Baltimore Grows

I finally managed to make it over to Corks in Federal Hill restaurant to see the place.  It reopened a few months ago after some renovations and a reformatting.  A lot of the new format had to do with the menu, which now has a good mix of mdeium priced along with higher priced entrees.

The restaurant looks very small from the front, but it opens up to a larger dining room in back.  There’s also an upper balcony for additional seating.  I went on a Friday and business was brisk, although the place was not 100% full.  There was plenty of room to move around, and it wasn’t one of those places where your table is 6 inches away from the one next to yours (thankfully). 

I would definitely recommend starting out with the Merguez Corn Dogs.  It comes with two Spanish sausages, battered (just like at the MD state fair), and served with a really nice spicy mustard.  It’s also served over a bed of popcorn with freshly grated cheese.  It doesn’t seem like it would, but the flavors mix well, especially the spicy mustard with the salty popcorn.

The restaurant has an extensive wine list, which remains fairly pricey, along with multiple selections of Foie Gras.  However, there’s some lesser priced entrees including sandwiches and burgers for around $9-$12. 

I couldn’t resist the Filet Mingon however, which was local and organically raised.  It was advertised as a 10 oz portion, but it had to have been at least 16 ounces…it was huge!  I asked for it medium well, but it had a bit more pink in the middle than I care for…probably because the piece was so gigantic.  The waitress came by to ask if it was cooked to my taste, so could have taken the opportunity to throw it back on the grill, but it was so delicious, I was enjoying it too much to part ways…even if only for a few minutes.   

http://www.corksrestaurant.com

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com