Cork pops the top on a revamped menu from new executive chef Rob Weland.
By Nevin Martell
Plates can be paired with more than 50 wines by the glass. Photo courtesy of David Wilbanks.
Fans love the superstar collaborations, whether Jay-Z and Kanye West recording an album together or Leonardo DiCaprio working with Martin Scorsese. When Rob Weland left Poste to head up the kitchen at Cork Wine Bar in October of last year, a headline-worthy all-star alliance was formed. Now the first taste of this culinary collaboration is being served up on a new menu.
Sticking to the small plates format, Weland highlights a variety of seasonal and sustainably grown ingredients. A winter radish salad gets its ante upped with sage vinaigrette and slivers of local apples, while thyme-spiced roasted sunchokes and Brussels sprouts are boosted with crispy bits of porky tesa. For a more carnivorous option, there’s red wine braised rabbit on an island of poppy seed tagliatelle dotted with caramelized fennel, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and bacon.
From the sound of it, Weland’s debut is a greatest hits in the making.
Cork Wine Bar, 1740 14th St. NW; 202-265-2675, www.corkdc.com.
