"Sit at the bar at this cozy Richmond wine and pasta spot, and you’ll see house-made fettuccine and amatriciana with generous amounts of crispy guanciale being prepared right in front of you as you sip on Italian wine. Corks is a great place to bring a friend, including one from your camp counselor days—it’s quiet enough inside that you’ll actually be able to hear them tell you about their new lanyard-making strategy, but not so quiet that you’ll want to blurt out something completely unrelated to fill the silence if there’s a conversation lull. " - julia chen 1