COOPERAGE INN LUNCH 18 MAR 2022

By LONG ISLAND WINE DAD March 24, 2022

We have stopped at the Cooperage Inn several times before but only to pick up their Island famous NOFO Pot Pies. However, today this stop was not only to pick up pies but for lunch as the first stop on our mid-March pickup expedition. The restaurant is located on the north side of Sound Ave in Baiting Hollow and has a sizeable well-maintained parking lot connecting directly to the main entrance (Figure 1). Inside is bright, cheery, and spacious. Seating options include the dining room, bar, semi-enclosed patio, and outside dining spaces (Figure 2). As this was the first stop of a six-stop pickup tour, we were early, and the door locked, but the team spotted us, greeted us warmly, and guided us to our table that included a nice view of the fishpond and front yard seating area (Figure 3).

The menu is extensive, ranging from simple salads to robust entrees and daily specials (Figures 4, 5, 6). After an opening round of cocktails, good Cosmopolitan, and unsweetened Iced Tea (many wine tastings ahead this day), we ordered. Alissa guided us through the menus, including her tasting experiences with the food, cheerfully helping curate our lunch. For starters, we ordered the Caesar Salad and Irish egg rolls. Following the mains of potato & onion crusted Chicken sandwich and a special call Jambalaya Stuffed Fluke.

The starters arrived promptly and together. The Caesar salad is a good size for a starter with fresh Romain lettuce, crispy but not dried out flavorful croutons, and with just the right amount of savory dressing that included a hint of anchovies (Figure 7). The two Irish Egg Rolls arrive piping hot, cut in half packed full of corned beef, cabbage, and melted cheese (Figure 8). The outer roll was crisp, moist, & tender on the inside without being saturated in oil, well worth a reorder on the next visit.

The mains arrived shortly after, not rushed but well-paced to the trip we still had ahead of us. The chicken sandwich arrives plated with the most extraordinary French fries, hot and crunchy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside (Figure 9). The sandwich was a generous size with half taken home. The chicken is breaded with a potato onion crust and fried to a golden brown, then topped with mozzarella cheese melting slowly over the entire chicken—a fantastic lunchtime chicken sandwich. The Jambalaya Stuffed Fluke is a home run. Two large filets of fluke were plated on a bed of sautéed spinach and filled with a very generous portion of Jambalaya packed with andouille sausage, shrimp, Langostinos, chicken, and Saffron rice. The fluke drizzled with Cajon Aioli, which added just the right amount of kick to the dish. Typically clearing the plate is the norm, but half went home for dinner this time. We passed on the included desserts as we were both far too full.

After settling the bill and promising to return many more times (we will), we rolled out the door, pickup up three more Pot Pies and a couple of dessert pies to take home to friends; we headed out to our first winery stop Roanoke Vineyards.