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Talk About Tulsa => Restaurant Reviews => Topic started by: Gaspar on January 23, 2012, 10:39:21 am



Title: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on January 23, 2012, 10:39:21 am
Location(s) Being Reviewed:
Date/Time of Visit: Friday January 20th
Quality of Food (1-5): 5
Menu/Food Options (1-5): 5
Quality of Service (1-5): 5
Atmosphere (1-5): 5
Overall Rating (1-5): 5
Price ($-$$$$$): $$$$
What makes this restaurant unique:

Formerly il Bacio, we decided to go on Friday night for dinner.  We've always enjoyed the wine and atmosphere, but now, with the name change, they offer a full menu.  I had the halibut crusted in almonds and curry powder in a light cream sauce, and my wife had lemon caper chicken.  Both dishes were outstanding.

Some friends who joined us ordered the burger (enormous and piled high with french fried onions), and the pork chop (easily two inches thick, bone-in, and absolutely beautiful).  They also feature seared ahi tuna and beautiful steaks.  We were all extremely impressed with our food. 

I typically am not a fan of polenta because it tends to be "blah," but the polenta served as a side was amazing!  Top it all off with a bottle of Calistoga Zin, and what a meal!



Besides a selection of fantastic wines, they also feature Scotches, and artisan beers. 

(http://www.tulsawinebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/webtuna.jpg)
(http://www.tulsawinebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/webfilet.jpg)
(http://www.tulsawinebar.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/webburger.jpg)


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Conan71 on January 23, 2012, 10:43:23 am
Was Il Bacio the Italian place at 71st & Hwy 75 that was getting such mixed reviews?


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on January 23, 2012, 10:48:55 am
Was Il Bacio the Italian place at 71st & Hwy 75 that was getting such mixed reviews?

No, this place is on 81st and Memorial, tucked in next to Bounce-U.  It was just a wine bar until a couple of weeks ago.  Great interior atmosphere!


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Townsend on January 23, 2012, 10:52:27 am
We were semi-regulars even when we were in mid-town.  Gaspar's right, good atmosphere inside and excellent wine/beer selection.

Thanks for the review, we'll be sure to run by to try the food.

Did they expand to incorporate the kitchen?


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: TeeDub on January 23, 2012, 10:52:32 am
No, this place is on 81st and Memorial, tucked in next to Bounce-U.  It was just a wine bar until a couple of weeks ago.  Great interior atmosphere!


91st and Memorial.


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Teatownclown on January 23, 2012, 10:58:18 am
I broke down and had a burger here last week....best burger in a looooonnnng time.


I was trying to keep a secret. Besides, I'm not a spammer. Gassie, are your shots big enough?


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: rdj on January 23, 2012, 11:01:17 am
I'm confused by the pictures.  Did you sneak into the kitchen?  Do you take a chef's knife, tongs and a cutting board every where you eat?  Or, do you just not use plates?  Take out?

Heard similar things from other friends.  I'll need to get by there when I'm in south Tulsa.


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Teatownclown on January 23, 2012, 11:04:58 am
Zach and Chris Collins' hired a really decent chef for this place.



Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: tulsa_fan on January 23, 2012, 11:26:36 am
We met the owner in Eureka Springs last weekend, really nice guy and seems to want to continue to develop, but understands the market well.  I've heard great things as well, just bought the groupon, will make sure I go!  I forget about it, and I live out South!


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on January 23, 2012, 11:46:46 am
I'm confused by the pictures.  Did you sneak into the kitchen?  Do you take a chef's knife, tongs and a cutting board every where you eat?  Or, do you just not use plates?  Take out?

Heard similar things from other friends.  I'll need to get by there when I'm in south Tulsa.

Sniped em from the website. . . but I do carry a cutting board with me everywhere I go.  You never know when you're going to run into an opportunity to carve some meat!


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: DTowner on January 23, 2012, 04:46:55 pm
How late do they serve food?


