Anyone that knows me, knows that I love after work happy hours! Specifically, on Fridays! I knew this weekend would be in house due to the expected snowstorm in Cleveland. Therefore, Friday Happy Hour was a must. A restaurant called Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant had recently opened, so I decided to try them out. Cooper's Hawk is an upscale casual restaurant, tasting room, wine bar and a winery.
When you pull into the parking lot, there is complimentary valet parking. So far, so good. At first arrival, I was greeted with a glass of their Artist's Red Blend, which is the official wine of the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Ok, their reeling me in with the complimentary tasting of this delightfully smooth red wine. The lobby, for lack of a better word, is the wine tasting room, gift shop and display of Cooper's Hawk wines. The overall aura is inviting and not too Bourgeoisie.
Most restaurants that offer Happy Hours have a typical rule...the Happy Hour menu is only available if you sit at the bar or in the bar "area". Not at Cooper's Hawk. We were greeted and seated by the hostess, the same as if we had reservations. I arrived at 5pm and the place was already half full. After being seated, the waiter asked if we wanted to taste any of the wines before placing our drink order. Definitely not your typical Happy Hour etiquette. I am a wine and bourbon kind of girl. I had already tried their signature wine, so it was only right to try their signature bourbon cocktail. The Bin 61 Sour was one of the best bourbon cocktails that I have ever tasted. Hands down! It is mixed with one of their Cooper's Hawk wines, called Nightjar. If you love bourbon, it is a must-try.
After tasting the delicious cocktails, we placed our food order. I had the blackened and seared rare Ahi Tuna tacos and my husband ordered the Carne Asada flatbread. We were pleasantly surprised by the 'happy hour portions'. The waiter sat five, full sized Ahi Tuna tacos in front of me. The tacos were decorated with a citrus slaw, sriracha Cream, Pico de Gallo, avocado, cilantro, and a wasabi cream with a powerful kick. Absolutely delicious. The Carne Asada flatbread was generously adorned with skirt steak, pesto, mozzarella, roasted Chili Sauce, onions, and cilantro. It smelled and tasted wonderful. The food and cocktails were great! I could literally keep writing but I will just tell you, you must try it for yourself.
My overall experience at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant for Happy Hour left me so astounded that I have already made dinner reservations for my next outing and am currently reviewing packages to become a Wine Club Member. Cooper's Hawk has set the bar high. I expect nothing but exceptional service, great wine and cocktails and mouthwatering entrees on my future visits. I will definitely let you know.