Cork Wine Pub

I've been to Cork a few times over the years, but I don't plan on coming back.  The times where I've gone for an event (Team Happy Hour and Valentine's Day Dinner) the experiences were not too bad.  For the times that I've been there just to eat with a group, I did not have a great experience.  

Both times I was seated at the 8 top right as you enter.  Both times (Nov '12 and Apirl '13) we had the same server.  Black hair, and "trendy" facial hair.  This server is terrible.  Such an attitude, and every request or question seemed like a chore.  He would come to the table and ask a single person if they wanted another drink and if they did he would instantly disappear before others could also order a drink.  Both times he dropped off the check and then would disappear for 15-20 minutes before returning.  No to mention that when I was there for dinner it was $90 for the slider plate, the chicken, a few drinks and a split appetizer.

I know I've left a trail of reviews for Cork that have sang their praises...it's been a while since I've been back allowing time to for it's maturity to flux and hopefully grow a little with the changes that Cork has experienced within the past year or so. Anyone who knows me would tell you that Cork is one of my favorites but I'm not sure I can say that any longer after my dinner here last night. Granted it was a Tuesday at 8 but I don't see that mattering taking into account my past experiences here which have always been phenomenal! Have you seen those movies where the hero rides into town after it's been vanquished and he asks the town's people
"What happened here?" That's all I kept asking myself last night.

The shining hope were the cocktails but the food was not up to Cork standards as I remember them. We started with the fried Brussels Sprouts which could be described as over-fried leaves from the sprouts. I did like the sauce that came with it though. For old time sake I also ordered the Brick Roll, which again was
over-fried and while it was tasty, the filling was also laden with salt to the point that even I thought it was too salty. Next the sliders, which were a little dry as noted by my dinner guest but I liked them. The house made ketchup streaked on the plate was a nice accoutrement.

Now for the entrees...I really wanted my old standby, the Rabbit Pappardelle but my friend was ordering that so I opted to try the Poplar Park Pork Chop. Our server asked how I wanted it cooked, which some of you may wonder at since it's pork, but realistically pork is safe to eat on the less than medium scale these days since trichinosis is virtually no more. I asked for it medium rare, and while in retrospect medium would have been a wiser choice, it didn't matter. My chop came to the table super rare....rare enough that rather than send it back I had it boxed up to take home and cook myself. Additionally, I couldn't taste the "cider glaze" at all from the portion I did cut off and eat before realizing it was undercooked! The Warm German Potato Salad was spot on with halved potatoes and skins left on, but the red sauerkraut, not so good without the profile from the cider glaze to compliment it. On top of that, I tried my friend's pasta to see if it had changed since Chef Ruben left for the Whitney and while the flavors were there, the pasta was WAY overcooked and virtually fell apart in my mouth....which is not the same as melting.

Lastly, the service, was off. Whenever I've been here (and I've been here a lot) the servers grab empty dishes as they walk past even if they're not waiting on that particular table. Now it seems that the busser is more directly responsible for this and he was doing a great job but I've come to expect more from Cork all around. To finish the meal my guest ordered a French Press coffee which he noted was very very good but as I notice everything, I also noticed that the press itself was dirty which is one more thing that seems to have gone unchecked.

I'm as sorry to leave such a harsh review as I am to see how far they've fallen but I expect more from my favorites. It may have been a slow night, or it may have been an off night but it should never matter when people are spending the kind of money they're asking when what they're providing was so off the mark. I can only hope this was some anomaly but I feel as though it may have something to do with the exit of their previous executive chef.

I came here with my boyfriend, and we both really enjoyed it. We started off with two different glasses of wine - one was a sangiovese that was just ok, and the other was called "homegrown" and we really enjoyed that. We also ordered the olive plate appetizer -- that was a mistake. It is literally what it sounds like, just a giant bowl of olives. It was way too many olives for just the two of us, and there was some sort of spice in them (cinnamon, maybe?) that was just odd and I didn't really enjoy them.

However, the rest of the meal was looking up! For appetizers, we ordered the cheese plate and the roasted beets salad. The server made sure she explained carefully to us what everything was on the plate and what all the different tastes were. There was a creamy brie that was heavenly, a goat cheese, and a blue cheese, along with some blackberries, blackberry compote, and some almonds that were super yummy! My only comment was that I didn't really enjoy the bread/cracker selection that came with it. I didn't think it complemented the cheeses as well as it could have. The beet  salad as delicious - one of my favorite parts of the meal. It was light, and there was just enough balsamic to make me happy without overpower the naturally sweet taste of the beets.

For our meals, we shared the butternut squash risotto and the skuna bay salmon. I'll go ahead and say the risotta was just ok (butternut squash is not my favorite thing, I always find it too sweet for a main course), but the salmon was absolutely delicious. Perfectly, and I mean perfectly cooked, and the piece of fish was huge! Big enough for us to share it and both be full. I loved the pistachio crust, and the little hints of mustard in it were really interesting and very tasty!

The atmosphere is trendy and romantic, and would be a great spot for a special date or dinner out with friends!