Wine Dine and Play: Stonewood Grill and Tavern

Stonewood Grill and Tavern



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.

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Star ratings chart:
5 stars
Extraordinary  
4 stars
Outstanding 
3 stars
Exceeded expectations    
2 stars
Above average                         
1 star
Average
No star rating
Basic, poor, or appalling


Review basics:
Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:
3 of 5
Quality of food:
8 of 10
Presentation:
7 of 10
Wine selections by region:
Scroll below the main review section to see the tasting notes of the wines chosen.
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
Customer service:
9 of 10
Ambiance:
7 of 10
Corkage fee’s:
Restaurant standard is $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant style:
Casual
Dress code:
Casual, or Conservative attire
Reservations:
Not Required, Recommended (make reservation through opentable.com, or by contacting the restaurant directly. See contact info below the review section)
Walk-ins:
Accepted
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.
Cuisine style:
Contemporary, Steakhouse, Seafood, & American
Experiences:
Place for foodies, Business parties, Hot spot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, & a
Trendsetting
Music styles:
Background instrumental
Gratuities:
Industry standard is 18-20% added to parties of 6 or more (will end in 2014 with new tax law)
Credit cards:
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diner’s,
Parking:
Public lot, or street parking
Transport options:
Bus, taxi, personal vehicle, and walking
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.
Noise level:
Medium
Smoking:
Nonsmoking restaurant by Florida law

Chef:
Chuck Jaloski
Courtesy of stonewoodgrill.com














Food price per person (excluding gratuity)
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

My food bill (p/p):
Currency :
Price chart :
$35.00
USD
$
£21.13
GBP
£
€25.46
EUR

Visit these sites to get up to date currency rates:    
www.xe.com






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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:
Wine & Grape:
Nose (Bouquet):
Palette Experience:
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
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.
91 rating by Wine Enthusiast. Total acidity 0.78g/100 ml, ph 2.97, and Residual Sugar 2.23g/100 ml. Alcohol 11.0%
The wine delivers sweet lime and peach character with subtle mineral notes.
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.
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.
Regulatory:      A.V.A. (American viticultural Association) Sonoma
                         A.V.A. Columbia Valley
                         DOC Argentino


Restaurant address: 
612 E Bloomingdale Ave.
 Brandon, FL 33511   
(SEE GOOGLE MAP)    
                                               
Cross streets:
S. Bryan Road & Bell shoals Road

Contact Information:
Maître d, reservations
813.655.9561
Website:
Email:
Online Reservations :
Social media:
                       

Hours:
Dinner:
Monday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Tuesday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Wednesday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Thursday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Friday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Saturday
4:00 - 10:00 pm
Sunday
4:00 - 9:00 pm
Eastern Standard Time (GMT -5:00)

Proprietor / Manager:
Mark Norman



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Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE) in Jordan













"Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."

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