Ginger Lime Salmon At Stonewood Grill & Tavern

WellingtonTable

Wellington The Magazine-August 2016

Ginger Lime Salmon At Stonewood Grill & Tavern

Story and Photos by Julie Unger

Wellington’s Stonewood Grill & Tavern may be part of a larger chain, but it’s run like a local restaurant, where customers are honored guests, and the staff accommodates them with dishes made to order.

Executive Chef Khaliah Morris’s favorite dish, Ginger Lime Salmon, was once dropped from the menu, but now it is back, with a bright shining spotlight to let guests know that it is one of Stonewood’s signature dishes.

On the menu, multiple items are emphasized with a box, denoting them as some of the most popular favorites. The Ginger Lime Salmon is one such item, and Morris calls it a must-try.

“It’s served on a bed of Asian vegetables, or Asian slaw really — zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers and onions tossed in a sesame ginger dressing. It’s served with a ginger lime sauce,” Morris explained. “The salmon itself is marinated in a ginger lime marinade. It has a little citrus, has some honey. The base of it is pretty much soy and citrus. It is marinated for up to eight hours, then we grill it, and we garnish it with a little bit more of that ginger lime marinade and cilantro sprigs.”

From start to finish, the Ginger Lime Salmon is made in house, with fresh Atlantic salmon.

“It goes really, really well with the marinade,” Morris said. “It’s really subtle. It’s very light. Especially since it’s so hot outside, I think it’s a great summer dish. It’s not a heavy meal… Especially during summer, it’s just something light, refreshing and not too heavy.”

The flavor profiles blend together to provide a unique dish that may seem unassuming, but is quite special. It truly is one of her personal favorites, not only to make, but to eat herself.

“It’s probably, in my opinion, a sleeper hit,” Morris said. “People are hesitant to try it, because there is a little bit of crushed red pepper in it, but once they try the dish, every time they come back, time after time, I’ll do a table visit and I’ll hear, ‘That’s my favorite dish on the menu.’”

Morris should know — she has worked at Stonewood for almost nine years in multiple capacities, including as chef for about seven years.

General Manager Craig Conerly has been with the company for six years and thoroughly enjoys being able to bring a unique experience to those visiting Stonewood.

“We treat every guest who comes in like they’re family. That’s what makes us special,” he said. “When a guest wants something that’s not on the menu, or something a little different, we tell them, ‘Yes, no problem, we’ll take care of that.’”

Though Stonewood is corporate-run, the individual restaurant leaders are empowered to take care of the guests.

“It’s not just a place to eat food; it’s a dining experience,” Conerly said. “From the minute they walk in the door, the ambiance, the nice dark woods, the lights, the music, it all plays a role in the whole experience. And, of course, the food that Khaliah puts out is just the icing on the cake, so to speak.”

There is a family ambiance with many regulars coming in weekly, and some almost daily.

The menu boasts meat and fish, along with plenty of other options to suit all types of palates. Fresh, tasty food is on a menu large enough to be comprehensive but not so large that it is overwhelming.

Stonewood is primarily a steak and seafood place, Conerly said, but they feature other dishes, such as the Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon, Roasted Beet Salad, Oak Grilled Cheeseburger, Emerald Bay Crab Cakes and more.

And just about anything can be altered. Gluten-free? The menu denotes meals that can easily be altered. Don’t like a certain vegetable? They can switch it out. One of the benefits to everything being made fresh is that there is a sense of creativity that is able to accommodate any taste while still providing the Stonewood experience.

Opening every day at 4 p.m., Stonewood isn’t somewhere to just pop in for a quick meal. It is a place to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience.

“Make it memorable” is a saying at Stonewood, Conerly said, where they want the dining experience to be something guests look forward to.

Stonewood Grill & Tavern is located at 10120 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Pointe at Wellington Green. For more information, visit www.stonewoodgrill.com or call (561) 784-9796.

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