Category: Featured Articles

Few holidays are as connected to luck (or, in many cases, the absence of it) as St. Patrick’s Day. While people gear up with the “luck of the Irish” or don their best green outfit to get their odds on their side, they may not realize that they face an entire gallery of luck and chance every day–in the form of their kitchen pantry!

Food has long been a source of superstitions–some we laugh at, others we swear by. In today’s blog, we will be taking a look at just a few of the many food-centric superstitions that have existed throughout history.

Garlic and vampires

For about as long as garlic has been used, it’s been tied to healing uses–so perhaps it comes as no surprise that literary and cultural heroes would use garlic to keep vampires away, too, as a sort of protective aid. Another possible explanation is less glamorous but a lot simpler–maybe the vampires’ innately great sense of smell makes garlic too overbearing for them?

One bad apple spoils the bunch

While this proverb may seem to have more real-world applications than kitchen uses, it actually does hold true for your favorite fruits. The apple is one fruit that releases ethylene as it ripens–while that natural, undetectable gas can help speed along the ripening process of nearby fruits (like bananas, for example), it can also lead to unwanted results when a not-so-perfect apple emits enough ethylene to push its neighboring apples over the perfectly-ripe edge.

Spilt salt

You may have been told not to cry over spilt milk–but is spilt salt another story? Some say that spilling this classic table seasoning is a sign of bad things to come because it was spilled by notorious figure Judas Iscariot in the painting, The Last Supper.

Bananas on board

Bananas make for a great morning snack as you prepare to spend the day outdoors–on the water, for example. But try to bring a banana on board, and many a seasoned captain will tell you to leave it on shore. Why is that? Bananas are said to lead to poor days of fishing or misfortune on the water–which might be explained by a bit of shipping history. Since ships transporting bananas were often in a rush to get the fruit to its destination (before spoiling), those ships were more likely to make dangerous maneuvers and face problems on the water.

While bringing a banana on board today probably won’t derail your day of fishing, it’s a risk many boaters are not willing to take.

You tell us–do you think there’s any truth to these unique superstitions, or do you leave kitchen rules to the cookbook? Let us know below!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair–but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise. Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

Bread and butter–the food pairing so fundamental that it’s how we refer to our very livelihoods. But what makes this such a perfect pre-meal treat, seen in restaurants across the country?

There’s more than one reason why we love this quintessential pairing! Take a look at today’s blog to find out.

The social treat

“To break bread” with someone–to enjoy their company over a meal–is a phrase that’s been used since the earliest times, to describe the Eucharist and the Last Supper. It evokes ideas of a friendly sharing of food, laughs, and stories at the dinner table, even to this day, and is a reminder of why we love dining out. It’s not just about the food we eat, but the people we eat with!

Making your bread and butter

“Bread and butter” has been used to describe the way one makes a living since the early 1700s–but why that specific pairing? Why do we say this instead of, say, “wine and cheese” or “chips and dip?”.

Those phrases may seem silly to us now–perhaps because nothing can beat the simple, foundational nature of bread and butter. We use this saying to describe our careers because just as we couldn’t get by without the basic necessity of a living, we couldn’t do dinner without something as simple (and dependable) as this classic pre-meal dish.

Simple satisfaction

As you can see, there are several historical and cultural reasons for choosing bread and butter at the dinner table–but for many, the answer is simple. It tastes good! Few things can quell your immediate hunger as you sit down and ponder what to order–and even if you don’t yet know what you’re in the mood to eat, you can count on this simple staple to hold you over and entice your palate until the main course.

As for us here at Stonewood? We prefer our bread with a fun twist, and include tasty treats like soft pretzel sticks before every meal. It’s our way to surprise your taste buds before you even know what to order!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair–but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise. Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

We here at Stonewood know that the recipe to a great night out is simple: add friends, a relaxing atmosphere, and plenty of delicious treats to enjoy along the way!

For a zesty way to kick off your night, a favorite from our cocktail menu is the classic whiskey sour–and if you think you know this drink, think again! Not only is it delicious, it’s a mix that’s rich in history, too.

Read on to learn more about how this cocktail classic, became a classic!

A sailor’s treat

Perhaps surprisingly for a cocktail, the whisky sour actually originated out of necessity–not luxury. Sailors on long, transatlantic journeys needed a way to get their nutrients and avoid the plight of scurvy, a disease all too familiar for sailors of that time period. One clever captain, Vice Admiral Edward Vernon, is credited with arriving at a solution for these sailors–mix citrus (like lemons and lime), which were rich in vitamin C, with liquor and then cap it all off with juice so as to prevent too strong a drink (which could lead to risky results on a ship full of rowdy sailors!).

