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Thursday, April 19, 2007 photo captions: (1) The Laudon family of Lee is served by chef/owner Chris Ryan and chef Joe Chevrette in the dining room beside the large, stone double-sided fireplace at the Cork 'n Hearth Restaurant in Lee. From left are Jackie, 12, Nikki, 10, Christa and Tim Laudon. Photos by Caroline Bonnivier / Berkshire Eagle Staff (2) Clams Cork 'N Hearth in the foreground, with lobster ravioli and roasted duckling in the offing. LEE — The menu at the long-established Cork 'N Hearth restaurant, perched on a cliff overlooking Laurel Lake, proclaims "Lakeview Dining, Fireside Charm." That sums up this cozy, family-friendly, always reliable dining spot; when the check arrives, you feel that you've received good value. The Cork 'N Hearth has always been strong on ambiance. The bar is inviting, and there are several dining rooms, so private parties can be, and frequently are, held without disrupting the clientele. The restaurant has a capacity of 140, but it feels spacious and relaxed, thanks to the layout of the upstairs and downstairs dining rooms. Of course, we haven't been there on a Friday or Saturday evening in the summer, but we're told patrons are served in plenty of time to reach their concert or theater destinations. The main dining room looks out on Laurel Lake toward the west; thus, sunset dining is a special treat, and it's best to call ahead to reserve one of those choice tables. Owners Christopher and Jasmine Ryan have upgraded the landscaping since they purchased the restaurant from the Cleary family 10 years ago; a unique feature of the main dining room is a rock outcropping that extends into a corner, where an attractive plant garden has been created, replacing the wishing-well type pool that veteran patrons may remember from the past.
There are nine appetizers on the regular menu, ranging from $6.50 to $8.50; soups include New England clam chowder ($4.95) and French onion ($5.50). The portabella mushroom we sampled came grilled and marinated in fresh herbs. Well-prepared, and very tasty, especially if you like balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Clams casino is one of my favorite appetizers; the variation served here, Clams Cork 'N Hearth, on the half-shell, was most notable for its pungent filling — bacon bits, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, Parmesan cheese and butter, topped with breadcrumbs. A very successful dish, despite the slightly rubbery clams. Quite filling, too. It should be noted that appetites less hearty than mine might well be satisfied by two appetizers, or by the main course, without an appetizer or soup. Cork 'N Hearth is among the dwindling group of restaurants that still serves a mixed salad with dinner (and a very fresh one, too), along with a choice of potato and a vegetable — as Chris Ryan puts it, "we don't nickel and dime our customers." We found that the main dishes (served with a bread basket) are sufficient in and of themselves. The veal piccata ($19.50) is sauteed with lemon, wine and capers. The fresh medallions were top quality; this entree can be bland at some eateries, but not here. Also available are veal Oscar and veal Marsala. The varied menu, with something for just about every taste, includes a New York strip steak ($22) and, on Friday and Saturday evenings, a roasted boneless prime rib ($21), available "while it lasts." There are three chicken entrees (piccata, Marsala and almondine) and a roasted duckling ($24) that's semi-boneless, with a sweet and sour ginger sauce. The trick is a crisp skin and a moist inside, and the folks at the next table proclaimed it just right. Reluctantly, we decided it wouldn't be appropriate to ask for a taste. Seafood choices include fresh Maine crab cakes over a roasted red pepper coulis ($18.95), a grilled Atlantic salmon filet ($19.50) marinated in fresh herbs, lemon and olive oil and Atlantic scrod ($18.95) baked with breadcrumbs, lemon, wine and butter. I had the pan roasted seafood medley (I'm always big on medleys and combos) which came in an especially tasty ginger teriyaki sauce. The generous serving of scallops, scrod and shrimp was so fresh I could almost imagine myself in a Cape Cod restaurant right by a fishing dock. At $19.95, this was a standout among my recent dining-out experiences. There's one pasta dish on the menu, mushroom