December 23
Weekend Kitchen Warriors
Every Sunday you get a local chef’s recipe and a cookbook review.
Creamy crab
“Chef Justin” at Island Bar & Grill in Pawleys Island gives us the recipe for the restaurant's Crab and Cream Cheese Bites. Check it out HERE.
“The Young Man & the Sea"
I brought back an expanded review of one of my favorite new cookbooks of 2007, and added a new recipe from it for Rigatoni with Tuna Bolognese. You can read it HERE.
December 22
DHEC Restaurant Health Inspection scores
December 21
Closed on 501
Desperado’s, a Western-theme restaurant that opened about 8 or so years ago out on U.S. 501 across from the Tanger Outlet, closed its doors for good last week.
We will miss their Flintstone-size ribs and juicy steaks.
New Web site
Pizzeli’s Italian Oven up in Little River now has its own Web site at http://www.pizzelis.com. You can check out their entire menu and see photos!
What to tip?
Kyle Conder wrote in to ask, “What would you tip if you are picking up your food from a restaurant? [For] example Carrabas, Outback, or Chilis Curbside - What would be appropriate or is there a need for a tip? I have been curious about this for a while. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.”
That’s a great question, Kyle, and we didn’t know the answer, so we called up some restaurants that offer curbside carry-out and asked them.
At the Chili’s at 4401 N. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, they said 15 percent is customary.
Ruby Tuesday staff at 101 N. Strand Parkway in Myrtle Beach (near the intersection of S.C. 544 and U.S. 17 Bypass) reports that around 10 percent is a good, above-average tip for curbside pickup.
Folks at the Outback Steakhouse at 70th Avenue North in Myrtle Beach say they average 15 to 20 percent tips for packaging and delivering curbside orders.
At Applebee’s at 7915 N. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, they consider 10 to 15 percent to be a great curbside tip.
And while the Bob Evans at 175 Brookton Circle in Myrtle Beach does not have curbside service, they do have a special take-out entrance. That staff says their customary tip is about 10 percent.
December 20
Eclectic American
Bruce Albanese says the restaurant’s name should probably be Island Grill and Bar instead of Island Bar and Grill.
But since Bruce, Anthony Caywood and Brandon and Cynthia Bushaw also own another Island Bar and Grill in the Surfside Beach area that actually is more bar than grill, they’re leaving the name alone.
And actually, while the Pawleys Island location does have a more ambitious menu than the Surfside spot, it’s still a great bar. The building it’s in at the Village Shops, a pretty little shopping center just north of the Hammock Shops in Pawleys Island, is an attractive two-story structure with lots of charm, sunlight and great views of the live oak trees surrounding it.
Upstairs there is a strong sports bar theme going on with 16 flat screen televisions, a pool table, darts, a couple of sports-theme video games and a Touch Tunes juke box. Downstairs are six flat screen TVs, a bar and pleasant dining tables looking out on the deck and a yard where folks can play horseshoes and other grassy games. The deck has more seats than the indoor dining room, and in nice weather is the preferred place to enjoy a meal in the fresh air. There’s also a covered stage outside with two more flatscreens, and satellite radio plays variety of music, with rock ‘n’ roll a predominant theme.
The menu is, Bruce says, is “A good eclectic mix of American cuisine at a good value.”
There’s finger food like Crab and Cream Cheese Bites (come back to this site on Sunday for the recipe); Island Fries topped with chili and cheese and served with Ranch dressing; Fried Calamari; Barbecue Chicken Baguettes; and Caribbean Spring Rolls. Appetizers are half-price from 4-7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and during that same time wings are 35 cents and there are drink specials.
You can definitely get a chicken wing craving fixed up here with any of the 21 wing flavors, or order one of the dips like Crab Dip or Spinach and Artichoke to share and nosh on while you enjoy a cocktail.
There are salads and quesadillas, subs and wraps, burgers (On Saturdays burgers are $3) and chicken sandwiches, and entrees like Alfredo Pasta, Homemade Meatloaf and Open Faced Steak Sandwich.
If you’re having a working lunch or just don’t feel like getting out, you can have the food delivered between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, with a $10 minimum order.
