Five Things I Appreciate about Cooper's Hawk

The "Life Balance" menu lured me in. Once there, I found other things to like.

I rarely review chain restaurants; however, the exception is when the venue is new and noteworthy (as was the case with Ruth’s Chris), or if a venue is up to something unique or newsworthy—as is the case Cooper’s Hawk, which I cover in today’s column.

Review of Cooper’s Hawk

12801 University Ave., Clive; 515-513-3330.

As I’ve mentioned, I had a fine time at Ruth’s Chris at a preview event, which I wrote about for dsm magazine. The steaks were opulent, the service personable and professional, and it was just kind of a hoot to be part of the whole spectacle.

Trouble was, I was in a food coma for about three days afterwards. Rich food, huge portions. Sound familiar? Yes. It’s so often what restaurants do. You end up either eating way more than you want/need to (and feeling gross), or you take half of it home and eat another round of insanely rich food a day or two later—which is what I did at Ruth’s, and why the food coma lasted so long.

Or, you split dinner. We do that often, but sometimes…