Those in charge at Cooper’s Hawk have this to say about their offering to the dining public: “We passionately believe that food and wine hold the power to forge lasting connections, setting the table for a life well lived. We invite you to join us for an experience filled with memorable moments built upon food, wine, and friendship.”
Cooper’s Hawk is unusual in the dining-out space in that it is more than an upscale eatery. In fact, the day we were there, the place was very busy, but almost none of the people patronizing it were in the dining area, actually eating. While the restaurant — and its food — are central to the experience there, the other dimensions of the place heavily emphasize the wine aspect of the offering, namely tastings, wine sales, and gifts centered around a wine theme.
As one enters, there is a large area devoted to wine sales and gifts associated with the drinking of wine, along with an area devoted to tastings called the Napa room. Jewish diners-out can breeze right through the spacious entry area and on to the restaurant and bar area. That is, if they are so inclined. We’ll get to the meals and the entrée selections Jewish diners-out may wish to consider in a minute, but first, the all-about-wine area.
We spoke to one of the patrons milling about the wine area, looking over a selection of wine glasses on display there. She related that she was a member of the Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club at the 2-bottle level. So, what’s the 2-bottle level? She explained that for a monthly membership fee of $44.99, she and her “plus-one” guest (in her case, her significant other, but it could be anyone she chose to bring along) can partake in monthly wine tastings that are a really good deal — six generous tastes, she thinks.
The tastings are part of the membership, so there is no additional charge for the experience. Plus, the 2-bottle level means that the member gets two bottles of wine as part of the membership every month. She had this to say to Dining Out: “Really, it’s just right for me, because two bottles of wine a month is perfect for our needs at home. I like red wines mostly, and the wine is always very good — I mean, they pick really good wines for the club members. And then, on top of it, we get to come here for the wine tasting once a month. We usually eat here those nights, and it’s just a great way to enjoy the meal — a great night out.” The wine glasses she chose were beautiful balloon stems for red wine, raising the bar for the wine one would pour into them, I’d imagine.
That’s a thumbnail of the wine story of Cooper’s Hawk, but what about the food? As stated, the afternoon crowd in the dining room was sparse, but what we did see were a couple of meals coming from the kitchen. The restaurant is upscale, and the plated food certainly looked the part. One dish that looked exceptional was the red-wine-braised short rib of beef. The braising liquid being wine likely results in the fully cooked beef having that keen edge of red wine flavor as a component of the finished taste. That is a taste profile which is delectable in my book. The short ribs are served with oven-roasted vegetables and potatoes, along with grainy Dijon mustard and crispy onion strings. For Jewish diners-out, the dish has some of the trappings of a good brisket meal, for sure.
Another dish that came from the kitchen was the blackened ahi tuna entrée. When ordered properly, this dish has tremendous visual appeal and tastes great, too. If you have an aversion to tuna grilled rare, then my advice is to order something other than the ahi, blackened or otherwise. Rare tuna is a delight because it is juicy and tasty and textured just right. Once the pink disappears, turning the flesh throughout to a gray-beige color, the flavor and the proper chew disappear as well. Tuna is one of those fish that cry out for an intensely hot grill to quickly sear the outside — in perhaps a minute and not much longer — and then flip it and repeat. I’m betting that if you order your tuna rare, you’ll love it. In any event, the tuna is served with Asian slaw, cilantro citrus rice, and wasabi sauce.
See you at Cooper’s Hawk!
