Put a FOURK in your next culinary adventure

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced and anonymous visit. Your experience may differ from what is presented here.

Going to a restaurant I have never been to is the equivalent of an adventure. When I need a break from my routine, I take my palate on an expedition.

My recent journey led me outside Burke County to an eatery in Hickory called FOURK. The restaurant’s website proclaims, “Where Flavor Meets Innovation in Every Unforgettable Bite.” I had to find out whether those words were backed up by reality. I brought along my usual partner in crime — my husband, Marshall.

THE ATMOSPHERE

The first thing we saw when we walked into FOURK was a large glass panel engraved with the restaurant’s name, with water cascading over its surface. Nice touch as I’m a sucker for water features.

A bar with several TV screens was on the right. The main dining area — with one wall being floor-to-ceiling windows — sat to the left. A secondary dining room could be closed off for private parties.

The decor was simple, and the colors muted. Marshall compared it to an upscale diner. I thought of the space as more minimalistic and edging toward modern. I wondered whether the contemporary chandelier would work in our home.

The hostess directed us to our table, a two-top. We are that couple that prefers a table for four so we can sit beside each other. The larger table also offers more space for appetizers and drinks and additional seats to place a jacket and my purse.

Any early disappointment quickly dissipated as we began looking at the menu.

THE FOOD

Marshall and I go out to dinner only about twice a month. We prefer cooking at home. When we do sit down at a restaurant, I typically follow two rules: I am going to have a specialty cocktail, and I will order something I wouldn’t (or couldn’t) cook at home.

Soon after sitting down, Miguel approached the table with two glasses of water.

“The special today is everything on the menu,” he announced. “This is a new menu tonight.”

Spring apparently had sprung. Appetizer options varied from Mediterranean Trilogy (hummus and baba ghanoush dish) to Lobster Fondue and Chipotle Bison Sliders. Salad eaters might enjoy the five options (plus the salad additions like grilled chicken or ribeye). Anyone wanting to keep it mainstream might veer to the burgers or tacos. Entrees ranged from vegan (a cashew sauce mac and cheese:) to seafood and red meat and ranged in price from $20 (Pasta Caprese) to $55 (Colorado Bison Ribeye).

Miguel let us know he would be back in 2 minutes, time I needed to narrow down which of the 10 specialty drinks I wanted.

The cocktail I chose was The Un-Pearable ($12), a blend of Absolut Pear Vodka, Amaretto, ginger, pear nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and fresh lemon juice. Marshall decided on the Jerry’s Jam-boree ($12) with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, fig jam, fresh lime juice, and ginger beer, topped with a dark rum float.

Miguel brought the drinks to us not long after ordering. Both cocktails were balanced with no overpowering ingredients, and neither were too sweet.

After that first sip, we gave him our appetizer order: Ahi and Avocado ($14). The dishes came out beautifully plated. The diced ahi and avocado were stacked with pickled carrots on crispy wontons with a sprinkling of ginger and green onions and a drizzling of togarashi (Japanese spice) mayo and cilantro olive oil.

Definitely not a dish I would make at the house. Miguel said he could “eat 20 of them” and I concur. It’s that good.

My entree choice was Fourth Street Scallops ($30). The main star of the dish I do cook at home. How it was served, however, was another matter. The seared scallops were accompanied by Ashe County cheddar polenta, smoky baba ghanoush, feta, fried chickpeas, kohlrabi, pine nuts, and Tasso ham and topped with pomegranate-molasses.

Scallops can become rubbery when not handled properly. Such a travesty did not occur at FOURK. The richness of the sauce matched the tenderness of the scallops. The smokiness of baba ghanoush (similar to a hummus made with eggplant instead of chickpeas) complemented the polenta. I was particularly fond of the crispy, fried chickpeas.

Marshall selected the Duck a l’Orange ($30), another dish I have never and may never cook. The thrice-cooked crispy duck legs with house apricot-orange glaze served with pickled kohlrabi and housemade black rice risotto. He does like duck; however, I think the reason he ordered this dish was for the black rice risotto. Not two days earlier he had enlightened me that black rice has more antioxidants than blueberries.

The beautifully plated duck tasted as good as its presentation. The meat was neither oily nor gamey, both of which can sometimes happen with duck. The glaze was part of the crispy skin and was surprisingly less sticky than others I’ve had before. The black rice had its trademark nutty flavor and more dense and chewy than basic white rice.

We topped it all off by sharing a slice of the Brandywine Cake. Wonderfully moist, but if I had it to do again, I’d go with the flourless chocolate torte.

THE SERVICE

Each course of our meal arrived perfectly timed as we were finishing the dish before it. Everything arrived hot and photo-worthy.

Other than our cocktail, Marshall and I drank only water. Miguel never let our glasses get below half full. He also didn’t rush to refill the glass each time we took a sip. He was friendly, efficient, and never smothering.

THE VERDICT

FOURK is not inexpensive and for most, including us, will not be a place to frequent. That is certainly true when factoring in cocktails, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. FOURK features an inventive menu that satisfies a discriminating palate, but the creativity doesn’t come cheap.

We’ll be back. Just not for a few months.