The simple drink stuck even after the sailors returned from sea, and with time it was perfected in recipe books–the first of which being Jerry Thomas’ The Bartender’s Guide in 1862. Since then, it’s been a go-to drink and a staple of every bartender or at-home host’s repertoire.

How it’s prepared

What’s the secret to this frequently prepared drink? Simplicity. The recipe calls only for lemon juice and whiskey (often bourbon), with sugar to help balance out the drink’s inherent tanginess. Throughout the years, some have gotten creative by adding items like an egg white for what is commonly called a Boston sour, or honey and orange slices for a flavorful winter sour–but if you want a classic treat, you can never go wrong with those three initial ingredients!

The whiskey sour (and much, much more) are yours to enjoy on your night out at Stonewood Grill & Tavern. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair–but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise. Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers! 

This March, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re taking a moment to shed light on the heroes behind classic dishes, recipes, and the world of dining as we know it today. Take a look.

Julia Child

You’d be hard pressed to find a modern chef who hasn’t been inspired, in some way, by the work of Julia Child. But while the American chef may be known near universally for her talents in the kitchen, her culinary adventures began quite accidentally, as she was commissioned to create a shark repellent recipe that could be sprinkled into the water to keep sharks from interfering with underwater weapons during World War II.

An odd start? Absolutely–but Child’s work in the Office of Strategic Services during the war did lead her to move abroad, to France, with her husband. It was here that she discovered a passion for French cuisine, the same culinary style that she helped to popularize in America years later.

If not for Child and her pioneering spirit in creating French recipe cookbooks and media, where would we be today?

Cristeta Comerford

If you’ve ever wondered who keeps the President and his family fed, look no further than White House Chef Cristeta Comerford! As a Philippine native, Comerford worked her way up to acclaim as a chef during President Clinton’s administration, in 1995, and earning herself the top position of Executive Chef ten years later.

Comerford still holds the prestigious position, and is noted for being the first women ever to do so.

Dione Lucas

Speaking of firsts, a look at pioneering women in the culinary field would be incomplete without noting Dione Lucas–the first women ever to graduate from cooking school Le Cordon Bleu. She later worked to establish the school’s branch in London and New York, and made strides by appearing on television cooking shows as early as the 1940s. Like Julia Child, Lucas helped Americans develop a taste for French cuisine and likely even served as a source of inspiration for Child herself.

What would the culinary universe look like without these pioneers? We don’t want to know!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair–but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise. Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

Few can deny the rich decadence of chocolate—dark, milk, hot, cold, and just about any other way you can imagine.

But there’s good news for those with a sweet tooth—chocolate can actually be good for you, too! See the surprising science in today’s blog.

Hot cocoa and brain power

Hot cocoa is the quintessential winter treat—so it may come as a sweet surprise to learn that enjoying hot cocoa could be good for your brain, too!

In 2013, a Harvard Medical School study suggested such promising findings. Researchers discovered that seniors (with an average age of 73) who drank two cups of hot cocoa per day, for one month, actually had improved thinking and memory skills due to increased circulation to the brain.

One study may not be enough to draw conclusions on—but if this is the start of a positive trend, we’re excited to get on board!

Dark chocolate for heart happiness

We all want ways to keep our hearts healthy—and dark chocolate might be one of the tastiest ways to do it! In 2012, Cochrane Collaborations pored over 20 separate studies that supported the idea that dark chocolate, when consumed regularly, can help lower blood pressure. This is believed to be due to the flavanols (a type of antioxidant) found in dark chocolate—when those flavanols interact with the body, they help to ease blood vessel walls and promote healthier pressure and circulation. Who know there was so much going on every time you enjoyed a dark chocolate treat?

The feel-good food

One of the biggest benefits of chocolate consumption is that it makes you feel good! When you allow yourself the small but simple pleasure of a chocolate treat, you’re satisfying your sweet tooth and might be eliminating cravings for less healthy foods later on.

Looking for a chocolatey treat on your date night at Stonewood? We recommend trying our Chocolate Mint Crepe—a fusion of flavors you’ll be sure to love—, our decadent Chocolate Indulgence or even our Chocolate Bread Pudding for a fulfilling treat!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

If you have school-age children, you might already be expecting to receive a piece of macaroni art (or two) as a sweet handmade gift this Valentine’s Day.

