Cork

My wife and I dined there on 12÷19÷15.
The positives: food portions are nice. My pork dish was very good.
The Negatives: no wine list… and the call it the cork. Wines are OK at best. Crab stuffed salmon was not stuffed and there was no crab to be found. Service was slow and not consistent.
I don’t think we will go back. For the money you can do much better elsewhere.

Most recent adventure 12−4−15: update: the beurre blanc still makes me drool and want to lick the plate in public; perfect meal, always ideal for a last meal. 3−20−15: I was picking up a gift certificate and heard they’re having a special Irish tasting menu and thought no thanks corned beef and cabbage. I saw salmon, pork chops and heard tell of the sauces, saw the dessert and had to come back later for dinner. Larger portions for the price and quality, good as shared plates or leftovers. The food is inspired and magic, sauces coming together making the food, was gonna say «pop», but it’s nothing so harsh. The food is an orchestra, coming together in harmonies, sometimes with solos but always leading back to balance. I like to think I have a distinguished palate and am good at identifying flavors, so I’m wowed when I can’t because of the skill of the kitchen; this place wows me on every plate. Truly a Twin Cities gem, with abundant and free parking. You know that sweet subtle spot when a master of something hones there craft into something beautiful and there are no words for it, it’s just inspired, well this food has it; it has grace.
Btw: a «tasting menu» is a preview of the chef and kitchen’s creativity in motion; you can trust the kitchen at Cork to keep you intrigued and satisfied no matter the menu; just show up and be delightfully amused and surprised. Cheers!
OPEN as of Dec 2013 and über fun and tasty on 5÷4÷14. Haute cuisine in Anoka, Thursday — Saturday night till ~9pm. Delish, fun, went tonight had a Chardonnay and salmon cake, not great pairing choice on my part. As noted in previous post, fresh and from scratch, maybe some local sourcing, new menu each week, seasonal craft beer as well! Staff is familiar with sourcing good product. Best beurre blanc sauce I’ve had in years!!! Looking forward to 6 course tasting menu when I have more time… like next Thursday! I will be calling in a reservation, limited seating and this is something for which you’d like to take your time –as one may prefer with such dining. Schedule and menu for restaurant is posted on their Facebook page

Went with a friend who was excited to try this place out. There were misleading directions to get in on the front door leaving people to believe the entrance is around the corner. This is a problem because in Mn you can freeze to death in that space of time… Walked in and were greeted by a very enthusiastic man. He gave us a run down of the concept which is cool, kinda like a diner where you have really great wine and fresh scratch made food.
Menu looked very tasty except reeaaally overpriced for such a low brow interior and the service provided. They are adventurous with the dishes and I really dig that. Also if you are sharing appetizers they provide large portions. Food was good although there was not much choice as they were out of about 70% of the menu. My main course was a steak dry rubbed in coffee grains with a chocolate demi. It was cooked with precision but the added flare of preparation was unfortunately not noticed and there was not enough sauce to go with it. My friend had a very tasty piece of fish with mashed potatoes that were done to perfection.
Wine came in questionably small pours… Overall the food was good. We could have done with a little less cheezy chatter from our server and if the prices were about %30 less it would be a real hit!

Like many other reviewers, we were introduced to Cork via an Amazon Local gift certificate. It was one of the better gifts we’ve received.
First, let me describe what the place isn’t. It isn’t a high class, elegant place with marvelously plush ambience and the staff isn’t «professional». It’s a family-​run place and the staff looks to be mostly family members. The place is in an older building in downtown Anoka. The interior is a bit funky but pleasant with nice artwork and lots of wine bottles and corks for décor. The trip to the restroom is a rustic adventure. There’s a wine frig in the corner of the dining room.
Service was a bit slow to start with. They lost our reservation but we were seated right away anyway as the dining room had tables available. The hostess explained how the 3-​course salad/​entrée/​dessert package with wine pairings worked and said our server would be with us shortly. «Shortly» turned out to be several minutes as he was busy explaining the menu to another table and chatting quite a bit while sitting at the table with them. When he got to our table, he did the same thing. He sat down, answered all our questions about the menu, explained their farm-​to-​table philosophy, told a few jokes, described each menu item we were interested in. HIs behavior was kind of annoying when he was lavishing time on another table and delaying us but became very helpful and engaging when applied to us.
It took some time for the salads to arrive and in the meantime, we had nothing. If I could make one suggestion, some bread to start with would be a great addition. Then the salads arrived and the evening took a significant turn upwards.
The food. oh, the food. My grilled Caesar salad with a balsamic dressing was excellent as was my wife’s mixed green said. I ordered a New York strip that was cooked with coffee and chocolate. Sounds weird but it was delicious and was a perfectly cooked medium. The accompanying pearl pasta was silky and the chocolate/​coffee sauce from the steak was even better on the pasta. The butternut squash was perfectly al dente. My wife’s parmesan crusted sole was among the best dishes she’s ever eaten and it came with pureed parsnips that she would have been happy to make a meal out of.
The flourless chocolate torte was described as being 2 steps from heaven. I think they overestimated the distance. It was sublime. The wine pairing were spot on. I got a Pinot Noir with the salad and a Cabernaut with the steak that matched perfectly.
The menu prices are not shy but they’re easily in line with quality of the food. Some people may expect a more elegant or professional dining experience at those prices but if you approach the place with a sense of fun, you won’t be disappointed.

