Stonewood Grill and Tavern
Brandon, Florida, United States
A chain, but decent food and service
Dined
in December 2013
A Little Story:
I had just come back to the states from Afghanistan, and as
a tradition when I visit my father in Florida, I take him and my Stepmother out
to dinner, and they get to choose. The last time I was in town, it was the Council
Oak Steakhouse in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. For this trip,
it was the Stonewood Grill.
Honestly, I had never heard of the place, even though in Florida, it is a
famous chain with fourteen restaurants total (2013 #’s). I would compare
Stonewood to a higher class level than the typical chained restaurants around
the United States like Longhorn or Outback, but just under the ranking of a
1-star, working its way up. The atmosphere was pleasing, and conservative, the
service staffed was very attentive, helpful, and considerate, along with great
menu knowledge, and the quality of food was very good also. I would return.
Follow Wine, dine, and Play:
Star
ratings chart:
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5 stars
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Extraordinary
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4 stars
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Outstanding
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3 stars
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Exceeded
expectations
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2 stars
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Above
average
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1 star
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Average
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No star rating
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Basic,
poor, or appalling
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Review basics:
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Star rating by Wine,
Dine, & Play:
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3 of 5
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Quality of food:
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8 of 10
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Presentation:
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7 of 10
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Wine selections by
region:
Scroll below the main review section to see the tasting notes
of the wines chosen.
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7 of 10
Old world:
1.
France: Champagne Region
2.
Italy: Veneto, and Valdadige
New World:
1.
Argentina: Mendoza, & Uco Valley,
2.
California: Sonoma, Napa, Paso robles, Russian River Valley, North Coast, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley, Amador
County, & Alexander Valley
3.
New Zealand: Marlborough
4.
Oregon: Willamette Valley
5.
Washington State: Columbia Valley
6.
South Africa: Costal Region
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Customer service:
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9 of 10
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Ambiance:
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7 of 10
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Corkage fee’s:
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Restaurant standard is $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual
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Dress code:
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Casual, or Conservative attire
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Reservations:
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Not Required, Recommended (make reservation
through opentable.com,
or by contacting the restaurant directly. See contact info below the review
section)
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Walk-ins:
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Accepted
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Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on
this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full
enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in
attendance. Hire a Babysitter.
|
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Cuisine style:
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Contemporary, Steakhouse, Seafood, & American
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Experiences:
|
Place
for foodies, Business parties, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special
occasions, & a
Trendsetting
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Music styles:
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Background instrumental
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Gratuities:
|
Industry standard is 18-20% added to parties of 6 or more
(will end in 2014 with new tax
law)
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Credit cards:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diner’s,
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Parking:
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Public lot, or street parking
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Transport options:
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Bus,
taxi, personal vehicle, and walking
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Wi-Fi:
|
The restaurants reviewed on
this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the
excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead
of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant by Florida law
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Chef:
Chuck Jaloski
 |
| Courtesy of stonewoodgrill.com |
Price chart:
$£€ - Under 50.00
$£€ x 2 - Under 75.00
$£€ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€ x 5 - Over 400.00
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My food bill (p/p):
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Currency :
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Price chart :
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$35.00
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USD
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$
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£21.13
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GBP
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£
|
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€25.46
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EUR
|
€
|
Visit these sites to
get up to date currency rates:
Scroll down below the main review to see cost of
wines and tasting notes.
From restaurants home page:
Stonewood’s
oak grilled steaks deliver an unparalleled opportunity to enjoy premium aged
beef. From the tender 6 oz. Filet Mignon to the perfectly-marbled 22 oz. Cowboy
Ribeye, our signature oak grill gives a distinct, savory flavor to the cut of
your choosing. Fresh seafood has long been a staple at Stonewood. Blackened,
broiled, or oak grilled with lemon thyme butter and seasonings, we offer
seafood lovers a wide variety of fish entrées, including Atlantic Salmon,
Mahi-Mahi, Black Grouper, Trout and Sea Bass.