Sundays and Mondays Island Bar & Grill is a fine place to catch football action, and on Tuesdays you can play trivia for prizes. Friday nights there is live music from a variety of local performers like realtor Don Thomas and his group called Fourclosures, Psych Ward, The Regime and Nevereverville.
On New Year’s Eve DJ Wicked will keep the atmosphere lively, and complimentary finger food will be served.
On Super Bowl Sunday, which is Feb. 3, Island Bar & Grill is having a charity golf tournament at Caledonia Golf Club to benefit the Humane Societies of Horry and Georgetown counties. The Captain’s Choice tournament has a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m., and the $80 entry fee includes golf, beer, prizes, food, a raffle and a post-tournament Super Bowl party.
Registration deadline is Jan. 15; you can sign up by calling Robbie at 235-3399, which is the main phone number for Island Bar & Grill.
December 19
Brooklyn in Pawleys
“You like chicken salad? Here, taste this!”
“You like shrimp salad? You gotta taste this!”
And once again Steven “Sketch” Kristiansen snares another devoted customer. All he has to do is get them to taste.
He started in the business at age 5, he says, sweeping floors for a quarter a day in his family’s deli in Brooklyn, New York. Sketch liked the business, went to Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, Rhode Island, to learn more, and then snagged a job baking for the King of Norway for four years. But now he is out of Copenhagen, away from Brooklyn, finished with Rhode Island. These days the chef is a Southern boy with a Brooklyn accent, and for two years has owned The Village Deli, which is in the Village Shops in Pawleys Island.
Visitors and locals pack the place in season, and easily keep it afloat in the winter. This is where you can get mile-high sandwiches piled with first-cut corned beef brisket, pastrami, roast beef and turkey served on fresh bread Sketch bakes himself. His meatballs are juicy and have a pleasant spicy zing; there are several salads like Greek or Oriental Chicken; you can pick one of Sketch’s wraps or create your own; and he or his staff will be happy to grill you up a Shrimp Philly, Oriental Chicken Philly, Village Reuben; or a good old Jersey Italian Sausage, Pepper and Onion Sandwich.
He also bakes bagels, including a tempting Cinnamon/Raisin Bagel topped with cinnamon sugar. Other breakfast items include a Classic Breakfast Roll on a Kaiser; a Jersey Breakfast Roll with Taylor Ham; Blueberry or Banana Nut Muffins; and a Breakfast Burrito.
Sketch also has great desserts like Apple Crumbly Pie, “World Famous” Cheesecake and a dense volcanic chocolate dream called Vesuvius, plus specialty coffees to go with them.
And as for that chicken salad? It’s slightly sweet and has a terrific flavor we can’t pin down. (Sketch ain’t talkin’!) The shrimp salad has a refreshingly light dressing and features medium-size shrimp instead of the miniscule shrimp common in many versions, and the macaroni salad doesn’t have a speck of mayonnaise.
If you need a little extra something to round out your holiday menus, you can pick up deli salads, Caprese, Chopped Chicken Liver and Smoked Whitefish Salad by the pound, along with deli meats and cheeses.
Village Cafe faces Ocean Highway, and it’s just south of the Hammock Shops. The pleasant little shop’s front room is where you order, and there’s a cheerful, airy and homey little dining room off to the side. The wide porch has more tables where you can dine al fresco.
The eatery is open for breakfast and lunch until 3 p.m., and the number is 235-0333.
Quaint and quirky
In a quaint town full of quirky historic buildings, Fats at the Warehouse rates high on Conway’s list of interesting commercial architecture. It is indeed a former warehouse, but now the roomy space is home to two levels of dining and entertainment, plus a back deck.
Downstairs near the front door is a pool table, and at the moment there are also a Christmas tree and a Toys for Tots deposit box. Go up a ramp or a brief set of stairs and you’re on the main level where there’s a bar, a dining area, more pool tables, a juke box and a stage where there’s often live music. You’ll notice a definite patriotic bent to the décor; the owners are proud U.S. Marine parents.
Upon first glance it would be easy to assume the only food served here would be wings, cheese sticks and, if you were lucky, a decent burger. And yes indeed, owners Paul and Nora Sanders do serve those items, and have been serving them in Conway for almost 20 years. The burger is more than just decent, though. It’s a juicy hand-patted delight.
