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(Posted
8:30 a.m., May 17)
Exciting
new east end eatery has a lot to offer
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
East
end residents have a new culinary destination to call
their own with the recent opening of Stoneriver Dining
on Hwy. 174 near Rockland.
Billed
as a steak and seafood "haus" with European
flair, Stoneriver Dining offers a quality dining experience
in a stone mansion on the shores of the Ottawa River.
The restaurant is located just east of Canaan Road, about
a 10 minute drive from Place d'Orléans.
On
the night that I was there, the dining room was full and
the air was abuzz with a heightened level of anticipation.
For
starters, I ordered a bowl of seafood chowder which was
chock full of crab meat, scallops and the most amazing
melt-in-your-mourh mussels I've ever tasted.
My
dining companion and I then ordered the crab cakes and
the tenderloin tips. The crab cakes were cooked to perfection
and served with a sweet lemon aiola sauce that was to
die for.
The
tenderloin tips wrapped in bacon and served with sautéed
portobello and button mushrooms in a red wine au jus,
were equally impressive. Once again they were perfectly
cooked and the mushrooms were so tasty my friend asked
that they be served with his steak, which brings me to
the main course.
Choosing
our entrée turned out to be the most difficult
decision of the evening. The main menu features chicken
schnitzel served five different ways, grilled swordfish,
a beef stroganoff which I'm going back for next time,
and steak which is certified to be among the top eight
per cent of beef produced in North America.
I
ordered the Gasthaus rib eye, which was served with caramelized
leaks and onions in a red wine sauce and my friend ordered
the 8 oz. filet mignon. Both entrées were cooked
to medium rare perfection and they lived up to our expectations
in both tenderness and flavour.
Finally,
for desert, I ordered a slice of Blackforest cake, which
as you might expect from a restaurant with European flare,
was delicious.
The
service and atmosphere were both excellent and the view
of the Ottawa River with the sun setting in the distance
was resplendent. (Note to myself: Next time reserve a
table in the atrium.)
As
for the cost the starters range in price from $12 for
the crab cakes to $19 for the Kastell shrimp cocktail.
Entrees range in price from $24 for the Stonehaus schnitzel
to $40 for the 10oz filet mignon.
A
combo combining a 10oz sirloin steak, a lobster tail,
garden salad, desert of the day and coffee is only $60.
Other
specialties include the previously mentioned Stonehaus
stroganoff made from filet mignon, portobello mushrooms
and caramelized onions served in a rich gravy; rack of
lamb; Kastell Neptune, which consists of butterflied Kastell
shrimp topped with crab meat and served with a creamy
seafood sauce; and the Stoneriver salad made with baby
greens, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and artisan
cheese topped with a citrus dressing.
It's
been a long time since east end residents had a restaurant
of this quality to call their own. Stoneriver Dining offers
a perfect setting in which to celebrate that special occasion
whether it be an anniversary, birthday or engagement.
In fact, if there are any men out there thinking of popping
the question, you can't beat Stoneriver's flagstone terrace
as a potential location especially at sunset.
For
more information about Stoneriver Dining visit http://stoneriverdining.com.
(This
story was made possible thanks to their generous support
of our local business
partners.)
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