INGOOD TASTE
Candid conversations with the dining scene’s most engaging chefs
Joe Perino, Executive Chef,
The Cork 1794
The Cork 1794
900 West Erie Plaza Drive, Erie
814.651.0332, cork1794.com fig, Valencia orange, watermelon radish,
and watercress infused with a light black
peppercorn vinaigrette.
On the Menu:
The Cork 1794, in its new location in West
Erie Plaza in Millcreek Township, continues
its tradition of offering best-in-class dining
experiences. Menu items are prepared
with some of the best and freshest ingre-
dients available in the country. Dinner en-
trees include Filet Au Poivre: Black Angus
Filet Mignon sourced from Mosher Farms
in Liscomb, Iowa, served with porcini and
fig risotto, charred baby carrots, golden
beets and cast iron brandy pan sauce. The dessert menu features The Cork’s
Cloud Cake, baked with hazelnut flour and
topped with hazelnut spread and candied
hazelnuts dipped in sugar to form spikes
that suspend a cloud of spun sugar over
the cake. Served with French vanilla ice
cream, it’s too tempting not to try and,
although you wouldn’t guess, it’s gluten
free.
You can also choose to enjoy The Cork’s
Stuffed Pork Chop, double-brined in apple
cider for flavor and tenderness, stuffed
with Cortland apple and Brie, and served
with sausage from Larry’s Central Market
in Erie, brioche bread pudding, rapini,
garlic, golden beet and star anise simple
syrup.
The Cork also serves Pan Seared Halibut,
a hook-and-line-caught halibut served
with fresh, crispy strozzapreti pasta made
in-house, baby zucchini, baby sunburst
squash, Australian finger lime beurre
blanc sauce, and chive oil.
The menu also includes rotating “Hunter’s
Hunt” and “Catcher’s Catch” items pre-
pared from fresh game meat.
Guests will also find a tempting selection
of starters, soups, and salads, including
signature salads such as gluten-free,
vegetarian Fig & Orange Salad: frisée,
You can make your reservation to dine
at The Cork 1794 at www.cork1794.com.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday
through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on
Fridays and Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to
10 p.m. on Sundays.
What led Red Letter
Hospitality to open The
Cork 1794 in West Erie
Plaza?
The Cork in North East
attracted a lot of customers from Millcreek
Township and even from Fairview. We wanted
a more centralized, larger location, and with the
renovations and new stores popping up in West
Erie Plaza, we are sure it’s going to bring a lot of
people back to that area.
Q A
Even with a great location, we know we are only
going to be as good as the team that’s behind
us. So we took a lot of time interviewing for the
front and back of the house; we’ve put together
a really great team with a lot of talent.
How did you decide on the menu?
Red Letter Hospitality Corporate Executive
Filet Au Poivre dish that is perfectly paired with a
beautiful red wine picked by our Sommelier.
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724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE
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Chef Joe Perino teaching his culinary staff how to filet
halibut.
Chef Kristian Young and I spent about five
months designing the menu. We kept a few
things from The Cork in North East, but we
wanted to offer a new menu focusing on the
freshest ingredients like fresh, house-made
pasta and bread. And we spent three months
tasting steak from different farms to find the
very best for our guests.
What kitchen tool can’t you live without?
It’s my “spadle.” It’s a metal spoon that I’ve had
for 12 or 13 years that I can bend to also use
as a ladle. I use it for saucing plates, stirring, or
whatever I need to do at the time.
What is your favorite go-to ingredient?
I am huge into making fresh pasta, so my go-to
ingredients are eggs and semolina flour. When
it comes to versatility I’d have to say butter, and
for seasoning, sea salt flakes.
Other than your restaurant, where’s your
favorite place to eat?
I work seven days a week, so when I have time
outside the restaurant, my favorite place to eat
is at home with my daughters. I love to spend
time with them, cooking a simple dinner,
sitting down at a table with them, and talking.
What’s the next big food or dining trend?
Whether at our Erie area restaurants or our fast
casual CoreLife Eatery franchise in Cleveland,
we see the demand for menu items that use
natural, organic ingredients. We understand
that when people sit down to enjoy dinner,
they want to know they will receive the freshest
and best ingredients—and we make sure they
know those are our core values. We show
guests right on the menu where we source
ingredients so they know they’re sourced
responsibly and sustainably. n