We’ve come to expect the heartfelt, whimsical and perhaps a tad bit gluey designs as a rite of passage for school kids everywhere—but the macaroni art form isn’t confined to the educational system!

Read on in today’s blog to learn more about this unique artistic medium, as well as a few real-world displays of pasta-made masterpieces.

A modern creation

While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where or when macaroni art started, it’s safe to say that this kid-friendly art form has roots in modern times. This is because mass-produced macaroni (as well as other pastas) didn’t start until the late 19^th century, and didn’t truly catch on as a grocery store staple until decades later—for reference, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was born in 1937.

Since fresh pasta wouldn’t work with glued-down macaroni art creations (and with the careful work that goes into making fresh pasta, it’s hard to imagine they would want to, anyway!), it took the advent of dried, boxed pasta to lead to this whimsical art form.

Pasta art around the world

Pasta art doesn’t just happen in schools—it’s grown somewhat in popularity as a means of easy expression for thoughtful artists of every age. Some have taken their pasta passion to great heights—in 2008, for example, food artist Prudence Emma Staite used 10,000 individual pieces of pasta (from fusilli to lasagna) to recreate the Mona Lisa!

Tips for the home

Are you interested in creating a macaroni art work of your own? Here are a few key tips to keep in mind…

• Use glue sparingly. This tip holds true for art projects of every type! With macaroni art, it can be helpful to start light and see how well your pasta sticks to the paper or surface you’re working on. You can always dab on some more glue, but can’t necessarily wipe away excess glue gunk that’s already spilled onto the surface.
• Experiment with different kinds of pasta. If you ever made macaroni art in school, you probably already know that the favored pasta of choice is, indeed, elbows. But if you have other shapes on hand (like bowties, fusilli spirals, shells, and more), you can get creative and form more expressive pieces. Try it yourself!

You may not have a macaroni art bust, sculpture or true-to-life portrait hanging in your home—but when your child rushes in with a macaroni artwork made just for you, it’s impossible to feel like you’ve got anything less than world-class work! We hope that you enjoy making or receiving these fun, whimsical pieces all season long.

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

Are you geared up for the Super Bowl? The biggest day in football just so happens to be a big one for food lovers, too, as record amounts of our favorite foods are eaten on this day every year.

What is it about football, loud fans, and team spirit that makes us so hungry? It’s hard to say for sure—but in today’s blog, we will be taking a closer look at the surprising food facts behind this famous day of football.

Record-breaking wings

Simple and always sure to please, it’s no surprise that chicken wings are a favorite at many Super Bowl parties—but even knowing that, the sheer amount of wings eaten on Super Bowl Sunday is staggering! As a country, we eat a whopping 1.3 billion wings on this day—or, according to the National Chicken Council, seven percent of all the wings sold in a year.

Salty snacks we can’t get enough of

If your serving bowls are filled to the brim with chips, pretzels, and other salty treats this February, you’re definitely not alone. We eat more than 11 million pounds of chips on Super Bowl Sunday, as well as nearly four million pounds of popcorn.

America’s favorite dip

Few things go better with a fresh bag of chips than a rich, tasty guacamole—and America agrees, eating eight million pounds of the stuff on Super Bowl Sunday!

Takeout by the dozen

Even if you don’t prepare the meal yourself, your kitchen is probably stocked on Super Bowl Sunday thanks to the help of your favorite takeout spot. 48 million Americas enjoy takeout on this day, with a majority of those orders being—you guessed it—pizza.

Did any of these stats surprise you? Share your own Super Bowl menu picks with us below. Of course, if you prefer to fuel up before the big game, feel free to enjoy a dinner at Stonewood first!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

As the famous song goes, “everybody’s working for the weekend.” But we think the build up to the end of the workweek—Thursday nights in particular—are just as sweet!

Take a look at today’s blog to see why Thursdays are worth a special spot on your calendar.

The exciting buildup—and a chance to relax

On Monday and Tuesday (and maybe even Wednesday for those who are slow to adjust to the workweek), you’re probably missing the weekend—and wishing it would return a little sooner! But by the time Thursday rolls around, you’re able to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that a well-earned break is not far away. You can have some fun daydreaming about the reality of the weekend and all the things you’ll be able to do—nap, spend time with friends and family, catch up on a good book, and just about anything else! There’s something special about knowing how few hours stand between you and your weekend endeavors.

