Cooper's Hawk Opens In New Lenox For Business

NEW LENOX, IL - There are some events that stay with you all of your life. Your high school graduation. The birth of your first child. The night the Chicago White Sox captured the World Series in 2005. On Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018, I added another memorable event to my life. It was at Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants. It was a first time experience for me.

Along with several others, I was invited to tour the new restaurant in New Lenox located along Route 30 directly across the road from the Portillo's restaurant. We learned the history of Cooper's Hawk, and we met with the people who have made Cooper's Hawk into a remarkable restaurant that, as of Monday, Oct. 29, will open its 33rd location in the United States, here in New Lenox.

I'm not a big wine person, so I don't feel qualified to be talking about their wine selections, but I can tell you the other people who were with me in the dining room were thoroughly impressed by their huge selection of wine.

At Cooper's Hawk, you want to take the advice of the staff when it comes to pairing wine with your dinner selection. Every item on the menu has a recommended wine pairing. For a novice like me, it guarantees tasty results.

As far as the ambiance and the food selection, I can tell you this: this place is absolutely gorgeous and the food is out of this world. Here are some of the truly fantastic items from the menu selections that I had the pleasure of sampling:

For Appetizers:

For Entrees:

My thoughts: The strip steak is remarkable and so were the mashed potatoes. If you can't make up your mind for your dinner selection when you visit Cooper's Hawk, you won't go wrong with this choice. Absolutely delicious.

My thoughts: One of the biggest mistakes I often make when I enjoy a memorable dining experience is that I don't save room for dessert. Don't make that mistake at Cooper's Hawk. Otherwise you will live to regret it. My recommendation is the cake.

My final take on Cooper's Hawk: If you don't live near New Lenox, the new Cooper's Hawk is worth making the drive, whether it's for a special occasion or just a night to get out and enjoy great food and wine.

Things to know about Cooper's Hawk New Lenox:

General Manager Ed Hammer is also a New Lenox resident. There's a short video interview of Hammer at the bottom of this article.

Employees: About 170
Seating: Including space for private parties, Cooper's Hawk can host 303 guests.
First Day: Opens for business Monday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m.
Regular hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Address: 2307 East Lincoln Highway, New Lenox
Philosophy: "Cooper's has created a modern, casual dining experience with warm hospitality in an inviting upscale setting ... Each dish is made fresh in our scratch kitchen, incorporating peak-of-season ingredients, and listed with a bin number to guide you to your selection's perfect wine match."
Phone number: 815-320-7500

Images via John Ferak/Patch Editor for New Lenox and Joliet