We were on the North Fork and decided to go to the Cooperage Inn Restaurant for dinner. From our research, the Cooperage Inn is a beloved fixture on the North Fork dining scene, known for its charming country ambiance and generous portions of American comfort food. I like generous portions and comfort food. So off we went.
The portray themselves as the Gateway to the North Fork. We were expecting some form of wine tasting theme. Instead, we found a restored Victorian farmhouse with wood-accented decor and cozy lighting. You definitely get the rustic atmosphere feeling. The staff is friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, making guests feel welcome and well-cared for. The real problem that we had was our reservation was for 7:45 pm.
With that time, there was an incredible desire for us to have our meal quickly. Once we ordered, the appetizers, they were delivered immediately. Our entrees follow pretty quickly once we finished our appetizers. As a result, we finished our meal within 45 minutes of sitting down. At that time, the restaurant was empty. I felt that they really wanted to be done by 9:00 and managed the tables accordingly.
Our food was mixed bag. Some of the food was excellent, some mediocre and some on the poor side. This is one restaurant that you really need to know what to order. The best thing was the bread basket. For $5, they offered us 4 or 5 different types of bread along with butter and house made hummus. Each was super fresh with some still warm from the oven. The bread basket really impressed me!! The only weird thing about the bread basket was the butter and the hummus came in a small plastic container (more fitting for take-out).
We started with the Appetizer Tower for Two. It consisted of a crab cake, two baked clams, tomato bruschetta and chicken pie crunch roll. I have a chicken pot pie from NOFO Pot Pie Company about a year ago and really loved it. I was face with a decision on whether to order the chicken pot pie as an entrée or the have the chicken pie crunch roll. It turns out the filling is the same. The crunch roll is a just another description of being an egg roll with the pot pie filling. It was really good. The crab cake was also really good. The bruschetta was another winner. The baked clams was off and tasted smoky or something. This was our least favorite item on the Tower.
For entrees, we went with a Blackened Fish of the Day (Swordfish) and a Roasted Duck. The Blackened Swordfish was a disappointment. It was bland. In fact, this was the blandest item that I have ever had that was blackened. It seemed that the chef was afraid to flavor this fish. The duck on the other had was roasted really well. It was a local duck and it was fresh and tasty. So one entrée was good and the other was bad.
Overall: The Cooperage Inn Restaurant offers the Milleridge Inn. It has a charming setting and consistently good service which makes it a pleasant place to dine. However, the inconsistency in food will disappoint you. While some dishes are truly outstanding, others might leave you dissatisfied. One of the highlights of the meal is that they sell their NOFO Pot Pies in a window next to the restaurant. With their 10 different flavor pies, I am sure you can find one you like. I ended up buying 2!