One of our favorite eateries which Mrs. K and I haven’t been to in a while is Cooper’s Hawk, 3915 E. 96th St., which is described on their website as an “upscale casual restaurant.” Noted for their formidable dining menu and diverse wine list, Cooper’s Hawk offers Happy Hour from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. They call it Wine O’Clock.
Six appetizers make up their special HH menu: three priced at $10 and three at $12. A quartet of $8 cocktails are also named. Wine at $8 per glass is listed as “International Selections” and honestly, save for the Shiraz and Prosecco, we really had no idea about what most of them were as we previewed the website information.
We were offered seats in the bar or the dining room for Wine O’Clock. The bar was somewhere we have never been, so we chose it. The bar-room is not necessarily hidden but it is out of sight – I had never known there was one. The bright room is filled with high tables with high bar stools (no booths) and a long bar along a windowed wall that overlooks 96th Street and several car dealerships. Several TVs silently offer afternoon sports programming. The small crowd in place when we entered grew very little as we sat through our meal.
Our server Crystal helped us understand the “International Selections” on the wine list. I asked for a taste of the Abrillante from Spain. She described it as an unoaked white wine. Mrs. K asked to taste the Chardonnay, which was not on the HH menu, but on the larger regular menu. The Abrillante was a bit sour to my taste, but the Chardonnay was very good and that is what we both ordered ($11 per glass – not a Happy Hour special).
From the HH menu we decided on the Crispy Barbacoa Quesadilla ($12) for me and the Shaved Prime Sliders ($12) for my wife. While we waited for our drink orders and food, Crystal brought us a small round loaf of Pretzel Bread including a small cup of soft butter – really a perfect beginning.
Mrs. K’s pair of sliders arrived. Described on the menu as including: Crispy Onions, Horseradish, Caramelized Onion Ranch, and Au Jus – they were made up on small pretzel buns. She spread the onion ranch sauce on the rolls and commented that the horseradish was very mild, without the usual bite to it that we like. The shaved prime was tasty but had a bit of gristle in it. And the Au Jus was a bit too salty. Regardless, she said they were good.
My quesadilla was cut into four small sections. Its menu description was: Ancho Braised Short Rib, Caramelized Cheese Crust, Cilantro-Lime Crema, Cotija Cheese, Ancho Salsa. Being a quesadilla, the meat and cheese were in the flattened cheese crust, with the green drizzle of crema adding flavor and color. The Ancho salsa looked like a pulverized red sauce, (I’ve learned that Ancho refers to a dried poblano pepper, which is known for its mild heat and rich, sweet, and smoky flavor) and was presented in a small cup on the side. It added a good flavor – a touch hot.
You can peruse the Wine O’Clock menu here.
Our selections came to right around $50 not including the tip. We splurged a bit on our wine choice, but we prefer our old favorite – Chardonnay – which has been surprisingly allusive on our HH trials.
Ken Klingenmeier offers this series of columns, called “A Seat at the Table,” wherein he will review Indy-area restaurants – specifically their Happy Hour offers. Keep reading The Reporter for future restaurant reviews.