Gourmet Restaurant Cork & Fork Opening Jan. 18

A new eatery is coming to La Quinta.

Executive Chef Andie Hubka, who started offering gourmet cooking lessons through her business Cooking with Class in 2008, plans to open the Cork & Fork Wine Bar & Kitchen restaurant Jan. 18.

The restaurant is located next door to Cooking with Class at the corner of Avenue 48 and Washington Street behind Walgreens.

Hubka said in a news release that she has received several requests that she open a restaurant.  Cork & Fork will serve happy hour and dinner five nights a week, from Wednesday through Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m.

The menu will include small plates that are matched with wines not found anywhere else in the desert.  Many of the dishes have Italian and Mediterranean influences but will feature ingredients from places like Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, Hubka said.

“We want people to be able to choose their own adventure when it comes to dinner, which is why we offer small plates so that people can try several different things and split or share,” she said. “Our special Happy Hour pricing between 4-6pm allows people to have at least 3-4 dishes each for about $20 per person, so everyone at the table can sample several items. It’s comfort food with a twist.”

Hubka, classically trained professional chef did her formal culinary training and earned a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and restaurant management and business from The Art Institute of Los Angeles.

The one-time restaurant manager and cooking instructor is also a self-described wine enthusiast with a passion for pairing food and wine.

Last year, she published “Cooking with Class Presents – Our Most Requested Recipes.”

She built a successful cooking school with her mother Jane Angwin and began offering restaurant night on Wednesdays, giving patrons a chance to come in and have a six-course chef’s tasting menu.

“The response was huge,” Hubka said. “We wanted to provide delicious and affordable food in a familiar and friendly place. We soon found it was fun for us to put on our ‘restaurant hat’ one night each week, and it was such a hit, we decided to turn the concept into a real restaurant that customers could enjoy year-round.”

With space limited to 46 seats a night, reservations are strongly recommended.  Cork & Fork also plans to feature craft beers on tap and signature cocktails.

Cork & Fork Wine Bar & Kitchen is located at 47875 Caleo Bay Dr. #A106, in La Quinta.

For more information, go to www.corkandforkwinebar.com or call 760-777-7555.