If you haven’t had a chance to eat at a Coopers Hawk, please make it one of your places to eat in the new year. One just opened up near us, and we decided to give it a try for our anniversary dinner.
First, it is a bit more pricey than most restaurants. We are thinking of it as a place to go for special occasions, such as an anniversary or birthday. The visit is well worth the price; just didn’t want you to be surprised when you go.
There is a wide variety of types of appetizers and entrees. With Coopers Hawk having its own wine making facility, they have wine to go with just about every course. They have placed a bin number beside the description of each dish. Wait staff is well-versed in the wine selections and is able to make recommendations. My husband asked for a sweet red, and our waiter knew exactly what to bring. The Romance Red glass was excellent, even I liked it and I’m not a drinker of alcohol.
Make sure to order the Drunken Shrimp and Crisp Broccoli as appetizers. The shrimp is wrapped in bacon, and that alone is enough to order it. But, the sauce it is served in takes it over the top. Who knew crisp broccoli could taste so good it was almost addictive (think the salad at Olive Garden and its addictive nature).
Our main courses were also mouth-watering good. Each of us ordered something different. I had to have the jambalaya because I always have to try it whenever its available, being it’s one of my favorite Cajun foods. Joe had a lobster dish, which he completely finished. Rob had the Madeira chicken, one of his favorite dishes. Richard had a pork medallion dish, which included some of the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever tasted.
No anniversary dinner is complete without dessert. Coopers Hawk has a seasonal menu, which has an appetizer, entree, and a dessert. The passion fruit butter cake caught my eye from the beginning. I had placed my order for it when I ordered my entree.
Over coffee, I had my passion fruit butter cake, the Papa’s shared a cookie with ice cream, and Richard had the key lime pie. None of the desserts disappointed. Sadly, we were so full from dinner none of us fully were able to finish the desserts.
If there was any criticism, it would be one minor thing. I didn’t finish my jambalaya so I could save room for dessert, and took what was left in a doggy bag. When I ate the rest this afternoon for lunch, the jambalaya had absorbed more of the spicy flavors. The lunch taste was so much the better for it. Coopers Hawk should make it a couple of days in advance, then let the jambalaya rest to fully absorb the flavors.
I hope you are able to enjoy a lovely and truly epicurean experience at a Coopers Hawk near you sometime soon.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 