Once our intrepid diners get to the food, though, the evening brightens. Stone Ashley's appetizer menu includes Fresh Maine Scallops. Reservations are highly recommended and patience is a virtue on busy nights. The wine list includes more than 600 wines, including nine pages of American red and selections from France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal.
Any restaurant can have a bad night.
It's how that night is handled that determines whether we think of a restaurant as a place worthy of a return visit. When the establishment is as pricey and promising as Stone Ashley, grandiose faux pas are hard to forgive. That's why a recent Friday night experience left such a bitter taste. Three flutes of complimentary champagne were quickly delivered to appease any possible frustrations with having to wait. Though the hostess was asked twice when we could expect to be seated, she flitted by several times without a report.