By: Dalton Kimbro
As someone who has lived in Alabama my entire life, I’d like to think I know a thing or two about good southern cooking. I’ve grown up around some lovely southern ladies who could make a home-cooked meal better than any restaurant around. So anytime I hear about a local restaurant serving southern staples, I have to try it out. My love for southern cuisine and a few recommendations from friends and family brought me to the Cork and Cleaver Gastropub near the Old Cloverdale Historic District in Montgomery, Alabama. Cork and Cleaver, generally called “cork” by regulars and staff, boasted some traditional southern cooking with a more upscale twist. As my friend and I entered the restaurant, I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere. The first things that caught my attention were the dim lighting throughout the restaurant and the small bar area to the right of the entrance. The restaurant was fairly quiet, as we had arrived for happy hour before the dinner rush started. The decor was very southern with some modern design elements mixed in. The walls were covered in American flags and paintings from the iconic African-American artist MoseT. The shiplap wall my seat faced incorporated more of the modern design elements, serving as an accent wall with a metal engraving of the restaurant’s logo hung on it.
Other walls throughout the restaurant had TVs, making this a great spot to catch a game during dinner.
Not long after we were seated, our server came to take our orders. He was very polite as he walked my friend and I through the drink menu and specials for the evening, pointing out that Tuesday nights featured half-priced appetizers and drinks, including all coke products and alcoholic beverages. We immediately ordered drinks, appetizers and entrees which were all brought to our table very quickly.
For our appetizers, we ordered the pork belly biscuits and the loaded Old Bay fries. The biscuits, which were topped with thick-cut pork belly, arugula and bacon jam, were delicious. The biscuits were crunchy and very similar to the biscuits at Red Lobster. The lightly-fried pork belly and arugula mixed very well with the sweet bacon jam on top of it all. The loaded Old Bay fries were equally delicious. The skin-on french fries were topped with cheese, chives and Old Bay seasoning. They tasted very similar to the homemade fries my dad used to make when I was growing up. These fries took me back to my childhood and reminded me of the classic southern food I had grown up eating.
Shortly after we had finished our appetizers, our entrees made their way to our table. My order, the bacon jam cleaver sandwich with three cheese macaroni and cheese, was presented beautifully on a metal tray with parchment paper. The sandwich was delicious. The chicken was cooked through and still very juicy in the middle. The bacon jam, thick-cut bacon and avocado made for excellent accents for the chicken and brioche bun. As the sandwich fell apart throughout the final bites, I was able to taste each ingredient separately, and I was amazed. Each individual ingredient was fresh and delicious even on its own. As I finished my sandwich, I dug into the three cheese macaroni made with cavatappi pasta. The sauce on the pasta was warm, thick and delicious, very similar to the homemade macaroni and cheese my grandmother would make.
As we reached the end of our entrees, we ordered dessert, which like everything else, was brought out very quickly and presented beautifully. Our dessert, the white chocolate bread pudding, was divine. The warm bread pudding mixed well with the vanilla ice cream and strawberries surrounding it. I would eat at cork again just to have this dessert.
All in all our experience was excellent, clean and fairly priced. Between my friend and I, we spent $82 including a 25% tip for excellent service. $82 got us two half-priced appetizers, two drinks, two entrees with sides and a dessert. Cork and Cleaver has now become one of my favorite restaurants, and I’m certain that if you like southern cooking with an upscale twist, you’ll love it too.