Main review:
My Parents and I went out in early December 2013, making
reservations on opentable. The server we had was very professional, and had
great knowledge of the menu and wine list. Our server also had a great interest
in food from the profession side, so throughout the night we had several
conversations about food. As we continued to look over the menu, I ordered a
bottle of Silver
Oak Cabernet from Alexander Valley, California. (Scroll down below the
main review to see wine tasting notes) Earlier in the summer I went
to Napa and Sonoma on a little wine trip, and Silver oak was one of the
wineries I did visit. My Stepmother enjoyed a few glasses of their Chateau Saint Michelle
Riesling from Columbia Valley, Washington, and my father enjoyed the Piattelli
Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.
We started off with a few appetizers to split amongst the
table, starting with a Bruschetta of vine ripe tomatoes, with basil, garlic, and
shaved parmesan on grilled garlic bread with a balsamic dipping sauce (pictured
above). The second appetizer my Stepmother and I split since my father is
allergic to anything from the sea, so we shared a house smoked salmon with glazed
whole grain mustard and dill, on toast points, with a chive aioli and salad
garnie.
For entrée’s my Stepmother had the thick cut one pound
porterhouse chop steak, char-grilled with rosemary and infused with sweet tea brine.
She also enjoyed some asparagus with and a baked potato.
My father enjoyed the boneless short ribs, with a Jack
Daniels-root beer-beef broth, Roasted Peppers, Onions, and carrots, and served
with a side of herb scented buttermilk whipped potatoes.
For me, I always tick the classics when I first come back
from overseas. Now we do have steak in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it is a much
lower quality since the D.O.D. buys them in large bulk orders. So when I come
home, I want to enjoy a USDA Prime cut, so my choice was there 16 ounce (473 g) New York Strip steak,
which I enjoyed with a loaded baked potato and a vegetable medley of carrot,
zucchini and squash. By the time we were done, we did not have room for
dessert, but based on the dessert menu, I do wish to return and try it. Their
selection includes a classic southern chocolate bread pudding, banana fosters,
Florida orange cake, ice creams, and sorbet.
This Restaurant reminds me of:
Stonewood Grill was a very good experience. I enjoyed eating
there, and spending good quality time with the folks. The service was
impeccable compared to the neighboring restaurants in the Brandon area, and
overall, I would compare Stonewood with quality, presentation, and service to
restaurants such as 5A5
Steak Lounge, San Francisco, and the Cape
Cod Room Restaurant in Chicago.
Cost of wines and other
alcoholic beverages:
$137.00
Tasting
Notes:
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Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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Complex wine with berry and floral aromatics It has a
dark, ruby color and a vibrant nose of black cherry, wisteria, and sweet
baking spices. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
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On the palate, the wine is elegant and expressive and
Echoes the berry, floral and spice notes from the nose. It has a classic
structure of fine-grained tannins and a long, layered finish. Given proper
cellaring, this wine should give drinking pleasure through 2032.
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91 rating by Wine Enthusiast. Total acidity 0.78g/100 ml, ph
2.97, and Residual Sugar 2.23g/100 ml. Alcohol 11.0%
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The wine delivers sweet lime and peach character with
subtle mineral notes.
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90 points by Robert Parker (2008) Gradates from an
intense, blue-purple core to a bright red rim, aged for 12 months in small,
first- or second-use French- and American-oak barrels and then bottle-aged an
additional 12 months.
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Malbec’s expanding bouquet integrates perfectly with its
dark fruit and chocolate coffee flavor, lingers with a moderate tannin pull,
and finishes with understated-yet-resonant oak.
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Regulatory: A.V.A. (American
viticultural Association) Sonoma
Restaurant address:
612 E Bloomingdale Ave.
Brandon, FL 33511
Cross streets:
S. Bryan Road & Bell shoals Road
Contact Information:
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Maître d, reservations
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813.655.9561
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Website:
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Email:
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Online
Reservations :
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Social media:
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Hours:
Dinner:
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Monday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Tuesday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Wednesday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Thursday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Friday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Saturday
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4:00 - 10:00 pm
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Sunday
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4:00 - 9:00 pm
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Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5:00)
Proprietor / Manager:
Mark Norman
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ttfn
