By Kristi Trimmer, Guest Blogger, Foodies Like Us

ARW Special:

$39/person for three-course dinner.

First Course (choice of):

• Heirloom Tomato Salad with Barley Buzzed Cheese, Baby Arugula, Nectarines, Pearl Onions, and Olive Oil
• Cannellini Bean Soup with Artichokes, Cherry Tomatoes, Yellow Corn, Duck Confit, Brussels Sprouts, and Watercress
• Roasted Scallop and Wild Boar Pierogi with Crispy Pancetta, Preserved Lemon, Dijon-Shallot-Mushroom Jus

Second Course (choice of):

• Australian Barramundi with a Dungeness Crab Pancake, Scallion, Baby Shiitake, Toasted Coconut, and Sweet Curry
• Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with Maple Scented Belly, Duck Fat Potatoes, Plum & Peach Salad, accented by Carrot Velouté
• Grilled Hanger Steak with a Braised Oxtail Sandwich, Baguette, Au Jus, Giardiniera, Roasted Cauliflower

Third Course (choice of):

• Créme Brulee accented with Caramelized Sugar and fresh Raspberries
• Flight of Sorbets: A Selection of Three House-made Fruit Sorbets Infused with Wine
• Chocolate Pot de Créme: Kahlua-Hazelnut Cream with Cocoa Nibs

Highlights of the Meal

I was able to taste a little bit of everything that was on the menu for Restaurant Week. Needless to say, my palate will never be the same. The Roasted Scallops with Wild Boar Pirogi was nothing less than a symphony of flavors coming together to create an amazing first impression. The Berkshire Pork Tenderloin was perfectly accented with the star of the show – the carrot velouté. This rich creamy sauce had undertones of shallots and a sweet earthy richness that blew my mind.

The Cannellini Bean Soup was perfectly cooked down and the earthy-richness of the broth was enhanced from the sweetness of the Brussels sprouts and duck confit. It felt like a dish that Mom made – very comforting and filling.

For the entrée course, I was a big fan of the Berkshire Pork Tenderloin with its smoky flavor, nice crust, and perfectly accented by the carrot velouté. I loved that velouté so much, that the chef sent me home with some.

The Australian Barramundi with a Dungeness Crab Pancake had a fresh, not over powerful flavor, which is great for the end of summer. The crab cake definitely had the crab as the main focus, with very little filler. This was an excellent piece of fish!

I have to admit, I love dessert. I tried each of the three that were presented and had a hard time putting my spoon down. The sorbets were infused with wine: Honeydew with Sauvignon Blanc, Raspberry with Merlot, and Watermelon with Champagne. The Chocolate Pot de Crème is perfect for the chocolate lover – quite delectable. The Crème Brulee was rich and creamy accented with caramelized sugar.

This meal was top-notch with each course beautifully presented. The sommelier paired our dinner with a bottle of Niederosterrich Hirsch Gruner Vetliner, that had a light crisp grapefruit profile. With dessert, he presented us with a Taylor Floodgate ten-year Tawny Port that was so smooth and delicious.

Disappointments

My only disappointment is that Cork is quite a distance from my home. If I lived closer, this restaurant, with its amazing staff and owners, would soon by my home away from home.

Best Part of the Value

As a meal for restaurant week, I would order the Roasted Scallop, the Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, and finish this wonderful meal with the Chocolate Pot de Crème. My friend would do a completely different setup with the Cannellini Bean Soup, the Australian Barramundi, and the Flight of Sorbets. The value is really amazing as these meals are first rate and the ingredients were incredibly fresh with distinct flavor profiles.

Service/Ambiance

Perfect mood lighting with soulful music that was not too loud, created a warm inviting ambience. Cork is a great place to bring that someone special in your life. I was impressed with the cork menus and coasters, too. They recycle all of their menus and paper products to lessen their carbon footprint. The staff and owners were the real stars of this night. They made us feel welcome and part of their family. I cannot wait to go back again.

Cork

4991 S. Alma School Rd. Ste 1

Chandler, Arizona 85248

480.883.3773

www.CorkRestaurant.net

Hours:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday-Saturday: 4pm – 10pm

Happy Hour: Tuesday-Friday 4-6:30pm

Sunday Brunch: 10am – 2pm

Sunday Dinner: 4pm – 9pm

By Annie Fitzsimmons, Travel Foodie

Upstate New York brings to mind apple orchards, cinnamon cider doughnuts, fresh milk and cheese from local farms, and my personal favorite, spiedies.  Has anyone had a spiedie?  I’d love to hear if you have!

