The Village Cork

For years, if you needed a place to take a date, you’d go to the Village Cork. If you were meeting up with the girls, you’d go to the Village Cork. But when it was time for dinner, you’d go elsewhere. Now, thanks to a makeover in fall 2014, this onetime wine bar is on its way to being the kind of restaurant that owner Lisa Lapp always envisioned. Watch the cooks at work with a seat at the new wraparound chef’s counter, or just enjoy their handiwork as your seasonally inspired courses arrive. Soups are especially good, followed by heartier fare such as hanger steak with peppercorn sauce, a bone-in pork chop with cherry demi-glace, or chicken curry. There's also a new bar with a full liquor license, but what hasn't changed -- and what's still the best thing about the Cork -- is the far-reaching list of wines by the bottle and glass.