For the past 29 years, The Cork (formerly known as Jonathan’s Cork) has maintained its signature style with classic offerings like prime beef dishes, game meats like Bison, venison, and ostrich, outstanding seafood entrees, and classic dishes.
When chef Jonathan Landeen retired in March 2023, he passed the cleaver to new owners Glenn and Sally Murphy. The husband-and-wife duo has retained the restaurant’s classic charm while injecting some fresh energy into the mix.
Speaking of which, it’s Wild Game Month at The Cork!
We’re nearly halfway through the month now but perhaps you’ve already stumbled upon The Cork’s first week’s offering: Stuffed Gambel Quail. It was two chorizo-stuffed quail coated with an elote cream sauce.
The second week was their Bison Short Ribs Bourguignon — bison short ribs braised with burgundy, mirepoix vegetables, and Espagnole sauce served over garlic mashed potatoes.
Hopefully, you had the chance to try ’em. It’s in the past, though, so now let’s check out what’s available now and in the coming days!
Wild Game Month Menu
Available now – Sunday, August 18
- Rabbit Stew – Rabbit slowly simmered with summer vegetables in a rich gravy with house-baked bread ($37)
Monday, August 19 – Saturday, August 31
- Rack of Elk – Grilled, marinated Elk Rack, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, Cabernet Prickly Pear White Balsamic Gastrique, roasted fingerling potatoes, and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus (Full rack/20 ounces/$70)(Half rack/10 ounces/$38)
More About The Cork
As mentioned earlier, the restaurant has a long reputation for featuring wild game meats. The game items you can find on the menu regularly include the Wild Game Trio — bison, kangaroo, and venison with various sauces — and a Bison Filet that’s wrapped in jalapeño bacon as well as a Kangaroo Filet.
The new owners, Sally and Glenn, first met at Backstage, a bar and live music venue next door to what was then Jonathan’s Cork. Glenn, a native of Perth, Australia, owned Backstage. Sally, a University of Arizona alum, was covering live music outlets as a reporter for KVOA TV.
Read our July 2023 article, “What’s Old is New.”
The Cork is located at 6350 E. Tanque Verde Rd. For reservations call (520) 296-1631 and visit corktucson.com for more information.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
