Let’s face it: we all can’t hop on a plane and travel to Italy just to enjoy some bruschetta. But at Cork Bar & Restaurant, you can enjoy some of the best Italian cuisine right in Wilkes-Barre.
But when did Italian cuisine come to the United States? Let’s take it back to 1920’s America.
As Italians migrated to America in the late 19th-, early-20th century, those individuals had to adapt to a new environment, including how they got their food and how they prepared it. According to First We Feast, “What was originally a veggie-heavy, protein-low diet became meatier, saucier, and, as it only could in America, bigger.”
With a steady stream of cheaper meat, these family dishes became larger than life. From the 1920s through the 1960s, these Italian-American dishes became mainstream into the favorites we know today.
From there, new generations of Italian-Americans reconnected with their cultural roots, bringing a new spin on their family recipes.
So, how does Cork do Italian cuisine? Check out some of our favorite menu items!
- Neapolitan style meatball prepared with San Marzano tomato, garlic toast, and romano cheese.
- Antipasto salad made with cured Italian meats, cheeses, olives and cherry peppers over lettuce, and served with flatbread.
- Roasted vegetarian risotto served with mixed wild mushrooms, carrots, red peppers, broccoli, green peas with vegetable brodo, and classic arborio rice.
- Italian chicken classics such as marsala, parmesan or Francaise.
Need more options? We have an entire section of our menu dedicated to pasta and risotto!
- Seafood Fra Diavolo is prepared with half lobster tail, clams, and shrimp in a spicy San Marzano tomato sauce over linguine pasta.
- Seafood Gnocchi made with jumbo shrimp and diver scallops, pan-roasted with cherry tomatoes, asparagus, diced fresh mozzarella in a pesto cream with Parmesan cheese and potato gnocchi.
- Moroccan Chicken Risotto. Seared marinated chicken, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, Israeli Feta and artichokes in a creamy Arborio topped with lemon oregano vinaigrette.
- Pulled Short Rib Pappardelle. Our pulled short rib is made with house Marinara and diced fresh mozzarella
- Charleston Shrimp is slow simmer Carolina shrimp, spicy sausage, low country gravy atop smoked Gouda grits, topped with chive oil.
- Red Chili Garlic Shrimp. A wok-seared jumbo shrimp with Asian vegetables and glass noodles in a soy garlic red chili broth.
What would be an Italian meal without a glass of wine to accompany it? Check out our extensive selection of premium wines next time you dine with us!
Try some of the best Italian cuisines in Wilkes-Barre at Cork Bar & Restaurant!
When you dine at Cork, you aren’t a guest–you’re family. Our spacious, multi-level floor plan features a classy, contemporary aesthetic and relaxed cosmopolitan ambiance perfect for dining or entertaining.
Be a romantic dinner for two or a group outing, Cork is the place for you.
Uncork a bottle today!
Come on down to Cork Bar & Restaurant today to try delicious food paired with some of the best wines in Northeast Pennsylvania. Reserve your table today!