Ed B.

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  This placed reopened after changing owners again, so thought we would give it a try. Overall the experince was OK, nothing wrong and nothing great. Menu was OK, not really Latin but not American. Chef is still learning how to fire the plates, we ordered the White Bean soup again good, but luke warm and a bit grainy.Then we moved the the main menu which I had  the Mofongo which was rice, bacon, peas, and shrimp not bad but really heavy feeling. The others at the table got the Salmon which was the best dish on the table (it came out hot) , filet orderd med. rare and came out rare and the last dish was the rack of lamb which was again ok.
  Finished with the chocolate cake and that was pretty good. It was nice to be able to grab wine for the cellars in the back without a corkage fee, that makes better. Servers are still learning and need to concentrate on what type of wine goes in each glass, when we sat down we opend a $100 bottle of wine and was given glass with stumpy steams and sponsorships logos on them, a little tacky. Overall, would i go back.... maybe... was there anything completly wrong...nope... if you are around town give it a try and let everyone know.

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  Posted on 05.30.12 Jeannie R.

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  The Gand Opening party was awesome!  Lots of delicious food was offered.   A band provided live music.....unique in Santa Clarita.  The menu shows a wide variety of choices, some Latin Ameica dishes!  Everything we ordered was deicious.  The menu also offers wine pairing advice,  which is helpful.  wine list looks good.  Glad to see something interesting in this space.....cant wait to go back.

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  Posted on 05.22.12 James D.

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