While the menu is compact, it holds a few surprises. There are homemade crabcakes that Nora says are made using a handed-down family recipe, and she’ll point out they are “a lot more crab than cake.” They also have Grilled Mahi-Mahi, a grilled or fried Jumbo Shrimp Dinner, Ribeye Steak, a Triple Decker Club Basket and Marinated Chicken. The onion rings are large and tasty, and the fries, called Fats Fries, are hand-cut and served in gracious-plenty portions.
There’s also a special late-night menu served after 10 p.m. that includes Fried Okra “Rangs” and Fat’s Fried Egg Sandwich.
Fats at the Warehouse is at 104-A Laurel St. beside the traffic rotary and the railroad tracks, and the number is 248-FATS (3287).
December 18
For non-smokers
Socastee Station has a new big room just for non-smokers. The staff reports the room is extremely popular with non-smoking customers and with people who want to book private rooms for club meetings and parties.Socastee Station is at 4504 Socastee Blvd., and the number is 293-2937.
Promotion
Mike McKinnon, executive chef at Litchfield Plantation’s Carriage House Club, has promoted David Yeltin to Sous-Chef. The December issue of Coastal Business Life Magazine contains an article about this ambitious team.
Giving good luck
Kelly Graham, chef/proprietor at SeaBlue in North Myrtle Beach, says her romantic restaurant is known as a place to enjoy a relaxing dinner before heading out to New Year’s Eve parties. She and Chef Bryan Bodle have specials planned for New Year’s Eve that will also be featured on Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th.
Note that one of the dishes features black-eyed peas and collards, which are traditional Southern New Year’s good luck foods.
Those specials are:
Roasted Bell Pepper Risotto with fricassee of fava beans, pearl onion and baby carrots.
Blue Point Oysters with domestic caviar, petite herb salad and chive oil.
Lobster Bisque with brandied cream and tarragon.
Salad of Roasted Beets with watercress, Cabrales blue cheese, candied walnuts and balsamic gastrique.
Half Smoked Halibut with toasted sweet potato cornbread, collards and black-eyed peas.
Turf n Surf for Two with New York Strip, lobster potato puree, snap peas, baby bok choy and cabernet reduction.
Pear Tart Tatin with spiced rum raisin ice cream.
December 17
Boulavsky’s Bistro
Okay, so the real name of the restaurant isn’t Boulavsky’s Bistro; it’s Boulavsky’s Grill. But if the name grill conjures up for you, as it does for me, images of hoagies, burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches, then do what I do. I just changed the name in my mind to Boulavsky’s Bistro, because that’s what it is to me.
Whatever you call it, Greg and Elaine Boulavsky have created a stylish-yet-homey and home-style-yet-gourmet little eatery out at Carolina Forest in the Kroger/Carolina Forest Plaza shopping center.
I say stylish because the décor and amenities show someone in the family has flair. It’s homey due to personal little touches that add a neighborly feeling, like a children’s Christmas ornament contest and an angel tree. Some booths have checker boards waiting to be played, and some tables have inspiring mottoes written on them. There’s even a notebook full of names and phone numbers of people who have favorite soups and specials, and when Greg makes his House Meatloaf or Cream of Crab Soup, a staff member rings them up.
And while you can get an excellent burger or a memorable sub, there’s just so much more to the menu.
There are Corn Fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar, Warm Crab Dip with jalapenos and a locally well-known Chicken Salad with celery, walnuts, grapes, honey and poppy seed dressing. The Fish Po’ Boy featured lightly breaded cod, and since the Boulavskys are from Maryland their Crab Balls and Crab Cakes are deftly flavored and overstuffed with lump crab meat.
It isn’t just vegetarians who enjoy the Hot Veggie Sandwich with melted Provolone, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, black olives, carrots, balsamic vinegar and Ranch dressing. Lunchtime seafood platters include treats like Blackened Grouper topped with crab meat and served with either hand-cut fries, homemade chips, cole slaw, cucumber salad, pasta salad, potato salad or fruit salad.
