This sounds very much like Magic in the Shadows by Devon Monk, the third book in the Allie Beckstrom series.
The scene you recall happens in a high-class restaurant called "Gargoyle". She accidentally releases one of the animated gargoyles used for decoration, and it acquires a rudimentary intelligence and becomes her protector. The "size of a St Bernard", she names it "Stone".
Allie is a Hound, and as you recall detects magic via its scent. A motif of the story is that using magic causes you injury. In particular Allie's use of magic results in gaps in her memory, and her body being marked by tattoos. Her love interest is called Zayvion Jones. There is really too much going o in the series to summarise briefly, so I'll give the cover blurb:
Allison Beckstrom's magic has taken its toll on her, physically marking her and erasing her memories-including those of the man she supposedly loves. But lost memories aren't the only things preying on Allie's thoughts.
Her late father, the prominent businessman-and sorcerer-Daniel Beckstrom, has somehow channeled himself into her very mind. With the help of The Authority, a secret organization of magic users, she hopes to gain better control over her own abilities-and find a way to deal with her father...
