Stone's Throw Bistro

I had eaten once before at Stone's Throw Bistro and had a good meal. Then I sampled their food at Taste of Sanford but was not totally impressed--however, there were extenuating circumstances. So I was excited to go back and have another meal there, hoping for the best. I was not disappointed. 

My friend and I arrived at a Saturday night and were promptly greeted by a waitress. She said there would be a short wait while she got the hostess. A few minutes later, we were seated. There was live music (guitarist) and quite a crowd. It was a bit noisy. We asked for a bit more "out of the way" table and were seated towards the back, right near the kitchen. It was a good table. Still quite noisy at times, but I also got to see a lot of amazing food coming out. As a matter of fact, the chef/owner even popped his head out once to survey the goings on.

We had a very good meal here, no doubt. We started with a Shrimp and Grits appetizer. Three truly huge shrimp sat on a bed of bacon and pumpkin grits. The shrimp had a slight bit of pumpkin BBQ butter on them--not really a BBQ sauce as you normally think of it, but a good, savory flavor. The shrimp were just a bit overcooked. Not badly, but just a bit. It is hard to cook such large shrimp to perfection, especially if they are not butterflied (these were not). However, all the flavors of this dish were spot-on. The subtle pumpkin flavor in the grits gave a unique sweetness to the dish. Home run here.

We both had the Southwestern Soup, and it was delicious. Just a hint of sweet (probably some butternut squash, I'm guessing) and with a nice heat (spice) to it. Those were some good chiles in it. There was a mix of navy and red or kidney beans in it, and a nice creamy broth. Another home run for me and my friend, we both loved the soup.

I had a side salad. Mixed greens with fresh chopped tomatos and onion and a balsamic dill dressing. I notice their online menu lists goat cheese, but I did not spy any in my salad. No matter, the salad was delicious and the dressing wonderful. I licked that plate clean!

Bread. Well, we did have to ask for bread. And then ask again. Same as last time we were there. Our waitress said she could have it for us right away if we didn't mind unheated bread. We didn't though it makes me wonder, how difficult is it to pop a few rolls in the microwave for a few seconds. No matter, the bread came, we like it, it was delicious.

Now for the main course. I had the Sage-cruste Sport Fish. The fish was red snapper. My very first bit was a bit alarming, the bite of fish was a bit dry. But it was the very end of the fish portion, the thinnest part. Fortunately, my next bit and all succeeding bites were great and not at all dry. Whew! This dish was absolutely wonderful. A nice crispy breadcrumb and sage topping gave the moist, tender fish a wonderful flavor and aroma. It sat on a bed of butternut squash and bacon risotto, and was topped with a bit of sage butter. Also serverd were several slices of squash, slightly fried and delicious. There was not one thing about my entree that I did not like. It was simply wonderful, delicious, creative, and flavorful.

My friend had the Filet of Beef, a perfectly cooked medium filet of beef served with a potato and roased red pepper has and a bit of roated red pepper bearnaise. We was surprise to see no bernaise sauce on the plate when his meal arrived (the bearnaise was already drizzled over the hash), but when he asked our server, she promptly brought out a small container of the bearnaise. With sprigs of tarragon and chunks of roasted red peppers, it was delicious and my friend was satisfied. The hash and sauce were very good, but then there's the filet. I had a bite and I'll tell you, it was as tender and flavorful as any steak I've ever had anywhere, anytime. But my friends opinion? He said it was the best ever filet--ever! "Melt in your mouth" is how he described it, and it truly was outstanding. 

You may notice the fall theme of the meal. Butternut squash. Pumpkin. These flavors permeated the whole menu. If the small sampling of the fare that we had at Stone's Throw Bistro last night is indicative of the rest of the menu (and I'm guessing it is), then this is a truly outstanding place to eat. I have a hard and difficult decision to make because my favorite restaurant is less than a block away. If I eat here a few more times, I may have a new favorite, based on flavor.

We had an ice tea and three (!!) glasses of wine (wine tab alone was $25), and our total meal with tax came to $97. But that was with wine, appetizer, two soups, salad, and two entrees. Was it worth it? Yes, every last bite. I'll be sending my friends here from now on, a great little gem of a place in downtown Sanford. I highly recommend it!