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.
September 30, 2008
Saturday night Gabriele and I had a very enjoyable experience at Evo Bistro in Mclean. It describes itself as a “tapas and wine tasting bar” and was recommended by a friend. Here’s the Post’s take from last November:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112100830.html
It was clear something was up as soon as we arrived. There was an air of conviviality about the place, and there was not a table to be had at 9:30. It’s not a big place, but being busy at that hour is a good sign for a suburban restaurant.
After a few minutes we were seated, and every plate we ordered was well done. The prices are a little higher than usual for a tapas place, but the plates are also a bit larger. Before I get to the wine, let me mention the excellent Evo crepe — a spinach crepe stuffed with lump crabmeat. The Charcuterie was also very good.
Evo offers a broad selection of wines, many by the glass. That’s what we decided to do this evening (without the debit card method offered by the restaurant). We started with a 2005 Clos Pegase, Mitzuko Vineyard Pinot that had very good structure, strong but restrained fruit and a nice clean finish. After that we tried the 2005 Turkey Flat Butcher Block Shiraz, which was predictably rounder, fuller and more fruit forward with a lingering finish. Both wines went well with the various plates we ordered.
What really made the evening however was the result of total chance. Driss Zahidi, the head chef was seated right next to us entertaining a table of friends. The tables were not very far apart, and at one point he asked us how we were enjoying our evening. We said very much, and I told him we like wine, and were curious what he was having with his meal. Before I had time to decline, he poured us a taste of the 2004 Merryvale Profile they were having with their beef and lamb. It was an impressive example of a big and powerful Californian cabernet, with a lot of body and a long finish. His generosity was striking, and even more so when he sent over a couple of glasses of Muscat for our dessert. Our creme brulee was clearly freshly made and deliciously eggy.
Suffice to say, we felt welcomed into the family by the time we left. Evo offers a unique “debit card” approach to wine tasting that we’ll try next time we’re there. If you enjoy wine, highly recommend you pay Evo Bistro a visit.
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April 16, 2008