A day to look back

The recent advent of a popular social media trend—Throwback Thursday—is a fun way to turn an average day of the week into a special opportunity to look back. It’s your day to share fun photos, videos and memories with friends and family—from baby pictures to embarrassing (but ultimately cherished) photos of yesteryear.

Special deals on your favorite treats

Have you ever noticed that so many great weekend deals kick off on Thursday? Whether you’re shopping for a new car or basic deals at your local grocery store, Thursday is the day when you start to save. At Stonewood, we have a special deal of our own—Three Olives Thursday, where you can enjoy all of your favorite Three Olives drinks at just $5 each! It’s the best way to get your weekend off to the right start, before Friday even begins.

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

Today, it’s only customary to gift the ones you love with chocolates, candies, and other sweet treats on Valentine’s Day—but was it always this way?

Read on to learn more about the sweet history behind our favorite Valentine’s Day treats.

A saccharine holiday—without the sugar

The esteemed English author, Chaucer, wrote about the romanticism of Valentine’s Day as early as the 14^th century. People would exchange songs, roses, and sweet tidings—but there was a notable absence of traditional sweets, since sugar was seen as such a hot (and hard-to-attain) commodity, and a bit too extravagant for casual expressions of love. Those, as we now know today, would come later.

The beginning of traditional treats

The Industrial Revolution no doubt helped lead to the mass-produced candies and chocolates we know today. Another key change happened in 19^th century England, where chocolate manufacturer Cadbury took advantage of his country’s sweet obsession with Valentine’s Day. Because the company had very recently perfected its process, leading to a surplus of cocoa, they were able to get experimental and try new treats, like the novelty chocolates they began to sell in commemorative packages. The rest is history, and chocolates are still shared by the boxful every year!

Heart-shaped sayings

Another key Valentine’s Day candy, Sweethearts, also got its start in the 19^th century—but those sweet candy hearts were not originally made for Valentine’s Day at all! They were created to be shared at weddings, with sayings designed for the blushing bride. As they became popular among Valentine’s Day gift-givers everywhere, Necco, the parent company, decided to switch up some of the phrases to reflect the interests of a more modern crowd. That’s why you can receive a text-worthy phrase like “LOL” on your hearts this Valentine’s Day!

We here at Stonewood hope you have an extra special Valentine’s Day. If you’re dining with us for your big date, don’t forget to enjoy treats like our Chocolate Mint Crepe or Crème Brûlée!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!

Are you looking for ways to make your Valentine’s Day extra sweet? Stonewood Grill & Tavern—along with some of our favorite spots across the state—can help!

Take a look at today’s blog to see some of the best, most creative ways to spend your day with someone you love.

Enjoy a Valentine’s Day excursion

For every dinner-and-a-movie date, there’s a dozen equally exciting excursions waiting to be discovered. Here in Florida, we’re in a unique position to have access to an abundance of these trips—like visits to beautiful state parks like Alafia River State Park near Tampa, where you and your Valentine can get to know nature firsthand, through a hike, bike, or canoe ride around the park. It may not be conventional, but it’s one of the best ways to mark the day if you and your Valentine are outdoor enthusiasts.

Brunch by the beach

For a more serene Valentine’s Day outing, a trip to the beach for a picnic basket brunch or simply to soak up the sun works well—especially since in this state, you’re rarely more than a quick car drive away from the coast! Enjoy some time at the glamorous beaches of Palm Beach County, or the serene white-sand shores of Sarasota, to make your Valentine’s Day extra special.

Soak up local culture

For those whose perfect date involves a trip to the museum, why not use Valentine’s Day to get to know your local culture? Discover (or rediscover) your city as if for the first time by heading to a local museum or historical site. The Tampa Museum of Art promises a modern look at one-of-a-kind pieces, but smaller, local destinations (like The Casements in Ormond Beach) are just as worthy of a day trip.

Cap it off with a special dinner for two

No matter where your day takes you, you can count on Stonewood to provide the perfect menu for two and the ambiance you’ve grown to know and love. Unlike the rest of your Valentine’s Day, a dinner with us won’t take too much planning on your part—just make your reservations and get ready to enjoy a delicious meal with your loved one!

We hope that these ideas help you turn your Valentine’s Day date into an adventure you’ll both remember!

Make tonight extraordinary! Each of our 12 Stonewood locations has its own unique community flair—but they all commit to the same excellence in fine ingredients and kitchen expertise.  Find a Location and be sure to Sign Up for our E-Club for news and special offers!