We had no idea about this restaurant, but with a Living Social coupon in hand, and an anniversary dinner to have, we drove the hour. Wow, what a pleasure from the first moment of entry. Great vibe, the owner/​partner guy gave us details of what we were «in for» with a 5 course «pairing meal», & it was great. Especially good was his thoughtfulness to adjust the menu to my wife’s food allergies! 5*****, we have already told friends, will look forward to a return event!

This place is amazing and a place I reccomend to all family, friends, and co-​workers! Do the tasting menu!!! Its worth it! Awesome service in a casual environment with amazing food!!! I can’t wait for my next visit to Cork! Thank you Cork for opening in Anoka and giving us a great dining experience!

Great customer service. Showed up at 4 pm on a week night when they don’t open until 5. The guy let us in for drinks still. He was very knowledgable about his food and wine! Highly recommend! Try the Cork’s House Blend– wine. So delicious!

The food was delicious and simple. Fresh ingredients with a menu they claim changes all the time. I would go back to see what more they offer. I had the cork chop with risotto and corn purée. Not cheap, but worth it! The staff was really friendly and laid back. It’s a great place to go with friends. I can’t speak for the wine since I don’t drink.

Enjoyed a wonderful 3-​course dinner w wine pairings at this quaint and casual downtown Anoka restaurant. Started with a delicious (and unusual) Caesar salad, unique for its warm, wilted Romaine heart lettuce, dressed w a piquant blend of balsamic vinegar, anchovy paste, ground black pepper, parmesan-​croutons, and crumbled tangy (Reggiano?) cheese. The salad was served with an excellent house red blend of Malbec, Cabernet, and Merlot. For entrée, spouse ordered Chicken Marsala, a very moist, tender, generous breast served w seasoned mashed potatoe purée, carrots, and a very flavorful Marsala sauce. I ordered the lamb rack which was cooked medium-​rare to perfection. The lamb was seasoned beautifully and was accompanied by a very tasty, Dijon-​infused mushroom gravy, risotto, and fresh green beans. Our entrées were served with a nice velvety Chardonnay. For dessert, we both enjoyed the house-​made cheese cake, accompanied by Riesling. Dinner at Cork was a very special treat!

Love this place! The food is too die for! Been here several times & have never been disappointed. Chef William is awesome! You’ve got to check this place out!!!

Grabbed a «Living Social» deal for a 3-​course dinner for two with a bottle of wine for $ 50. Went on a Saturday night to celebrate our anniversary. There was one other couple in the restaurant. We had high expectations and were disappointed throughout. Our server looked as if she just finished a shift at the local truck stop and was chewing gum. She didn’t know the menu (no printed menu, and she read it from a notepad) well and had to defer to the other server for the most basic questions. The wine was actually from a box (not what I would have expected from a restaurant named Cork), kept in a loud refrigerator located in a corner of the dining room. The boombox on top somewhat drowned out the sound of the compressor. The «chef» visited the refrigerator every once in a while to grab a beer for himself or one of his visiting buddies. Food was ok, but not nearly as good as some of the other reviews led us to believe.
Anoka could really use a decent restaurant. Unfortunately, Cork isn’t it.

This was our second time at Cork. As in the first visit, the food (every morsel!) was beautifully prepared & tasted divine, and the service was friendly, attentive and prompt. We highly recommend this restaurant!

