Stonewood Grill and Tavern, the upscale American restaurant establishment founded in Ormond Beach, FL, recently underwent some changes including the recruitment of a new CEO, former Ruth’s Chris Steak House President and Chief Operating Officer Geoffrey D.K. Stiles (Here is an interview from the Orlando Sentinel with CEO Stiles by Sandra Pedicini).

Some of the new changes to Stonewood Grill include:

New Menu
Recently, Stonewood Grill unveiled a new menu based on months of studying guests’ eating habits. The newly streamlined menu includes tried-and-true customer favorites and fresh additions, such as the new ribeye steak and a dessert called Florida Orange Cake.

New Bar Menu
Always trying to evolve in response to feedback, Stonewood Grill and Tavern is preparing to launch a new menu for its bar so bar guests can access lighter fare when gathering after work for drinks.

Wine Enhancements
Another exciting offering at Stonewood Grill is its two-for-one happy hour pricing on wine. Its diverse wine selection includes 27 brands available by the glass and 58 brands available by the bottle.

They have three locations in the Orlando area including Dr Phillips, Heathrow/Lake Mary, and Winter Springs.

For starters, I would recommend an order of the blue cheese chips, homemade potato chips drizzled with blue cheese aioli, lightly baked and served with blue cheese crumbles and topped off with a balsamic reduction. A delicious appetizer that was finished to the last bite. The buffalo shrimp, drizzled with buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbles, were also delightful and fresh to taste.

One of the big changes at Stonewood Grill is the addition of the new 12 oz. Oak Grilled Ribeye steak, a tender, flavorful, juicy cut of steak grilled using oak wood chips. It was skillfully done, cooked to perfection. I did wish my spinach and rice pilaf sides had a bit more flavor; though I am sure they are working on that. The herb encrusted grouper, part of the seafood selection at Stonewood Grill,  was thick and meaty with a texture reminiscent of crabmeat, very tasty and luscious.

For dessert, we ordered the signature chocolate bread pudding, made in house at Stonewood grill topped with Haagen Daz ice cream. More like a hybrid of chocolate cake and bread pudding, it was sweet, comforting and moist to the taste.

Overall, my visit to Stonewood Grill was truly a delight thanks to the professional staff and awesome preparations by the chef. I will definitely try to come back especially for the happy hour specials and also to hopefully try their famous burgers one day.

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