ravioli with fresh tomatoes in a roasted garlic olive oil ($17.50), and a grilled pork tenderloin is also listed ($18.95), described as sliced in medallions and served with caramelized onions and apples. Speaking of the menu, it's amply detailed, helping to avoid the bane of a waitperson's existence — the constant questions of "how is it prepared?" or "how does it come?" Now, a confession — we were so satisfied and satiated that we didn't pay attention to the waitress when she recited the dessert offerings. And we were too embarrassed to call back and ask the hostess, "What's on your dessert menu?" So, out of curiosity, we'll go back on our own dime and check out the sweet temptations — but not after an appetizer and a main course. I'm always curious about the history of a place that's been around for many years, so chef-owner Chris Ryan informed us that before it became the Cork 'N Hearth in the early 1970s, it was a tavern known as Raoul's. The barroom was built in 1908 and the middle dining room (known as the Brass Room) in 1937, with the main dining room overlooking the lake added as part of a major expansion in 1975. A tip of the chef's hat to Ryan and his principal chef of the past eight years, Joe Chevrette. Ryan is proud of his three-person waitstaff — they've been with him for 10 years in a business known for high turnover. The restaurant is conveniently located on Route 20 in Lee, just over the town line from Lenox; it's unpretentious, appeals to locals as much as tourists, and is a fine choice for folks like us who may not be ultra-savvy gourmets but appreciate a well-prepared meal in an unusually pleasant environment.
Cork 'n Hearth: Finding a gem in the
Berkshires
Discovering quaint places to
eat is part of the charm of visiting the Berkshires. The downtowns of most of the little
villages have clusters of restaurants, but once you hit the outskirts the possibilities
quickly diminish. Some years back, Constant
Companion and I happened on the The interior is quite rustic,
with rough wood walls, hanging iron tools, brass decorations and original drawings of
various show biz stars, a legacy from the days when Michael and Kathleen Cleary owned the
place. They've been succeeded by Chris and Jasmine Ryan. Chris is a His menu tends toward
traditional But he also likes to add a
modern fillip to old recipes. Witness his version of a clam’s casino appetizer. The
usual bacon, Parmesan cheese and butter are there with the little clams, but so are tiny
dices of tomatoes and bits of smoky chipotle peppers and a bread-crumb finish, all of
which combine for an unusually tasty stuffing. Ryan's soup of the day was
vegetable bisque. That usually means a chicken stock of some sort, but this one was pure
vegetables -- thick, robust and satisfying although we couldn't pry much information out
of the kitchen as to its overall composition. A house salad course came next,
a nice toss of field greens and a cherry tomato with a drizzle of good, creamy blue cheese
dressing and crispy rolls just out of the warmer. As we waited for our entrees,
we let our eyes be led from the indoor garden to the plantings outside and then down the
lawn to Then it was back to the meal.
Companion was in one of her carnivorous moods, so the prime rib (Friday and Saturday
evenings only) was just the ticket. Ryan kept a sharp eye on it because it was served
precisely as ordered -- pink and succulent, sided by a creamy horseradish sauce, broccoli
and mashed potatoes. A traditional and satisfying plate. My selection was the Caribbean
Mixed Grill: split, grilled andouille sausage with a nice kick, served with a trio of
shrimp rubbed with Desserts were in the
traditional niche, too -- a tasty chocolate mousse and an acceptable creme brulee that
would have been better not served so cold. We shared part of a small bottle of Onyx
(Groenkloof) Noble Late Harvest dessert wine from Our bill, as always before tip,
was $95.65, which included the wine ($14) and a cocktail each. The Cork 'n Hearth remains a
pleasant pause in an otherwise bustling area. William M. Dowd can be reached at 454-5411 or by
e-mail at wdowd@timesunion.com.
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Service is prompt and very
professional; the Bloody Mary we ordered was spicy, with a generous amount of vodka; the
house white wine was several notches above the norm, dry and slightly fruity. 