My husband and I went to Cork on a Friday night and were anxious to see what this place was all about, as we had heard it was a «fancy» new restaurant in the area. We were expecting great wine, a quiet and romantic ambience, and excellent food that would be well worth the money. Well… we didn’t experience any of that.
When we first arrived at Cork, we were not greeted right away even though there were only a handful of customers in the restaurant and a few employees standing around. When someone did notice us, they didn’t come up to us but instead shouted across the room and asked for the name we made our reservation under. We told them, and they then asked us if it was our first time there, with which we answered yes. The male server turned to a female server he was next to and shouted «ohhh we have some virgins in the house!!». Cork is a super small restaurant so this comment was heard by everyone else there and they were all looking. We were by no means offended or embarrassed by this, but I just thought it was EXTREMELY unprofessional and just not the place and time to make a comment like that.
We were seated and, oh joy — the male server was our server. He introduced himself and proceeded to tell us that Cork has «5 star food, 4 star prices, and a 3 star attitude» while then proceeding to point out his crocs.
Again, this is all fine and wasn’t something that was going to spoil our date night, but after browsing the menu and looking at the prices, it really turned me off. If I’m going to be paying $ 30-​$ 50 for one entrée, I expect to also have exceptional service and we did not receive that AT ALL (I could write a ton more with a dozen more examples but I don’t want to get too lengthy).
Regarding the food, I will say it was OK but definitely not worth the money. Same with the wine — you’d think being a restaurant named «Cork» you’d have several options, but instead they had a couple different boxed wines. Not against boxed wine at all… but really? Kind of weird and super overpriced.
We will clearly not be returning to this establishment. Not only was it overpriced and the food/​drinks were sub-​par, the environment was distracting and not a place where you can have a quiet, intimate conversation. (i.e. the fridge in the corner… yes right out in the open… that buzzed and made noises all evening)
The whole experience was super unprofessional and not a place we will be stepping foot into again.

We went to Cork for our 37^th Anniversary. Even waited a day to celebrate so we could dine here. The food was the best ever. We did the 6 course tasting menu. My husband and I were each going to do it and our server suggested that we share it, due to the amount of food. She was dead on. I was started to get full after eating my salad. After that was Corn Fritters that were beyond tasty. Then came a pork loin which I could only eat half of my half. Mahi Mahi was up next and was delightful. Probably the best fish I have ever had out. Up next was filet mignon. Every entrée came out with a side like whipped potatoes, rice or pasta. Last but not least was Cream Puffs. From the 2^nd course on my dear husband had to eat ¾’s of each one served. We also split the wine flight. The serving of wine was very generous.
All in all… We will be back. The food was delicious and the attention to detail was better than we expected. We have done the tasting menu at W. A Frost, and I would choose Cork as the better of the two. And the best part is that we spent ½ of what we were expecting.

I live in Anoka and, while I love the concept of a ‘fancy’ option in Anoka, the food missed the mark. We paid way too much for food we could have made at home and it would have tasted much better. We often find ourselves comparing the price we paid to other restaurants and how much better the food was.
The other downside was the menu listed gazpacho under the entrees, so I asked the server and she told me it was a cold soup — I knew that much but was more questioning why it was listed as an entrée. Awhile later she told another patron that it was a typo and it was really supposed to be cioppino (which I would have ordered had I known). I was very disappointed.
We were the only couple there on a Friday night (not a good sign imo), and it was spooky quiet, no light music or anything. Heard the servers and cooks talking about brain surgery or something serious and medical. Another couple was seated and I felt like we had to whisper as to not disturb them.
Overall, just not impressed.

We had a four course dinner (split), chef’s choice, which included an excellent arugula/​matchstick apples salad, a tuna course, a prime rib course, and chocolate pot de crème. It was all very good and the portions were substantial. The tuna was perfect, slightly crisp on the surface and rare inside. The tuna and prime rib courses included delicious vegetables.
The service was amateur at best. While she was well meaning, our server was not familiar with the menu and had difficulty describing how the four course option worked. My wife ordered a single glass of wine and we were brought two, even after I explained that I was not drinking as I was the driver. Another server circled the room refilling everyone glasses with water, touching the pitcher to the rim of each glass (already used) in the process. I quietly told her that this is an unsanitary process, that the pitcher should always be held well above the glass. I hope she remembers.
There is no wine list. The server was not very familiar with the offerings. My wife ordered the house chardonnay, which we later learned to be a boxed wine (Black Box Wine). It was ok, but not really worth $ 10 a glass.
In summary: Go for the food. Try to help out the server and be patient. Have water with your dinner, go home and finish with a nice wine. Four stars, based entirely on the food.
=== 1÷18÷15 update, we returned for dinner, and were pleased. Service was much improved. We had one of those on line discount deals which included wine. I had the mushroom rack of lamb, my wife had the Parmesan Dover sole. Portions were ample and the food was excellent. The house salads were tasty, and we finished/​shared a large piece layered chocolate cake. The house wines were very nice. This cozy little place deserves another star.