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: tulsa_fan on January 23, 2012, 05:14:24 pm
From TW review of the place:

CORK WINE CAFE
8922 S. Memorial Drive
918-615-3383

Food:

Atmosphere:

Service: (on a scale of 0-4 stars)

4 p.m. to midnight (kitchen 4-10 p.m.) Monday-Thursday and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen 4 p.m. to midnight) Friday-Saturday; accepts all major credit cards.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=39&articleid=20111222_39_WK15_CUTLIN105760


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on January 23, 2012, 07:55:05 pm
How late do they serve food?

On plates with silverware.  Oh, and there are napkins too.


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Red Arrow on January 23, 2012, 08:04:35 pm
On plates with silverware.  Oh, and there are napkins too.

Bounty roll napkins?


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on March 05, 2012, 07:04:21 am
Round two:

Went on Saturday night.  Ordered the bone-in pork chop. 

WOW!

2" thick pork chop (two ribs).  Tender and juicy all the way through without a scrap of fat.  Light Dijon cream sauce, green beans and garlic mash potatoes.  $26, but I would have paid twice that!



Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on October 14, 2014, 08:13:42 am
Cork is no longer a wine bar, just a dive bar. 

My wife and I used to love this place. We would go a couple of times a month on date night and the food was always spectacular. Service was excellent, and the wines were well-chosen and properly poured.

After while without a visit, we finally got an opportunity for an evening without the kids and headed to Cork. We noticed that the place had been re-arranged a bit and figured it may be under new ownership. We sat and looked at the menu, which had been scaled down from the original considerably, into a one page laminated sheet of paper with just a few selections. For starters we ordered the roquefort cheese tureen and some wine. When the tureen arrived it was obvious that it had sat in a fridge covered for quite a while. Some of the grapes were growing mold, and most of the crackers were broken. We ate around the fuzzy grapes and it was Meh.

We ordered the chicken dish with the caper sauce to share. We always used to love this, because it was large enough to share and came with a wonderful potato mash and some asparagus with a grilled red pepper garnish. It was always plated well and was very reasonably priced. They also had a pork-chop, and halibut dish that was to die for!

We sat, watching the other group pound beers and type away on their laptops. The server visited them several times to pick up empties, bring fresh beers, and chat.

After waiting for about a half hour (even though we were the only people ordering food) our entrée arrived. It consisted of a lump of glutenous angel hair pasta that had obviously been re-heated before service with a small half chicken breast on top covered by the sauce. The sticky glob of pasta had a strange "dish-water" smell that encouraged my wife not to even touch it. The presentation rivaled that of a soup kitchen, not a wine bar.

We would usually stay quite a while and try a couple of new wines after our meal, but we were understandably ready to leave, and my wife even suggested we swing by Chicken Express across the parking lot for a snack before going to the movies.

As a few other groups arrived during the course of our meal, we noticed that everyone was just coming to drink beer. The second service person arrived as we waited for our check, and fired into a very loud conversation with the kitchen staff that everyone in the restaurant had the pleasure of listening to. She had an interesting week.

Unfortunately Cork has turned 180 degrees away from an upscale wine bar, and that is fine, but I would encourage a name change, and a significant reduction in food prices, as well as a pub-grub menu that can be executed with minimal oversight. I believe there was a chalk sign near the bar that offered cheap beer prices ($1.50 Domestics or something of the like), so perhaps they should turn their focus on cultivating that clientele.

We obviously won't be back.


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Conan71 on October 14, 2014, 08:43:51 am
Maybe they are getting ready to change the name to the “Bottle Cap"


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: DolfanBob on October 14, 2014, 08:48:12 am
Their Facebook page still makes them look upscale. Several local musicians performing and a two page menu posted looks pretty good. I'm curious about the price range since the menu posted does not show them.

https://www.facebook.com/TulsaCork


Title: Re: Cork Wine Cafe
Post by: Gaspar on October 14, 2014, 08:49:22 am
Their Facebook page still makes them look upscale. Several local musicians performing and a two page menu posted looks pretty good. I'm curious about the price range since the menu posted does not show them.

https://www.facebook.com/TulsaCork

Same as the old prices but the menu is scaled back.  $26-$30 for an entrée.