- April 18, 2024
-
-
Loading
Loading
Cooper's Hawk Chef CJ LeFevre and General Manager Pedro Torres are ready to meet patrons on the restaurant's opening day, Monday, June 28.
Cooper's Hawk Vice President Emily Wines pours a glass of wine from the decanter that is delivered to each patron who orders a bottle of wine.
Chef CJ LeFevre prepares dishes that pair nicely with Cooper's Hawk's specialty wines.
Pan-roasted Barramundi (Asian sea bass) is one of the restaurant's specialties. It is served with blistered vegetables, grape tomatoes, ginger rice and Thai Lemongrass sauce for $25.99.T
The shrimp and scallop risotto ($29.99) combines sweat corn, asparagus, peas, spinach, parmesan and white truffle oil.
A host of appetizers and appetizer salads are on the substantial menu.
The gnocchi carbonara ($22.99) recipe includes pancetta, chicken, sage, peas and parmesan garlic cream sauce.
Specialty wines include Camille Proud, a Sonoma County, California, wine created by Cooper's Hawk Vice President Emily Wines.
Just want a cocktail? Cooper's Hawk has an inviting bar area.
Cooper's Hawk offers reminders that this is, indeed, a winery.
Patrons who like the wine they drink at dinner can pick up a bottle on the way out the door.
Besides bringing home leftovers, patrons could do some shopping at Cooper's Hawk.
Cooper's Hawk opens to the public Monday, June 28.
Cooper's Hawk offers upscale casual dining.
The bustle of the waiters on the food line can be part of the dining experience if so desired.
Key lime pie is one of the dessert offerings.
A taste of chocolate cake will be moist as one of the secret ingredients is mayonnaise.
The wine tasting area might make patrons feel like they are in Napa.
Specialty wines include Camille Proud, a Sonoma County, California, wine created by Cooper's Hawk Vice President Emily Wines.
Drunken shrimp ($14.99), wrapped in bacon with tequila lime butter sauce, and guacamole is one of the appetizers.
The arrival of Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant, which opened June 28, is more proof of the drawing power of Lakewood Ranch.
Those driving along Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, which was extended south to Fruitville Road in March, 2020, will find the new "upscale casual" restaurant on the boulevard just before it intersects with Fruitville Road.
While the address officially will be Sarasota, the Lakewood Ranch sprawl southward with the Waterside development is a big reason Cooper's Hawk chose the location.
"I was on the committee when we researched this site and we knew about Lakewood Ranch," said Tom Koenigsberg, the chief operating officer for Cooper's Hawk. "We see this as an up-and-coming area. There is a lot of interest in wine, There are great incomes. The retail is developing here.
"And there are great people."
When Cooper's Hawk began looking at the area, not much existed on Fruitville Road just east of Interstate 75. With the knowledge Lakewood Ranch was building closer to Fruitville Road and with the Sarasota County urban sprawl headed east, it was perfect for the restaurant.
"This is what we call a greenfield project," Koenigsberg said. "Everything builds around you. "
Cooper's Hawk General Manager Pedro Torres said the area is perfect.
"Restaurants often go to high traffic areas, such as UTC," he said. "We look for areas where we can create community. If you come to us, we are going to wow you."
Torres said the area around the restaurant is still beginning to be developed and "that is our sweet spot."
From State Road 64 to Frruitville Road, Lakewood Ranch has just a handful of restaurants that would be considered fine dining. Cooper's Hawk will add to lineup.
"There are no table clothes, but this is fine dining," Koenigsberg said. "We did want to make it unintimidating. We wanted to make it look approachable."
It is the 13th site in Florida for Cooper's Hawk, but the closest one to the Sarasota location is Tampa. The Cooper's Hawk winery is located in Woodridge, Ill., although the wine actually comes from California.
The restaurant has 135 employees. Koenigsberg said hiring was tough until about two weeks ago when applications picked up and they filled all their positions.
The restaurant includes an outdoor dining area, a tasting room and a wine store. All the food on the menu is "made from scratch."
The wines at Cooper's Hawk are all produced by the company. The restaurant, which has 46 locations in the U.S., has 450,000 members in its wine club.