Then there’s dinner! Greg worked for several years at a Carraba’s, so there are many Italian specialties like Salmon and Penne Pasta in a Rose Cream Sauce; Vegetable Primavara; and the wonderful Chicken and Shrimp Penne with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and bell peppers in an extravagant roasted garlic cream sauce.
There are also many seafood entrees like Crab-stuffed Salmon, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp and “The Ultimate Seafood Platter” with crabcake, shrimp, fish and scallops, or “Ultimate Crab” that’s an extraordinary crab casserole with caper sauce. You can also get pork chops, steaks, Smothered Chicken and Chicken Boulav.
But all that is for when you dine in the restaurant. The Boulavskys have an incredibly lengthy take-out and delivery menu (for delivery there’s a $25 minimum plus 15 percent gratuity), and a catering menu! Next time you have a party, the Boulavskys can hook you right up with a 6-foot Italian sub for $85; 50 Mini Blackened Chicken Sandwiches for $70; or enough Chicken Bog to feed 20 people for $55.
Boulavsky’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. The number is 236-7772.
Free wine
Relax before you go home or head to the mall from 5-7 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, Dec. 18, at a free wine tasting at Croissants Bakery & Café. Croissants is at the intersection of 38th Avenue North and Robert M. Grissom Parkway, in the Beach First Bank Building. The number is 448-2253.
Menu Memories
We’re going to cover two files this week: K and L. So long to the following restaurants:
Keystone Café, 1698 U.S. 17 N., Little River. What sticks out in my mind about this place is all the pennies dated 1999 and 2000 that were laminated under the bar top. Mike and Sue Duke owned it, and they were originally from New York and Pennsylvania (the Keystone State).
Little Italy Dessert Co., S.C. 707, Socastee. My buddy Chef Louie Gelormini was the baker/workaday partner, and Chef Sal DePalma was the mentoring partner. Louie made wonderful cookies, cheesecakes, pies, breads and lunches, and I miss his shop very very very much. In non-restaurant news, Louie became a Daddy this year!
The Living Room Coffee Bar & Used Books, 38th Avenue North at U.S. 17 Bypass, Myrtle Beach. Colin Burch, formerly of The Sun News, opened this popular spot. He and his wife, Kristi, sold it, and after a while it closed for good.
Longhorn, 7604 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, was one of the oldest continuously operated restaurants in town, and it was the flagship restaurant of the Divine Dining Group. It specialized in steaks and had a premium salad bar. The building is still a Divine Dining Group restaurant – now it’s City Bar.
December 16
Weekend Kitchen Warriors
Every Sunday you get a local chef’s recipe and a cookbook review. This week you also get an addition to our Foodie Gift Guide…only 15 days left until Christmas!
Blackened tuna
Chef Randy Herndon at The Gator in Socastee was writing a new menu when I stopped to say hello on Dec. 13. He shared with us his method for blackening seafood.
Journey to Italy
This week’s cookbook review is about an extra-special masterpiece called “The Painter, the Cook and the Art of Cucina.” Find out why it’s so unique, and get a recipe for Gnocchi di Patate con Zucchero e Canella, or, as we like to call it around here, Potato Dumplings with Sugar and Cinnamon.
Top Ten
Still have a few more gifts to buy? It isn’t too late to order on-line or by phone, so here are our Top Ten Week-Before-Christmas Foodie Gift Ideas.
10. A cheesecake from Paige Price at Priceless Desserts. Call ahead to order at 1-800-920-CAKE (2253). They will even ship it!
9. A 2008 festival membership at La Belle Amie Vineyard in Little River.
8. This one is super-easy – just pick up one of the prepared gourmet gift baskets at Your Cup Runneth Over in Surfside Beach.
7. Crystallite Café in Surfside Beach specializes in gift baskets full of freshly baked treats.
6. A jar of cherry preserves from Kudzu Bakery in Litchfield or Georgetown, with a fresh loaf of bread. Or maybe a chunk of locally made Robinson’s Finest Applewood Smoked Cheddar, which is also available at Kudzu.
5. Some fresh tomatoes, a chunk of homemade mozzarella from Ciao! Italian Restaurant in Myrtle Beach, a bottle of premium olive oil and a bottle of balsamic syrup or balsamic vinegar. These are the ingredients for Caprese, a delicious and healthy appetizer.
