Cooper's Hawk Winery And Restaurant

I don't often choose to eat at "chain" restaurants. I like to support local independent businesses and dine at places that are unique to an area. That said I have recently become obsessed with Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant https://chwinery.com/. The Tampa location at 4110 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, is one of 41 across the country.

Each dish is made fresh, incorporating peak-of-season ingredients, and listed with a bin number to guide you to your selection’s perfect wine match.

As a bonus my dear friend Maggie is a member of Cooper's Hawk's wine club and she has wine to pick up. Wine is an essential element to the Cooper Hawk experience. Each location has a Napa Valley style tasting room and an artisanal market featuring high end decanters, wine accessories, and gifts, along with their very own gourmet food line.

Even better they have the wine we are picking up chilled and available to accompany our meal.

Each of the dishes we tried over several visits was on point. Let's start with some of the salads we enjoyed immensely. On our initial visit we split the chopped wedge. Noteworthy as the 1/2 portion size pictured was still substantial.

Applewood Smoked Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Red Onion, Sweet Grape Tomatoes,
Italian Vinaigrette, Bleu Cheese Dressing

A second visit with hubby resulted in the crowning of the best BBQ chicken salad ever.

BBQ ranch chicken salad
Tomato, Cucumber, Avocado, Cheddar, Corn and Black Bean Relish, Cilantro,
Crispy Onion Strings, Tortilla Strips, Ranch Dressing, BBQ Sauce

The soup and salad combos offer two soup options paired with four delicious salad choices.

Crab & lobster bisque with shaved brussels sprout salad.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Shaved Parmesan, Lemon, Marcona Almonds,
Balsamic Glaze

Next up is an appetizer that is a personal favorite. The dish was executed perfectly and had us raving about the flavors and complexity.

Mexican drunken shrimp
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp, Tequila Lime Butter Sauce, Fresh Guacamole

The menu features a plethora of entrée choices.

Potato-crusted scallops
Brussels Sprouts Salad, Candied Applewood Bacon, Grainy Dijon Mustard Butter,
Shaved Parmesan, Toasted Pistachios 2

I am duty bound to sample at least one dessert. Their version of smores is a delight with each level a rich surprise.

S’more budino

Caramel Custard, Valrhona Chocolate Mousse,
Brown-Butter Toasted Graham Cracker and browned marshmallow.

There is so much more positive to say about the dining experience at Cooper's Hawk. An expansive kids menu and a life balance portion of the menu featuring mindful portions under 600 calories to highlight a few. And yes, they do have outdoor seating on a lovely patio.

When you visit Cooper's Hawk please be sure and tell them Tampa Bay Food Tours sent you. Tampa Bay Food Tours has 3 hour guided walking food tours in downtown Tampa & St Pete and Dunedin. Join the delicious fun with www.TampaBayFoodTours.com