Chicagoland-based Cooper’s Hawk opens its 54th location in Fort Myers

Local Chicagoland-based Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant added to its empire with the opening of their 54th location in Fort Myers, Florida. Locals and snowbirds are flocking to this lifestyle brand to enjoy the fantastic food and wine.

The new location offers many of the same features as existing locations. Guests are instantly greeted with a Napa-style tasting room and retail shop, the perfect place to sample the wines before purchasing or sitting down to a meal. There’s also an opportunity to join the exclusive CH wine club with over 600,000 members. The benefits of the wine club include exclusive travel opportunities, limited wine productions, and unique dining events.

Cooper’s Hawk was founded in 2005 by CEO Tim McEnery and is headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. Cooper’s Hawk is built upon McEnery’s passionate belief that food and wine hold the power to forge lasting connections. These connections make Cooper’s Hawk a special experience for food and wine lovers.

The Fort Myers dining room has a beautiful California style with an open kitchen concept. It’s exciting to watch the chefs prepare the dishes. Cooper’s Hawk not only serves fantastic wines, but they also serve up incredible house-crafted cocktails. Feeling tropical? It’s Florida! Why not start with Dana’s Pineappletini? This cocktail is made with vodka, rum, pineapple juice and sparkling wine. It’s refreshing and captures the taste of sitting on an island.

There’s also incredible starters like the drunken shrimp wrapped in bacon served over guacamole and a tequila lime butter sauce. Missing the tastes of Chicago? The Italian sausage & whipped burrata flatbread is topped with giardiniera, pesto, mozzarella, and grated parmesan. It tastes like a slice of home.

Entrees include several steak and seafood options. The blackened ahi tuna is truly magical. The fresh tuna is seared rare and served with a wasabi sauce over cilantro citrus rice and Asian slaw. This dish is beach ready! If you’re looking to get the party started, then I recommend the braised short rib risotto. This dish brings all of the comforts of home with its tender beef, roasted mushrooms, and sweet onions. There’s CH wine in the dish along with shaved parmesan and white truffle oil. Risotto can be a hard dish to execute and the team at CH delivers a perfect version every time. There’s many international flavors infused on the menu and all of the dishes are easily paired with wine. The menu includes bin numbers to make the wine selection easy. There’s something for ever diner on the menu to enjoy.

The perfect way to end any meal at Cooper’s Hawk is with a dessert wine and their chocolate truffles. Other notable desserts include the key lime pie, chocolate cake, and warm reese’s peanut butter cup cookie topped with ice cream. All are perfect choices to end an incredible meal here.

Cooper’s Hawk winery has received over 500 wine awards. They import grapes from the best vineyards around the world and produce over 50 varieties. The menu is thoughtfully crafted to compliment those wine loving palates. The Fort Myers location seats 260 in the dining room, has private dining options, a bar and outdoor patio. It brings the flavors of a Chicago gem to Southwest Florida.