4. A loaf of Italian bread from Toffino’s Bakery in Myrtle Beach in a basket with pasta, a jar of marinara and a piece of one the fine hard cheeses recommended by our columnist, The Cheese Dude.
3. A gift certificate from any independent locally owned restaurant. (For every $100 in gift certificates you buy at SeaBlue in North Myrtle Beach, you get a $20 gift certificate for yourself!)
2. A basket of Cranberry Streusel bagels from Benjamin’s Bakery. A hearty and healthy breakfast this time of year is much appreciated!
And our No. 1 last-minute foodie gift idea is:
1. A tray of cookies from Croissants Bakery in Myrtle Beach. You get a nice assortment, and they are honest-to-goodness homemade cookies. No one has to know they weren’t made in your home.
December 15
DHEC Restaurant Inspections
Please see our restaurant inspection archives
December 14
On the move
Miguel Lopez has left City Cafe in Myrtle Beach, where he was executive chef. When we hear where he finds a new position, we'll let you know.
Incredible crust
I’ve never eaten pizza in New York, but Big Apple transplants are saying a Carolina Forest restaurant has the best authentic New York Pizza crust in town.
Junior’s Pizzeria & Pub, which is in the Piggly Wiggly/Forest Square shopping center at Carolina Forest, is most known for its pizza. One of the partners, Glen Frommater (the others are Chuck Pedersen and Roland Sciotto), told me they make their dough twice a day.
The dough is then hand-tossed when orders are placed, and the pies are baked in brick ovens. The result is a thin and crispy crust with a delightfully flaky crunch. There are several specialty pizzas like The Manhattan with bacon, meatballs, sausage, ham and pepperoni; and Junior’s White Pie with ricotta, garlic, oil, mozzarella and one topping. You can also get single slices, and some of their especially unique toppings include broccoli, eggplant, fresh basil, salami, jalapenos and roasted red peppers.
During Happy Hour, which is actually three hours, from 4-7 p.m., slices cost $1 and wings are 15 cents apiece. In addition to wings there are appetizers like Broccoli Cheese Puffs, Fried Calamari, Mozzarella Caprese, Shrimp Cocktail, Garlic Cheese Bread and Fried Ravioli.
You can get a nice salad, from antipasto to Caesar with shrimp; a hot sub like Sausage, Onion and Pepper Parmigiana or a cold Italian Combo sub; Calzones; and Stromboli. There are more than a dozen pasta choices such as Lasagna, Sausage Palermo and Stuffed Shrimp Parmigiana, and you can also choose to create your own pasta from a variety of pasta shapes, sauces and toppings.
Pasta dishes are available in lunch-size portions until 4 p.m., and there are nightly steak and veal specials. For dessert there are cannoli, tiramisu and bags of zeppollis.
Glen says they aim to be a neighborhood restaurant, and that they stay busy delivering pizzas within the Carolina Forest community. You can place your order (there’s a $15 delivery minimum) by calling 903-7499.
Come back Monday and I’ll tell you about Boulavsky’s Grill, which is on the Kroger side of the street out at Carolina Forest. The restaurant’s name may make you think about gyros and subs, but this is a full-service gourmet restaurant with family restaurant prices!
Some open, some closed
A few more listings for our holiday schedule list include:
Captain John’s Seafood Grill, 13057 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, 235-9300, will close at 2 p.m. Christmas Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The Gator, Socastee Boulevard, in Socastee Plaza, Myrtle Beach, 294-2178, will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
La Hacienda, Braves Village at the intersection of S.C. 707 and Dick Pond Road, Socastee, 650-3588, will be open Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day.
Peppers Philly Steaks & Hoagies, 4488 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach, 294-3354, will be open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day.
Pizzadelphia, Board Walk shopping center at the intersection of S.C. 544 and Dick Pond Road, Socastee, 293-5444, will close at 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, and will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Christmas Day.
Socastee Station, 4504 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach, 293-2937, will be closed Dec. 23 for a private party, open Christmas Eve until 6 p.m. and closed Christmas Day.
Toffino’s Italian Bakery & Deli, 880 Farrow Parkway, on the former Air Base, Myrtle Beach, 477-1598, will be open until 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and then will be closed through Jan. 2.
