TimesLeader.com

August 20, 2008

Good things under Cork

S.S. MUNCH Times Leader Food Critic

Not to underplay the fresh, appetizing food, attentive service or anything else essential to a top-quality eatery, but one of the things that’s nicest about Cork, the smallish, house-like establishment nestled in Wilkes-Barre’s North End section, is the way it looks now: finished.

And that’s not to minimize, either, the beautiful interior job completed by the previous owners who, under the Spag’s name, ran what is now an upscale but still everyman’s Italian-American establishment.

We loved Spag’s, as we do Cork, but if we had to pinpoint a trouble spot it might have been curb appeal. Spag’s, though lovely, warm and inviting inside, was just plain easy to miss from the outside.

These days, under the tutelage of PR and event planner Ruth Corcoran, all is fresh and new, including stylish signage, siding and detail-decorated front and rear entrances. In other words, someone happening by might feel compelled to drop in.

We do so now and again and must admit we’ve been a bit delayed in sharing our thoughts, but if we’ve learned one thing while covering the ever-changing local restaurant scene, it’s easy come, easy go. We don’t always like to rave (or rant, for that matter) too early, preferring mostly to give a place a chance to set down roots and show us it’s sticking around before pronouncing anything.

From the looks (and tastes) of things, Cork isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Executive chef Don Caccavo, out of Staten Island and then New Jersey, is doing some fine things with food here, and suffice it to say we were sufficiently impressed. Our selections were delicious and reasonably priced, and our server, Mario, classy, attentive and knowledgeable.

A starter of mozzarella en carozza ($7.95) far surpassed your run-of-the-mill mozzarella stick and in fact didn’t come in tubular form at all. Instead, three good-size triangular slices of what resembled a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich arrived light and airy yet oozed mozzarella even as they made nice with the tangy, impressive prosciutto nestled inside. The thin but flavorful marinara pooled in a larger center bowl was not only abundant but artfully balanced in seasonings.

The salads that followed were quite large for house accompaniments with nice blends of fresh, crisp greens. The house balsamic vinaigrette dressing was pure loveliness, even pleasing the one of us who usually asks for a raspberry vinaigrette to eliminate the possibility of bite, which this dressing did not, thankfully, carry. An addition of dried, crumbled bleu cheese for $1 made things just snappy enough.

A complimentary bread basket held fresh, hot and light Italian bread and was swell for nibbling yet did not impede the enjoyment of our meals, which deserve accolades aplenty.

Veal Marsala ($18.95) contained thin, tender slices of real, not processed, veal, and the Marsala sauce was exquisite in flavor and consistency. A special of fresh salmon wrapped around a luscious crabmeat stuffing ($18.95) proved remarkably pleasing to a picky eater, who heartily enjoyed half his large portion as a next-day lunch. And an intriguing Chicken Marissa ($16.95) perked up standard boneless breasts with peppers, mushrooms, broccoli rabe and provolone cheese.

Main courses were accompanied by tasty helpings of soft, roasted potatoes and drizzled zucchini, both of which were well-textured and nicely flavored.

We split on desserts, in choice and appeal. A key-lime sunrise cheesecake ($6.95) proved a better pick than a chocolate overload cake (also $6.95) which simply sounded better than it was. The cheesecake was light, with a fresh yet zesty appeal, but the chocolate cake came in on the dry, ordinary side. This was perhaps the only humdrum point of an otherwise remarkable meal.

We want to be sure to leave you with that impression, even as we feel compelled to share two thoughts/points to ponder going forward:

First: Though we appreciate the fact that a parking lot now exists at this location, the lot is small and unpaved without marked spaces. On busy nights (which are most nights, and that’s a good thing) the street often seems a safer bet.

Second: Cork is handicapped accessible with a large, sturdy wheelchair ramp leading into the rear entrance. Trouble is, the first floor, which contains the quite attractive bar and comfy tall tables, is the smoking section. Nonsmokers who prefer the cleanest air must ascend a rather tall and somewhat narrow wooden flight of stairs to the nonsmoking twin dining rooms upstairs. So essentially a handicapped or elderly nonsmoker might be out of luck.

Admittedly, the bar area is probably too small to section off into smoking and non, so consider this a plea for someone, anyone who operates an independent restaurant this size to take a gamble and ban smoking entirely in the main quarters.

Not that we won’t come back regardless – food’s great, ditto the wine list, service is impressive, all that – but we’re still waiting for the day Pennsylvania (or at least some key Pennsylvanians) stands up for the non-smoker.

California, New York, D.C. … Hey, we’re just saying.

If you go

On the web

What: Cork bar & restaurant

Where: 463 Madison St., Wilkes-Barre

Call: 570-270-3818

Credit cards? Yes

Handicapped accessible? Yes, with a caveat. See review.

Smoking/nonsmoking? Downstairs smoking, upstairs non.

Reservations necessary? Not a bad idea

Other: On the Web at www.corkdining.com; open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner with lunch available to eat in or take out from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays.

To read previously published Munch Bunch restaurant reviews, visit www. timesleader.com.

Times Leader food critics remain anonymous to the establishments they review, and their bylines are pen names.