First Bites From New Cooper’s Hawk in Clive

The pan-roasted mahi mahi is served over ginger rice soaked in a savory coconut curry sauce. The edamame beans and tomato slices add fresh color and flavor to the Cooper’s Hawk entree.

Writer: Hailey Allen

If you haven’t heard the news already, Iowa’s first Cooper’s Hawk has officially opened in Clive, at 12801 University Ave. The modern, upscale restaurant and winery offers mouthwatering menu options from its scratch kitchen, along with wine tastings in the signature Napa-style tasting room and a retail shop full of items any oenophile will love.

We had the chance to taste samples from the extensive menu; here’s what we loved:

For your appetizer: The drunken shrimp, a perfect morsel wrapped in bacon and drenched in a tequila lime butter sauce, with fresh guac on the side. Order the prosecco to go with it.

For your entree: Gnocchi carbonara complete with chicken, pancetta, sage, peas and a rich parmesan garlic cream sauce. All the hand-rolled gnocchi is made from scratch using a decades-old classic recipe from the Romozzi family from just outside of Chicago. Go for the Cooper’s Hawk Lux Pinot Noir to complement the meal. We also enjoyed the pan-roasted mahi mahi with ginger rice and coconut curry sauce (pictured above).

For your dessert: Either the chocolate cake or the key lime pie. Layered with rich, velvety hazelnut ganache, the cake pairs perfectly with the Nightjar Port-style wine. The pie is light and tangy from the fresh-squeezed citrus and topped with lime-dusted whipped cream. Add on the Cooper’s Hawk Lux Ice Wine to enhance its flavors.

View the full menu here, and book a reservation online with OpenTable or by calling 515-513-3330.

In other restaurant news, DZO Korean BBQ and Naughtea have also both recently opened, and later this year, a new fine dining restaurant, Oak Park, is scheduled to open in the 3900 block of Ingersoll Avenue. The 98-seat eatery will offer a seasonal menu of modern American cuisine. Read more on the upcoming development in this Business Record article.

DZO Korean (2611 Ingersoll Ave.) is the metro’s first Korean barbecue establishment, where guests cook their meal right at their own table using a special grill. Naughtea, at 1810 S.W. White Birch Circle, Suite 115, in Ankeny, serves up another Korean specialty, Korean corn dogs. The inside of these corn dogs consists of melty mozzarella instead of pork, and the breaded outside comes in flavors like hot Cheetos, ube cheese, sweet potato fries and others.

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