Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants Share Killer Recipes for Sips and Desserts for Holiday Fare! (2024)

Combining seasonally-inspired dishes with expertly paired wines, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants gives guests the best in modern casual dining and one of the country’s largest wine clubs. Each Cooper’s Hawk location combines an outstanding dining experience coupled with a Napa-style tasting room and gift shop. The Cooper’s Hawk Wine Club offers members exclusive blends from Cooper’s Hawk’s own winery and members-only classes, parties and events. An award-winning producer of 50 varieties of wine, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants’ own winery offers a full range of thoughtful wines to pair and enjoy both in restaurant and at home.

This chain of winery/restaurants is primarily a mid-west phenomenon with restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia,
Wisconsin. The winery is located in Illinois. See below for the address!

Courtesy of Matt McMillin, Cooper’s Hawk is sharing a couple of recipes with us for you to test out at home. The best option is of course to buy the key ingredients like wines, jellies and more from the Cooper’s Hawk stores or website, so that you can get close to the in-restaurant experience.

Matt McMillin
VP CULINARY & BEVERAGE INNOVATION:

Matt McMillin has helped define an award-winning path for Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants since 2010. With a focus on seasonally-inspired foods and their relationship to wine, McMillin has mastered a rich, culinary concept that is both sophisticated and unique.

Prior to Cooper’s Hawk, McMillin was a partner in Lettuce Entertain You for 15 years, opening a number of concepts including Big Bowl, Ben Pao, Mity Nice Grill, Shaw’s Crab House and Vong’s Thai Kitchen. He’s also worked with fine French restaurants like Carlos, Le Francais, and Café Provencal.
McMillin is also recognized as
–co-author of the book, Big Bowl Noodles and Rice;
–as a judge on the Thanksgiving edition of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown
–as a chef/influencer in numerous local and national cooking segments.
Chef McMillin is a graduate of Kendall College where he received the Escoffier Award for Culinary and Academic Excellence

Chef McMillin has been generous in sharing some superb recipes with us for your use.

Cranberry Sangria

Cranberry Simple Syrup: (Yield 1 1/2 cups)
6oz Cranberries
1 Cup Water
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Star Anise
3 Cloves
½ tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1. In a stainless steel pot, dissolve sugar in water and add cinnamon stick, star anise and ground clove.
Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
2. Pour mixture over the cranberries, add vanilla, and allow to cool to room temp then place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
3. In the morning, strain cranberries and remove cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves.
Place syrup and cranberries in separate containers.

Each Glass of Cranberry Sangria:

6oz Cooper’s Hawk Cranberry Sangria
1 TBL Cointreau
½ TBL Cranberry Simple Syrup
1 Squeeze of Lime
1 Slice Each, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Apple
5 Reserved Cranberries (in glass or on a skewer)
1 oz Club Soda

Method:
Fill Glass with ice
Pour in Cooper Hawk Cranberry Sangria and Cointreau into glass and stir gently
Pour in Cranberry Simple Syrup along with squeeze of lime and stir again
Add in fruit slices and cranberries
Top with club soda and stir till blended!

Lemon Pound Cake with Riesling Poached Plums and Whipped Ricotta
Serves 10

Ingredients:

6oz Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
4 Whole Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
1/4 Cup Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Lemon, Zested
3 tsp Crystal Sugar

Method:
1. Place softened butter and sugar in an electric mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix the 2 ingredients on medium speed until fluffy.
2. Mix for approximately 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. Mix for an additional 30 seconds.
3. While mixing, combine dry ingredients (AP Flour, Baking Powder, Salt) in a bowl and mix with a whisk.
4. Add the dry mix to the whipped butter and sugar, and mix on slow speed for 10 seconds just to slightly incorporate.
5. With the mixer on slow speed, add eggs one at a time until incorporated.
6. Add the vanilla, milk, sour cream, and lemon zest. Proceed to mix on slow speed until all the ingredients are combined. Scrape the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are combined
7. Butter a loaf pan well and dust with flour on all sides.
8. Scrape batter into loaf pan, spreading the mix evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the crystal sugar evenly over the top of cake batter.
9. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 350 deg. F for approximately 1 to 1 hour 15 minutes. Check for doneness using a skewer. Insert the skewer into the poundcake, and when it comes out clean, it is ready.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the poundcake to cool for 30 minutes prior to removing from the pan. Transfer to rack to fully cool to room temperature. Should Cool fully before slicing. Slice in 10 even slices.

FAQs

Who is the owner of Cooper's Hawk restaurant? ›

Born from the vision of our Founder Tim McEnery and brought to life by the community of Orland Park, IL, this original Cooper's Hawk is the beating heart that unites our growing locations around the country.

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How do you make Cooper's Hawk Winter White? ›

To make Winter White we take a blend of white wine and infuse it with mulling spices for a few days. We use warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, while also adding orange peel for an aromatic citrus note.

