Stonewood Tavern's woodsy setting pairs well with its grilled fare

Stonewood Grill &Tavern provides a soothing antidote to whatever ails you. It's one of my favorite summer respites, a cool and refreshing place to chase away the heat and humidity. This time of year, after the frenzy of the holiday season, it's a great place to recharge flagging spirits.

The dining room, with its wealth of woods and stone accents, resembles a well-appointed mountain lodge, minus the snow bunnies and aprés-ski goingson, although the busy bar may well be the scene of liaisons that aren't obvious from the adjoining room.

Large, well-upholstered booths predominate in the dining room, with a few tables for those who prefer them and for larger parties.

Between the high-backed booths and half walls that divide the room into smaller sections, it feels as if you are dining in an intimate private club, rather than a chain restaurant (there are 17 Stonewoods, all but one in Florida). Lighting is subdued, but well placed, so that tables are illuminated, allowing customers to see both their menus and their plates without glare. Jazz plays softly in the background.

Stonewood's nightly special appetizer was a generous plate of mussels in a creamy garlic sauce that could well have served as an entrée. The brain trust behind this concept clearly understands that casual need not mean lacking in style or substance. The place looks nice, the servers are well schooled and the menu isn't all over the board, but does offer classics such as pot roast and chicken pot pie along with more creative dishes such as grilled asparagus and Brie salad as well as lobster ravioli with shrimp and scallops.

The wine list includes about 25 choices by the glass, from which we selected Francis Coppola Black Label Claret Cabernet Sauvignon and a Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc.

Stonewood's menu leans heavily toward oak-grilled fare, but branches out just enough to keep it interesting. For starters, we tried the oak-grilled shrimp and a nightly special of mussels in a creamy garlic sauce. A slightly smoky taste mingled nicely with the naturally sweet flavor of the shrimp, which were tender and moist. An avocado basil sauce was just right for dipping.

Shrimp gain a pleasant smoky flavor from oak grilling without drying out The mussels were exceptionally good, a large mound of them steamed in a Pernod broth then bathed in a light garlic cream sauce studded with bits of corn, bell pepper and onions. It came with two crisp triangles of bread, but I skipped them and used some of the warm sourdough that arrived shortly after our appetizers to sop up some of that delicious sauce.

My dining companion, who was in the mood for something simple and not too rich, selected the grilled grouper (it can also be blackened or "oscared," as the menu puts it, which means topped with asparagus, crab meat and Hollandaise

sauce). Like the shrimp appetizer, the grouper was properly grilled, lightly seasoned and still moist. He chose the garlic mashed potatoes, which were fluffy and just garlicky enough (other options include baked potato, fries and rice). Rounding out the plate was a colorful medley of fresh al dente

vegetables.

A rack of lamb chops that had been marinated in rosemary and garlic, grilled and topped with a Cabernet demiglace was attractively presented, with the chops cut apart and fanned about the plate around a mound of garlic mashed potatoes and tender asparagus spears.

KAREN FELDMAN/FLORIDA WEEKLY A rack of lamb is split into individual chops then plated with potatoes and steamed asparagus. We finished with a square of tiramisu, that ubiquitous Italian dessert consisting of ladyfingers, mascarpone cream and a bit of chocolate and coffee swirled into the mix. It was a serviceable version of the classic and ended the meal well.

I was impressed by the familiarity our server had with both the menu items and the specials. His description of the mussels perfectly matched what arrived at the table. That may not seem noteworthy except for the fact that I've had several recent experiences in which that wasn't the case. In one restaurant, I had no clue what the dish was after a server described it. And then there was the server who told us a dish was topped with bruschetta when he meant prosciutto. Whew!

No such problems at Stonewood, where I heard two other servers also describing menu items with a confidence that comes only from having tasted them and going over their preparation with the chef.

There was just one aspect of the service I'd change and that would be the server's propensity to address us as "guys." I realize this is a standard greeting among the under-30 set, and I've even caught myself using it on occasion, but it's out of place in an establishment that prides itself on its polished service. However, that's a minor transgression and one that can be forgiven when everything else about the meal went so well, including the pacing of the courses, which allowed us time to talk and enjoy our wine between dishes.

At a time when discretionary income is in relatively short supply, Stonewood delivers great value. Most of the entrees cost less than $20 and include both a vegetable and potato or rice. That's a good price even in a place that doesn't provide the level of service and attractive setting found at Stonewood.