We stopped on a whim and decided to try it. Very surprised by the tasting menu and had a four course meal. We had filet mignon and walleye as out two proteins It is all up to the chef once you tell them if you dont want something. They had good craft beers tobgo with the very good food. The staff is very nice but coukd stand to pick up their level of professionalism a bit. Holding my beer by the top is bad hygeine if nothing else. We wikl go back.

Our party of 4 all ordered the 6 course tasting menu and we all left happy. Done to perfection, and full of great flavors. We’ll be back.

This is the «review» I sent them:
Good morning,
Before I write a review on your Facebook page, I wanted to give it to you privately.
I was at your establishment last night with friends for the first time. The restaurant is set up nicely. Warm and inviting colors, and loved the local artwork!
We were greeted promptly and with a smile. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. She explained the concept and goal Corks wants their guest to experience. It was a little long-​winded, but not bothersome. I am sure as word gets out, the explanation will be able to be cut down some. I felt bad more so for her having to repeat it to every table!
The wine selection was reasonable. It was not overwhelming, and well thought out.
For dinner, I ordered the lamb. It was delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly. The presentation was great.
While I was eating my dinner is when my Corks experience went south…
The chef, Billy, and his nephew approached me to get my feedback on how I liked my dish since Billy was apparently teaching him how to cook. This in itself would have been fine, however Billy was drunk! He was loud, obnoxious, AND he proceeded to talk about «smoking marihuana and f***ing s**t like that…» directly to us and his nephew. Really!!! This was absolutely unacceptable and inappropriate! Billy throughout the remainder of our visit was loud and obnoxious walking around the restaurant and talking with fellow staff. I cannot stress strongly enough… this will ruin your business fast! He needs to lay off the sauce if he is working. I’m hoping he is a much more reputable chef when he is sober.
Last tidbit, more so a business pointer… the restaurant was getting close to closing time, and we were the last table there. Our server took our water glasses once we finished our water. This is a huge no-​no in the industry (I’ve worked in restaurants for over a decade). She should offer us more water even if it is toward the end of the night. I know y’all want to leave, but if the concept of your restaurant is to create a relaxing experience where guests can enjoy themselves, you ended it with a feeling of getting asked to leave in a non-​verbal manner. Not a good last impression. Yes, it may seem trivial, but it’s all about impressions and how you respect a guest.
All-​in-​all, I have no desire to come back or recommend your restaurant at this point. I was so excited to try your restaurant, but this experience was so disappointing.
I hope you can take this review constructively, and make the necessary changes. I know Corks could be great if done right.
This is the only response I received:
Thank you for your feedback.. we will deal with this. …sorry

I heard about this restaurant from another woman while getting my nails done and since I live 2 miles from it, decided to take my husband and try it. I never write reviews but felt the need to this time. This is a small, quaint little restaurant that used to be another restaurant. We were greeted right away by a very casual young hostess and after being seated our server and the hostess proceeded to explain the concept. At first I thought oh oh, this might be a bit of a hick place based on how casual they were. But I quickly determined how wrong I was.
We ordered the Chef Tasting 5 course meal and split it between my husband and I. This was a risk for me because I am extremely picky. We also ordered a great bottle of wine. Our first course was a salad with spinach, beets, feta cheese and a great light dressing. Awesome and I don’t like beets.
Next came the appetizer and the chef chose Tuna Tar Tar… again perfect.
Entrée 1 was a Cumin seasoned Salmon with rice and some sauces. I was amazed at the flavors and how perfectly cooked and seasoned everything was.
Entrée 2 was Filet Mignon with a butternut squash purée and it was cooked perfect and could cut with a butter knife it was so tender. The portions were manageable splitting the entrees. At this point I was literally shocked at the flavors, temperature and how well everything was cooked.
Last part of our chef choice was dessert. I don’t usually ever eat dessert but it was part of the meal so of course I had to partake. The dessert was a flour less chocolate torte with fresh strawberries and a raspberry sauce. AMAZING. The service was awesome. The food was not rushed (if you are looking for a fast dunner, this is not the place). It is well balanced and timed out to allow a very nice dining experience. The servers were attentive, down to earth and we’ll versed on the food. My husband and I can’t wait to go back. They have new menus every week so we can’t wait to try new things the chef comes up with. We had to laugh at their motto «5 Star food at 4 Star pricing with 3 Star attitudes». Loved everything about it.