Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
The concept is simple: pizza, wine, and small plates in a great space. Cork & Fork opened in November 2014 in downtown Harrisburg on a previously unused corner of Second and State Streets. Its design, built by neighbor The JEM Group, is gorgeous: windows line the front of the restaurant, while inside, brick façade is accented by wooden mezzanine and contemporary-but not-industrial lighting. The result is a chic, but not stuffy, hot spot, attracting politicos and Harrisburg’s hip both day and night.
Nick Laus, who also opened Cafe Fresco and Level 2 and owns Home 231—all in the City of Harrisburg—has hit another home run with a well-executed concept, attentive staff, and top location, including ample street parking (free after 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday).
Reservations are suggested. Unlike many restaurants whose bar can host an overflow of waiting patrons, Cork & Fork’s cozy bar doesn’t leave much room for resting your blue cheese martini if you aren’t there early enough to snag a seat at this prime real estate. Fortunately, warmer temperatures have increased Cork & Fork’s capacity, adding an additional thirty-six seats outside on State and Second Streets. The upstairs mezzanine seats overflow patrons on busy evenings and also can be booked for private parties, comfortably seating twenty for dinner or up to forty for a standing reception.
The menu is sized perfectly, offering options of shareable salads, small plates, and pizzas without being overwhelming. The cocktail list shares the same sheet of paper, divided by reds, whites, bottled beers, and signature cocktails. Cork & Fork manager Chris Anderson says he recommends customers take home a copy of the menu and keep it on the fridge to check off what they have tried on each visit.
On a warm summer day, start with something bright and light like the avocado salad ($10), featuring spring mix, red onions, red bell peppers, and pine nuts lightly dressed with a citrus vinaigrette, perhaps paired with a cold glass of crisp Pinot Grigio, like the house favorite, Luna Nuda. A seasonal vegetable plate ($10) is ever-changing and will ameliorate any potential guilt from a dinner of pizza and wine.
A shared order of whisked cow's milk ricotta ($7) is a must—whipped tufts of house-made ricotta are topped with a puddle of vincotto (cooked wine), olive oil, and fresh herbs—and keep some around to dip pizza crusts or combine with the sauce from the veal, beef, and ricotta meatballs ($10), which bob in a crushed tomato sauce topped with Parmesan cheese. Both make ideal starters to dip into and pick from throughout the meal. Meatballs are matched well by a glass of Elsa Malbec, another popular wine choice according to Anderson. Wines or cocktails match easily to custom-made meat and cheese plates, perfect for sampling and sharing Italian cured porks and a variety of cheeses.
Happy Hour runs weekdays from 5-7 p.m. featuring select wines by the glass and Cork Cocktails for just $6 and $1 off beers. It’s a great opportunity to sample bright refreshers like the berry basil gimlet, made with Tito’s Vodka, acai berry, lemon, lime, and basil, or the Fresca Rosamaria, which combines Cazadores Reposado tequila, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, rosemary, lime, and jalapeños, topped with prosecco. Each week, Cork & Fork staff also creates a featured off-menu cocktail special.
Small plate pasta dishes focus on quality ingredients for fresh-tasting fillers, but the heart of the menu is the pizzas. The simple Renato ($12) merely features olive oil, mozzarella, rosemary, and sea salt while the classic Margherita ($12) adds the tang of crushed tomatoes and spice of basil to mozzarella. The spring-like Aspargo ($14) features shaved asparagus, guanciale, bianca sauce, and mozzarella topped with farm fresh egg. The “reigning champion” according to Anderson is the Pistachio ($15), which includes pistachio pesto, mozzarella, parmesan, and crushed pistachios, topped with a mound of fresh arugula. Another favorite is the Salsiccia ($14), which uses fennel three ways—in sausage, roasted, and as greens, along with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
A petite dessert menu finishes things off. Laus is most proud of the Nutella Pizza ($11), a can’t-miss for those who love the chocolate-hazelnut treat, but Anderson said the house-made Tiramisu ($7), made with apricot brandy, La Colombe espresso, and just a sprinkle of sea salt, flies out of the kitchen the most.
Cork & Fork / 200 State St., Harrisburg / www.corkandfork.us / 717-234-8100
