Cork n' Slice Woodfire Bistro opens in the Central West End

Since last fall, Central West Enders have wondered when (or if) the pizza place on the corner of Maryland and Taylor Avenues would open its doors.

Construction was completed long ago. Tasteful window signage was added a while back. Black granite tabletops are set with napery and flatware, chairs placed in laser-straight lines. The last few weekend nights, Cork n' Slice Woodfire Bistro appeared open for business until a “friends and family event tonight” sandwich board signaled a false alarm.

But the day has finally arrived.

On Thursday, Cork n' Slice will open softly with an abbreviated number of appetizers, salads, pizzas, and desserts as it ramps up to its grand opening next month.

Even when fully up to speed, the diminutive kitchen will necessitate a limited menu— six appetizers, four salads, and a dozen pizzas, plus seasonal pizzas of the week and month, rotating items owner Cornell Thirdkill calls “farm-to-pizza pizzas.”

A custom built, multi-ton, wood-fired pizza oven had been left behind by the prior restaurant, Pizzeria Mia, which closed up shop in November 2016 after a two-and-a-half-year run. Thirdkill acquired the space the next month and spent the next several months analyzing what aspects were most desirable for a pizzeria restaurant located in the CWE.

The result is a pizza place that’s “neighborhood friendly, but also hip and trendy,” as Thirdkill says. The color scheme is bold but basic, the playlist is sexy and inviting, and the vibe says “stick around” rather than “eat and run.” As the name says, Cork n' Slice is a pizza bistro, not a pizza joint. Thirdkill calls it “fine casual,” a dining niche that’s rapidly becoming a buzzword.

Thirdkill, 31, is new to the restaurant industry but is a hospitality veteran. For several years, he was a tour manager in charge of event production for a portfolio of different artists, and traveled the world setting up concert gigs, a job that entailed coordination of travel, hotels, food, visas, and ancillary staff.

More recently, he organized a local series of underground events dubbed Hush STL, where guests weren’t issued the location and password until 24 hours before the event. Thirdkill says high-end food, drink, and music was a Hush constant, and only the guest count (600 to 1,200 people) and venue were different (Ameristar Casino, Plaza Motors, Ballpark Village, etc.).

He summed up his resume by saying that although he was “used to more chaotic situations…concert tours, busy nightclubs, and big one-off events,” food and restaurants are his passion. Until Cork n' Slice, he just never knew how he was going to transition into it.

Assisting him in the endeavor is executive chef Kyle Parks, a restaurant veteran and instructor at L’École Culinaire for the last three years. Parks’ overriding mantra at Cork n' Slice is “elegant simplicity.” Items like the Beet & Gorgonzola salad (pictured above) are colorful, straightforward, and contain a minimal number of ingredients. As Parks says, “Let fresh, seasonal items do the heavy lifting.”

Parks makes the pizza dough from ultra-fine, Italian "00" flour, so he classifies his 12-inch pies as "Neapolitan-inspired, but not certified Neapolitan," referring to the style's strict AVPN guidelines. Early favorites are West End and the Lobster & Shrimp (both pictured below). Be on the lookout for specialty pizzas like the Sunrise to Sunset, its solar colors provided by beets and smoked salmon.

Since it's the only cooking source, the 1,000-degree wood-burning oven will be used for roasting nightly specials of meats, fish, and vegetables. Even though the kitchen is small, Parks says, "all that can be done in house is being done in house," including desserts. Of note are his chocolate covered strawberry cake and an Irish coffee cheesecake with Irish Whiskey caramel.

Over time, Parks plans to increase the selection of small plates to make it easier for guests to “assemble a meal that’s not pizza-based.” The beverage program will evolve as well, focusing first on wines and bottled craft beers, and then on limited cocktails.

In a few months, a dog-friendly patio will be added, at least doubling the 40 inside seats. The semi-enclosed space will be defined using a combination of wrought iron, planters, and umbrellas. Three Dog Bakery in the Delmar Loop will provide cheese pizza dog treats, among others. Thirdkill jokes of having “a regular pizza menu and a dog pizza menu.”

Initially, Cork n' Slice will open for dinner only and then transition into lunch. Reservations can be made through Yelp.

Thirdkill admits it took a while to develop the proper décor, menu, work through a series of soft openings, and select an appropriate staff. “Like a good coach, Cornell has an eye for talent,” Parks says. “Just the other night, the staff was discussing which one of them was going to have the most fun at work that night. That was a first for me. How's that for attitude?”