One can never go wrong with butter and salt, two crucial components of Cork Wine Bar’s Best Thing on the Menu: Avocado, Pistachios, Toasted Pistachio Oil, Sea Salt, Grilled Bread. The butter in this case comes to us in the form of avocado, which is spread richly and decadently across perfectly-toasted bread. I dare ask what goes on in the kitchen, as we imagine someone’s job is to ensure only the finest of avocados make it onto the plate. The dish really comes together, though, thanks to  the large grains of sea salt that are a perfect match for the buttery avocado.  Apologies to our friends with high blood pressure.

This dish may seem so simple, but several attempts to recreate it at home have failed. There isn’t a store-bought avocado that passes the test, leading us to believe that perhaps there is a black market for the ripe, flawless fruits.

It took a few months to get all of the Corks on 14th Street straight. There’s Cork Wine Bar, which we’re focusing on today as well as Cork Market and Tasting Room which is affiliated with Cork Wine Bar. These are not to be confused with Cork & Fork, a specialty wine and beer store, which by the way offers terrific classes on Thursday evenings.

If there is one gripe to be had with Cork Wine Bar, it’s that they ignore the flavorful adventure of new world wines. While they boast of their 50 wine-by-the-glass offerings on their website, new world wines are no where to be found. There are only French, Italian and Spanish wines available for sipping.  BTM would love to make a trip back to Cork and enjoy the BTM with a broody Malbec from Mendoza.

Avocado, Pistachios, Toasted Pistachio Oil, Sea Salt, Grilled Bread not your BTM? Post your favorites in the comments section.