Photo by Maggie Vaughn
Located on a busy strip in Muskego, Twisted Cork is a warm and welcoming place for neighbors to meet and, as owner Greg Gonzales says, “to educate people on other great wines that are out there. People get stuck on labels and regions and are missing out on some really good wines.”
Twisted Cork was the dream of Michelle Gonzales and her husband, Greg. They are so closely knit with the community that during Packer games when the restaurant is open, the locals stop by bringing potluck to watch the game together. Twisted Cork has grown rapidly since opening in 2014 after the Gonzaleses renovated the space, which had been a laundromat and dry cleaner. Twisted Cork now houses an eatery, wine and beer club, special event space and a retail store. They will start offering classes again in February with topics such as Wine 101, Component Tasting and Wine and Food Pairing.
Twisted Cork gives you the feeling of spending the evening in an old friend’s basement bar, telling stories and enjoying good small-batch wines, fine spirits and about 60 craft beers. Just walk through the door and you become family. Original customer Dave Castona is now one of the bartenders and wine experts. Castona steered me towards a wonderful Farmlands Pinot Noir. It is their bestselling small-batch pinot and is 100% organic from the small Johan family owned operation.
“The menu is still in its first tier” says Greg, “with the tier-two menu rolling out by the first of the New Year.” He was working on the menu when we talked and showed me a sneak peak of what’s to come. “The menu will concentrate on small plates and keep some of the customer’s favorites,” he continued. They will have prime rib on Saturdays and the time honored Friday fish fry.
At the helm of the kitchen is Chef Nicole Murphy, Chef Murph to everyone who pops in to see her at work in the impeccably clean kitchen. Murphy is a Milwaukee Area Technical College culinary program graduate who takes pride in the menu and creating dishes like pumpkin chili for the season.
The appetizers are worth the trip. The shrimp ceviche ($10) is whole shrimp instead of chopped pieces, bursting with freshness and heat on the palate, tamed by a spritz of fresh lime juice. Other interesting appetizers include Rueben nachos ($7) made with kettle chips, and crab-stuffed mushrooms ($8.50). Twisted Cork also offers soups such as French onion and crab bisque ($6).
The menu offers nine sandwiches to choose from. Highly recommended is the bourbon sriracha pork shoulder ($8). To prepare the meat, Chef Murphy coats 20 pounds of pork shoulder with liquid smoke and cooks it in a slow cooker for 16 hours. The result is smoky and tender with good flavor from the bourbon, has just enough heat nestled in between a crispy ciabatta roll and is served with a delicious slaw with a light mayo base. The short rib ($10) with fresh green beans and wild rice was a little heavy on the rosemary, but the meat was very tender. Other entrée items included a chef’s house mac ’n’ cheese with smoked bacon, offered in two sizes ($6 or $8) and crispy duck ($18).
Twisted Cork
S74 W16832 Janesville Road, Muskego
262-895-9164
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Handicap access: Yes