For the ultimate hotel AND foodie experience in the unspoiled Adirondacks, you have to head to The Sagamore.  It’s just a four-hour drive from New York City, and feels like another planet.  At first, I was a little bit wary, passing chintzy T-shirt shops, ice cream every other storefront, and cheap motels touting “Free Color TV” and signs for “Tourist Accommodations” as we drove toward Bolton Landing.

But The Sagamore melted every little bit of stress from life in New York away, and with a multi-million dollar renovation in 2009, it’s gorgeous.  I love hotels with a sense of place.  The Sagamore is Lake George, and has been since 1883.

From arrival to departure, all I wanted to do was read, nap, stroll, read, take photos, eat more, and read some more.  The bustling, lively (and small) lobby invites you to sit down and read a book, or walk outside to be hit with a million dollar view of deep blue lake, white and green clapboard resort, and emerald green mountains.  Step down through a multi-terraced, landscaped area to arrive at several docks, the new infinity pool, and many food options.  Sink into one of the huge green Adirondack chairs and choose a drink from the Veranda Terraces menu to try.

The Sagamore has seven wonderful restaurants to try.  We first stopped for an afternoon snack of tortilla chips and guacamole at The Lake House bar near the shore and watched the sun set over the mountains.  I am telling you, this view might be New York’s best.

For dinner on a nice night, nothing could beat the lobster roll I had at The Pavilion overlooking the lake (reserve early for lakeside seating).  In fact, nothing says summer more to me than a great lobster roll!!  Walking up from dinner at The Pavilion, I loved the glow of the lights from the resort, and hearing laughter from groups clustered together.  I wish I could have snuck into these conversations, because you know that everyone had a fabulous story to tell.

If it had been a cool, fall night, I would have eaten in La Bella Vita’s beautiful dining room with suspended shelves of lit candles and enjoyed a big bowl of lobster ravioli or East Coast halibut with linguini.  For families, casual Mr. Brown’s Pub (which Rachael Ray managed before she hit it big) is best, with the normal burger-and-fries pub fare, with some great salads, quesadillas, and wraps too.

End your nights at Caldwell’s bar, where some of the crowd is wearing Harvard, Brown or UNC sweatshirts, and some are dressed to the nines.  I had one of the best strawberry shortcakes I’ve ever had—the perfect crunchy/soft texture of the cake, sugary but not too sweet strawberries, and whipped cream.

There is also a beautiful spa, indoor pool and large fitness center (it was easy for me to get up at 6:30 a.m. for a run with the views!). The golf course at The Sagamore is a couple miles away and if only a steak will do, The Club Grill at the course is a classic New York-style steakhouse with great soup and potatoes.

On an old letter written to a guest on W. 72nd Street in Manhattan is written “When the magic spell of September lures you to the open country, you could not think of a more glorious spot than the Sagamore on Lake George.”  I couldn’t agree more.

Pros:

• You will absolutely not want to do anything except bask in the beauty of the lake and resort.  I hated my cell phone while we were there.  The view from the bottom deck is therapeutic.
• Free WiFi!

Cons:

• Our room was beautiful but small for a huge price tag.  The price is worth it for the resort’s grounds, and classic hotel experience where people are in the lobby and bar meeting, drinking, and talking until 2 a.m.  The fridge in the room was just stuck in a corner without any thought to room design.  But this is one of those rare instances where I didn’t care how much money we spent on the room.  If you can afford it, the lake view rooms in the main historic building are the best.

Tips:

• Stop and visit the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park on your drive up, grab a coffee at The Apple Pie Bakery & Café inside, and watch the super serious chefs-in-training zoom around.  Have lunch in adorable Rhinebeck at Gigi Trattoria, where Bill Clinton ate lunch the day before Chelsea’s wedding.  Buy Gigi’s wonderful cookbook to take home.
• Definitely book a room at the historic main building.  The lodges are less expensive and more spacious, but you do have to walk to the main area (about a 5 minute walk),which is the star of the resort.
• Take a free spin on the Morgan, the resort’s replica of a 19th century vessel (offered twice daily), go parasailing, swimming, or water-skiing.