No need to book a trip to the West Coast for a fine wine experience—at least not yet. Not when you can head to a winery in your own backyard. A four-tier concept with Chicago roots, Cooper’s Hawk has opened at The Gardens Mall, and the wine is only one reason to book a reservation.
The Concept
Enter Cooper’s Hawk to begin the wine experience with a Napa-style tasting room and retail shop as the main focal point. A wraparound bar with a wall of wine bottles stacked to the ceiling welcomes guests to take a seat for a tasting. For $7, sample eight pours and gain knowledge on each with assistance from the bar attendants.
Head winemaker Rob Warren and founder Tim McEnery source wine grapes from all over the world and test each grape crop at the Cooper’s Hawk winery based in Chicago. Once approved, the entire crop is shipped to them to begin the in-house fermentation and bottling processes. Finished wines are then shipped to each Cooper’s Hawk location. “That is why all of our wine is hand-crafted,” says Palm Beach Gardens location manager Alan Markovich. “We are a winery. There’s no questioning that.”
The Menu
There’s also no questioning the other focal point once inside the restaurant: the sophisticated cuisine. “We want something for everybody,” Markovich says. “Everything is pretty much made from scratch. We wanted to be approachable to everyone.” And everything is what guests will find with an array of options that span from candied bacon and artisanal cheese platters (complete with honeycomb, black fig jam and grilled polenta crostini), to Angus beef hamburgers and pistachio-crusted grouper.
Start with the crispy Brussels sprouts, which pairs a blend of cashews, mint, sweet Thai chili and sesame-Sriracha aioli together, and drizzle with fresh lime to bring out the bold flavorings.
For the main course, try the short rib risotto (mushrooms, sweet onion, white wine, shaved Parmesan and white truffle oil), pan-roasted barramundi with a Thai lemongrass sauce or gnocchi carbonara. Hold the potato filling, though—this gnocchi is made with Ricotta cheese for a light, savory bite.
Plus, pairing wines with each plate is effortless as each menu item features an accompanied BIN number to assist guests with a perfect pour. More than 40 varietals of wine are available at all times. What’s better is the “No Risk Policy.” For those willing to venture away from their typical Pinot Gris, guests can simply ask for a taste of wine before ordering a whole glass. Or, order a wine flight to explore different flavor notes.
The Perks
While Cooper’s Hawk is great for a tasty lunch or dinner with its numerous indoor and outdoor patio seating, think of it also as your next event destination where a countryside, vineyard-style private dining room is available to rent.
The restaurant offers a Wine Club where members can choose between receiving one to two bottles of wine a month that isn’t available to the general public and gain access to a free monthly wine tasting. Guests can also purchase the wine of the month offered, which is a specialty blend or bottle like Pinot Noir Rosé.
It’s all about enjoying memorable moments with those who share the same love of well-paired wines and quality food. “We’re all about the community—creating a community with our restaurants, with our team, with our guests,” Markovich says.
Cooper’s Hawk, 3101 PGA Blvd., Ste. P201, Palm Beach Gardens / 561.209.8466 / coopershawkwinery.com
Facebook Comments