Hubs is back and it's time to check out Copperwood Tavern!

Hubs and I noticed Cooperwood Tavern last fall (2013). While I want to say that I can't believe it took over a year to get to dine there, he was gone for a bit for an overseas deployment. 

Not that we needed more incentive to visit Copperwood Tavern - it has an awesome looking dining area with its bare and reclaimed wood-lined walls, while touting the farm to table concept that we are fans of - it has also been given Northern Virginia Magazine's 50 best restaurants list.

Pre-dinner selfie

On the Friday after Thanksgiving - when you would think we would be munching on Turkey day leftovers (fail on my part for not getting any), we headed out to Shirlington to finally try Cooperwood Tavern.

Bacon + Bourbon = YUM!

Decision #1 What to drink...
I'm not sure when I became a bourbon/whiskey cocktail girl, but I'm sure glad that I am. When looking through the drink menu, my eyes immediately gravitated to the Bacon Rebellion - bacon and bourbon in one drink! It definitely is a must try. I enjoyed the smokiness of the bacon mixed with the maple-orange syrup (made one site) in addition to the Wild Turkey 101.

Aside from the good number of cocktails available, the bourbon-whiskey, moonshine, wine, and beer lists are some of many reasons to being planning a return trip to Copperwood Tavern.




Decision #2 Small plates or big plates? If big plates, should we get a small plate as an appetizer?
I love the idea of small plates. However, the descriptions of the protein options were just too good to not try. So instead, we decided to go with a small plate as an appetizer instead. The scallops and foie gras came highly recommend, and it did not disappoint. The corn puree complemented the two proteins, while the balsamic reduction gave a nice tart balance to the sweetness of the scallop and the fattiness of the foie.



Decision #3 What protein and sides?
All of the descriptions of the meats sounded great! I decided to go with the duck since it's not one I see or get often. This main dish definitely made me part of the clean plate club. While I often pull off the fatty pieces on meat, every part of this duck breast was too yummy not to eat. Hubs had the pork chop (not pictured), which was also very very tasty.

Sides are served a la carte, which is great for sharing. While all the sides sounded great to me, we went with some go-to's for him: mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. The sprouts were perfectly fried. I enjoyed the fried shallots and bacon-mustard dressing, which perfectly complimented the sprouts. The mashed potatoes weren't just ol' mashed taters, they were Gouda mashed potatoes. Yum!! We had some of the sides left over, which came home with us and were awesome addition to a homemade Saturday night dinner!




Decision #4: Dessert? If so, what should we get?
Hubs and I have a weakness for anything that has Nutella in it. And the brownie with Nutella ice cream was a no brainer for us. The brownie was so dense and so rich. The only thing that could have made dessert a little more perfect would have been a class of milk.

I'm really glad that we finally got to try Cooperwood Tavern. Beyond the really good food and the awesome decor, service was also really good. With the reservations, we were seated, provided water, and given cornbread in like 10 minutes after entering the restaurant. Now, I'll admit that it wasn't a typical Friday night, so that is not going to always be a guaranteed service.

Price: a meal could be $20-35 (protein and sides) before you include appetizers, drinks, and desserts.

Go back again? Of course! Hands down yes! I want to do a small plates dinner as well as brunch in the near future.

:-)