New Eats: Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen

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I hate to break it to everyone, but this week's review is far less exciting than the Cowford experience from last week. Zach and I headed to Cheddar's for an impromptu dinner last week and were sorely disappointed. I get it...every new restaurant has its learning curves. We were expecting average, slow service, but our unfortunate experience went far beyond that. Food For the record, we ordered totally normal food and I did no prior research on Cheddar's specialties. Honestly, the food isn't even worth discussing. It was somehow a combination of cold and overcooked with average flavors (at best). The spinach and artichoke dip appetizer was the best part of our entire meal but still completely average when compared to other restaurants. Service Our poor server. He couldn't have been over 16 years old and was waiting on close to 15 tables. With sweat drenching his shirt and an overwhelmed demeanor, we only got to see our server about once every 20 minutes.
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New Eats: Cooper's Hawk Restaurant Review

Thanks to some fabulous risotto and a Rosie True gift box, my family is in the clear for celebrating my birthday a few months too late! Cooper's Hawk exceeded all of my expectations, likely because I rarely build anticipation when it comes to chains. A small group of us headed to the restaurant this Thursday to celebrate my 21st birthday and put our name down for the 45-minute wait. We solidified a spot at the bustling bar in the lobby and ordered our first three complementary samples. I traveled around Italy this summer, so this wine tasting was right up my alley! From the peppery Cabernet to the fabulously dry Meritage, I was thoroughly impressed with the quality and flavor profiles of Cooper's Hawk's signature wines. Now onto the food...

Drink

Five glasses of wine later (sample sizes, people), we were walked to our table. One of the first things
you'll notice when you enter the Cooper's Hawk dining room is the abundance of elaborate decanters placed on the majority of tables. We immediately ordered a bottle (okay, two bottles...) of the Meritage to get dinner started the right way. The presentation of the wine might be better than the wine itself. A two-foot tall decanter is placed on the edge of the table and the deep red wine is poured through the top. Wanna know the best part? Getting the wine from the decanter to your glass is as simple as pressing the spigot at the base of the decanter. It's like a beer tap but for wine. Genius.

Food

The ahi tuna appetizer was great, although I don't have much in which to compare. I have to embarrassingly admit that this Thursday was the first time I've ever had tuna...shameful, I know. I ordered the short rib risotto for my main course and WOW. The drizzle of white truffle oil, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs and fresh shaved parmesan firmly solidified this dish as one of the best I've ever experienced. Trust me, I don't say that lightly. The others I was with ordered the medallion trio (he loved this and quickly devoured it), the Barramundi (this fell a bit flat and tasted more like a Roy's dish than Cooper's Hawk) and the gnocchi bolognese (another winner). Our food experience overall was great, but mine was incredible! I ordered the best dish, hands down.

Service

 Our waiter couldn't have been better. I don't know if it was the two bottles of wine we ordered or my charming sense of humor (kidding!), but we received great, honest recommendations and service. He gave us actual guidance on the menu, which is so refreshing when most servers are scared to give their real opinion on a dish. His thoughts on different entrees crafted our entire evening. The bartender we had while waiting for our table was highly knowledgeable about the restaurant's wine selection and gave us great recommendations. He was able to accurate highlight the flavor profiles of the wines and even gave us an extra free round of samples. Hey, it was my birthday, after all.


So this review didn't include a true negative about my dining experience at Cooper's Hawk, and that's because there weren't any. Sure, one of the people I was with didn't love their entree, but that's it. I couldn't be happier with my birthday dinner and I'll certainly return to Cooper's Hawk for some after work wine and special dinners.




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