When Gabriele and I eat out we almost always order wine. But except for a very fun evening at Evo Bistro back in April, we haven’t checked out any of the wine bars popping up around the DC area. So when the October Washingtonian magazine gave Cork its highest “four glass” rating (along with Evo and Grapeseed), we decided to check it out: http://www.corkdc.com/about.html
We were there on a very busy Saturday night, and the evening didn’t start off smoothly. The Cork web site suggests you call them about 30 minutes prior to arrival so they can add you to the waiting list. We did this, and the woman on the other end said “see you soon.” But when we arrived, our name was not written down. I told the hostess what happened, but apparently she has never read this blog and it was end of the list for us. Kind of frustrating, since the place was packed and clearly there would be a substantial wait.
Another little bump in the road happened when I ordered some wine while we waited. The glasses were $2 more than the menu stated. I pointed this out, and the waitress produced another menu that had the higher price. I didn’t really care about quibbling over $4, but the prices should be standardized. Not the best start to the evening to say the least, but we shook it off and enjoyed the fun, urban DC vibe of the place.
The glasses were Bodegas Berton, Lorinon Rioja Crianza 2003, a mixture of grapes with Tempranillo dominating. It had strong fruit, lots of tannins and a sharp bite that lingered on the palate.
We were seated after about an hour, and that’s when things started to soar. Everything we ordered was excellent, with the exception of a flight of three Barbera wines that were being featured. But to be fair our waiter didn’t highly recommend the flight, we ordered anyway since we usually like Barbera. But the Vietti Barbera d’ Asti Tre Vigne 2006 and the Marchesi di Gresy Barbera d’ Asti 2005 were very mediocre, not horrible but not good. Only the Renzo Seghesio, Barbera d’Alba 2006 was good, with a deeper, rich aroma, more body and a smoother texture.
The food was well done, and its arrival was timed very well. We started with the lemon and pepper dusted calamari with caper remoulade. Even factoring in how hungry we were by the time we sat, it was some of the best we’ve had in the area. We also had the flat iron steak with roasted brussel sprouts and pancetta, the hearts of romaine salad, kale with pecorino and garlic, mushrooms with madeira and marjoram and chicken with olives, prunes, lemon and tarragon jus. Not a flat note in the bunch. Portions were on the small side, except for the calamari.
We had two glasses of Vajra, Lange Rosso 2006 at our server’s recommendation, an Italian from the Piedmont region. It was a tasty combination of grapes including Niebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto, with nice fruit and a smooth finish. An easy drinking wine that was food friendly. After dinner we had a nicely presented cheese platter and a glass of Domaine de la Rectorie, Banyuls 2005. It was a French Grenache Noir, a dessert wine. It had a huge nose and port-like fruit, but without some of the heaviness of port.
It was extremely noisy at Cork, which may be a factor for some. And of course the tab can add up quickly, especially when some of the small plates have entree-like prices. But if you like interesting pairings of good wine with well prepared foods and an “it place” vibe, you have to check this place out. Just get the name of the person you talk to when you call ahead for the wait list.