Upscale chain Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants opens in Pembroke Pines

I've been to CityPlace Doral several times and have noticed the Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant but had never been there so I immediately accepted an invitation to visit the new Pembroke Pines location. Again, I'm going to have to re-name this blog So Fla Centric instead of Miami Centric.I made my way into the restaurant, which sits on a corner of a still unfinished Pines City Center, and quickly grabbed a sampling of pinot grigio the gentleman was handing out at the entrance. It was nice to finish this wine with the tasty pretzel bun that comes to every table complimentary.That was a nice greeting I thought and I definitely couldn't keep my eyes off their display case of chocolates, I knew I'd be stopping there later. The rest of the merchandise on sale in that area honestly was a blur to me as I made my way to the hostess stand. The amount of wine displayed in the restaurant is quite impressive and their tasting room is a place I'd like to check out on a future visit.While looking over the massive menu I was offered another wine sampling so I went with the sparkling rosé which was quite nice.I was able to finally decide on a few select appetizers and an entree. Not even noticing that the menu says they're "award winning" I picked the Asian pork belly tostadas. I also chose the Mexican drunken shrimp.I liked the crispy crunch of the tostada against the tender pork belly in a sweet chili barbecue sauce. I'm a sucker for a crisp, crunchy radish and the bite of sesame seeds, which this had both. And the cilantro and scallions, well at home I put those on almost everything.The shrimp were quite abundant and I'm a sucker for presentation and the curled up cuties looked lovely atop a bed of bright yellow tequila lime butter sauce. The guacamole was a nice fresh touch too. Presentation on both apps was pretty, served on the ever-popular rectangular plates.Next was the entree and I chose the simple chicken madeira, a couple of chicken breasts topped with melted fontina, a generous helping of mushrooms and a side of buttery mashed potatoes topped with a trio of asparagus spears. The madeira sauce underneath had nice flavor. I could have done without the fontina but I'm a sucker for cheese.As always I was quite full and didn't finish my dishes so had a wonderful doggie bag to take home. Naturally, I said no to dessert because I knew I would be taking home some chocolates. As I made my way back to the display case I did notice the merchandise for sale up front. Although it's pretty and nicely displayed, I think it takes away from the elegant wine display and overall feel of the restaurant.But that didn't detract me from taking home some truffles and a few chocolate covered strawberries. These were all enjoyed later that evening at home and were delicious.Cooper's Hawk, 10310 Pines Blvd., Pembroke Pines, (954) 582-9463 https://chwinery.com/