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What is the difference between a red tailed hawk and a Cooper's hawk? ›

I usually can tell a Cooper's hawk from red-tailed hawks from the chest and the tail — the adult Cooper's has almost a salmony-colored chest and a long striped tail, and the adult red-tailed hawks have that belly band under a white chest and the red tail.

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Are Cooper's Hawks endangered? ›

Although Cooper's Hawks declined in the mid-20th century because of human persecution and the use of DDT, the species has recovered remarkably well. Today, populations are thriving, owing to its ability to exploit human-altered landscapes.

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Where does Cooper Hawk get its wine? ›

The winery imports grapes from a variety of regions, including California, Oregon, Chile, Argentina, Australia and Italy, enabling them to create over 50 varietals of artisanal wines for Cooper's Hawk.

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Why is it called Cooper's Hawk? ›

The bird was named by Charles Bonaparte in 1828 after William Cooper, who collected the specimens that were used to describe the species. The forward facing eyes of the Cooper's Hawk are yellow to deep red.

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What is the difference between winter white and regular white? ›

“Winter white” is a bridge of sorts between these old and new worlds. Often described as a “yellow white” or ivory color, winter white is a nod to the prohibition against white after Labor Day and a grant of leniency at the same time. It is white, but a specialized version designed specifically for the winter season.

What is a good white wine for winter? ›

“My go-to glass of a white wine in winter times is a Bordeaux Blanc. These often are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Sémillon brings in the rich texture and mouthfeel that gives the wine its weight. Lees and barrel aging adds complexity to these wines, too.

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What is the primary food source for the Cooper's hawk? ›

Feeds mainly on medium-sized birds, in the size range of robins, jays, flickers, also on larger and smaller birds. Also eats many small mammals, such as chipmunks, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, bats. Sometimes eats reptiles, insects.

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Can a Coopers hawk take a chicken? ›

“This species is preeminently a 'Chicken Hawk,” as may be seen from the foregoing citations. Its devastations in this direction are much greater than those of all the other hawks and owls together, with the possible exception of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, which attacks much smaller chickens.” (Fisher 1893).

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Do Cooper's hawks eat squirrels? ›

They prey primarily on smaller birds, which they catch by surprise more than speed. In fact, they rarely chase birds for extended periods like falcons do, giving up the chase once they've lost ground. Cooper's Hawks will also eat squirrels, especially Eastern females, which are quite powerful.

How can you tell if a Cooper's hawk is male or female? ›

Identifying Characteristics

The outer tail feathers are shorter than the rest of the tail feathers, giving the tail a rounded appearance, which—apart from size—can easily distinguish this bird from the sharp-shinned hawk. Males and females look the same, but the female is about one-third larger than the male.

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What month do Cooper's hawks lay eggs? ›

Egg-Laying and Incubation

The first egg is laid around the beginning of April in the south, mid-May in the north. Hawks nesting in an urban area typically lay more eggs than rural hawks. As many as seven eggs have been reported, but even a clutch of six is rare.

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Do Cooper's hawks eat chipmunks? ›

Known as a predator of birds, the Cooper's hawk also feeds on mammals, particularly squirrels and chipmunks. Once known as a regular denizen of poultry yards, it is one of many “chicken hawks.”

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Do Coopers hawks eat rodents? ›

Cooper's Hawks are primarily bird hunters and have been known to hang around backyard bird feeders, where songbirds gather in tempting numbers. They generally hunt small- to medium-sized birds, including doves, quail, and woodpeckers. They may also catch bats, mice, and squirrels, and less often even frogs and snakes.

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Who bought Cooper's Hawk? ›

Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, one of the fastest-growing casual-dining chains, has reportedly reached a sale agreement with private equity firm Ares Management, according to Mergermarket.

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How much is Cooper's Hawk worth? ›

And that's why the company was able to secure an eye-popping valuation in its sale agreement with Ares Management. The private equity firm is paying more than $700 million for Cooper's Hawk, though one source said the price is closer to $800 million.

How many Cooper's Hawk Restaurants are there in the United States? ›

The Cooper's Hawk portfolio currently includes over 55 Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant locations throughout 11 states, as well as a new “by Cooper's Hawk” brands introduced in 2022: Piccolo Buco by Luca Issa & Cooper's Hawk.

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Is Cooper's Hawk a franchise? ›

Cooper's Hawk is a renowned name in the catering industry, known for its exceptional wine and dining experience. With a strong and growing customer base, Cooper's Hawk offers a unique franchise opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs.

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Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurants Share Killer Recipes for Sips and Desserts for Holiday Fare! (2024)

FAQs

Who is the owner of Cooper's Hawk restaurant? ›

Do Cooper's hawks eat squirrels? ›

References