The south East Valley’s appetite for fine dining is a little like the Lost Dutchman’s Mine: There are some tantalizing clues it might exist, but no one’s been able to find it so far.
Robert and Danielle Morris hope to change that. The couple have just opened Cork, an ambitious small-plates restaurant and wine bar, near their home in the upscale Ocotillo neighborhood of south Chandler.
The Morrises certainly are well-trained for the venture. He was a sommelier and general manager at Lon’s, where she was a pastry chef. Their executive chef, Brian Peterson, also hails from that distinguished Paradise Valley restaurant.
Cork’s cozy atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed. Plush seating, copper-chain curtains and lots of design curves lend luxury to the strip-mall space, situated next to a new AJ’s Fine Foods. Carpet, a rarity in new restaurants nowadays, noticeably dampens the noise level.
The idea of small plates is to order three or four dishes per person to make a full meal. Most portions on Cork’s dinner menu (see dinner menu pdf) are only three or four bites. (Full-sized salads and sandwiches are served at lunch, see lunch menu pdf.)
Peterson’s New American cuisine with French influences is ambitious and, for the most part, impressive. There are a few disappointments during my initial visit, but only minor ones.
Foremost among them are the three small slices of tough, tasteless bread offered before the meal. (Did I mention there’s an AJ’s next door?) At least the bread is accompanied by a delicious artichoke gremolata and an herb-rich whipped butter.
A green and white asparagus salad with proscuitto, pears and pine nuts ($6, pictured above) is interesting, but a sherry vinaigrette is either missing or completely overwhelmed. On the other hand, an organic green salad with blue cheese ($5) is drenched in a tart balsamic vinaigrette.
To me, though, a little unevenness is to be expected in a restaurant’s first week, and the rest of my meal takes a decided turn for the better.
Corned buffalo brisket with braised cabbage and corn dumpling ($8, pictured above) has a nice texture and rich taste, as does a tender beef tenderloin complemented by a cake of scallop potatoes with blue cheese, red onion and bacon ($13).
Seafood pairings include wild striped bass and a single prawn ($11, pictured at right) and tuna and lobster ($14), with the more flavorable nod going to the former. A savory bourbon-marinated quail ($8) apparently has replaced pheasant from an early version of the menu.
My favorite dish of the night, and easily the biggest, is a pork trio ($12, pictured below), which couples a tenderloin with macaroni and cheese, confit with cabbage and belly with creamed corn.
The cork-bound wine list isn’t nearly exotic. Just a half-dozen reds and whites, almost all Californian, are available by the glass. There’s more variety in bottles, which range up to $500.
With an average meal costing around $40 per person, Cork isn’t for the most budget-conscious diner, but Ocotillo residents seem comfortable with it. During its first week, the wait at the height of the dinner rush approached an hour, even on Monday and Tuesday.
Maybe, just maybe, the Morrises have struck gold after all.
>> Cork, 4991 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. (480) 883-3773.
(First Taste reviews are based on initial visits to new East Valley restaurants. Full reviews are written after multiple visits, usually over a period of several weeks, after the restaurant has been open at least a couple months.)
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We recently visited the restaurant for dinner as first timers and our waitress did not advise us of the small 2 bite portions per “plate”. Needless to say, we had flahsbacks of the famous Rex, Il Resteraunte, that flourished in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
The quality of the food was outstanding, but we unexpectedly ordered less than we should have and went home hungry.
We would suggest a well crafted written suggestion to order 3-4 plates to be located on the menu or a Prix Fixe special
Cocktails, Bartenders, Server and Hostess were all fabulous. The quality of the food is exceptional as are the martini’s and wine selection. Yes, the portions are small but we were told this up front and really enjoyed being able to try more variety! Hats off to all involved! We wish you much success and are thrilled that you selected our neighborhood as home to CORK!