December 13
Smooth move
Litchfield Coffee House has moved a little ways down Willbrook Road to the Mingo shopping and dining complex. It’s near Quigley’s Pint and Plate.
Blair Mathis is the owner, and he has been in the new spot for two weeks. He says his is a “true coffee house” where people can come tap his knowledge of fine coffees and enjoy live music. Even more important, he says, “People can come sit, drink coffee, discuss different topics and have real live human interaction.”
Blair has an impressive list of dozens of specialty coffee drinks, and he usually has five or so international coffees freshly brewed.
Litchfield Coffee House also has fruit smoothies, and they feature baked goods from Sweet Heaven, which is on Highmarket Street in Georgetown. In the pastry case was muffins, cookies, mini chocolate pecan pies, brownies, glazed pound cake, hand-dipped chocolate candies and chocolate-dipped cheesecake slices that look like Christmas trees.
A roomy stage is near the entrance, and Tuesday nights from six-ish to ten-ish there’s live blues music. A jazz night is in the works, and Blair hopes to also eventually have poetry readings. Several cozy furniture groupings and tables, and a splendid view of a lake and fountain make this a comfortable place to bring your laptop to take advantage of the Wi-Fi and meet other coffee-and-conversation lovers.
Litchfield Coffee House is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The number is 235-3510.
Get your Growler
Quigley’s Pint and Plate sells 64-ounce Growlers, which are jugs you can buy for $8 that are filled with proprieter/brewmaster Josh Quigley’s microbrews. You can bring them in for refills, and on Wednesdays the refill costs only $5.
Josh’s new holiday beer is Festive Ale, which is a nut brown ale with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon flavors.
Quigley’s also has a new menu item that’s a hot seller: Spicy Pimiento Cheese. It’s a blend of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, feta and goat cheeses, and chipotle pepper and pimientos. A special holiday dessert is a trio of pumpkin canolis, and the pumpkin filling is wonderfully light and fluffy.
The Plowman’s Platter is a fun-to-share appetizer; it has chunked-up cheeses, ham, turkey, sausage, hard-boiled egg, cherry peppers, apple wedges, a large soft pretzel and some tangy ale mustard for dipping.
The Fish and Chips are a favorite entrée along with the Fish Tacos and an excellent Vegan Burger that’s a house-made blend of mushrooms, wild rice and black-eyed peas.
There are also daily specials like the Chili Cheeseburger that was offered earlier this week.
Quigley’s is in Mingo off Willbrook Avenue in Litchfield, and the number is 237-7010.
Holiday schedules
We have a few more holiday schedules to report:
Collectors Café, 7726 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 449-9370, will be closed on Christmas Day, but will be open from 5-10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve with their regular menu. They’ll also be closed Jan. 1-13 for their annual staff vacations.
Country Diner, 9408 S.C. 707, just west of the intersection with Holmestown Road, Myrtle Beach, 215-6273, closing at 2:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and closed Christmas Day.
Flamingo Grill, 7050 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 449-5388, will be closed Dec. 16-27, and will be open on New Year’s Eve with their full menu.
Stefano’s Cucina Rustica, 2005 Oak Heart Road, off Carolina Forest Boulevard, 903-7238, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; open their regular hours on New Year’s Eve.
December 12
Feels like summer!
Decked halls
Thoroughbreds restaurant, one of the anchors of Myrtle Beach’s Restaurant Row, is known for its lavishly elegant Christmas decorations. This year is no exception, and below is a peek.
Thoroughbreds will be open Christmas Eve from 5-8 p.m., and closed Dec. 25-26.
California trippin’
The monthly wine dinner at City Bar Metropolitan Cuisine is taking diners to the sunny terraces of California’s Napa Valley. Chef Mark Ross will present the first dish at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, and the $70 meal will include:
Three Salads of Tuna Tartare with watercress and pineapple; a “BLT” with triple-cream brie; and Pommelo (an ancient grapefruit) with cilantro and wildflower honey crème fraiche.
*Paired with: Luna Freakout 2006 Pinot Grigio and Toka
Peekytoe Crab-stuffed Calamari with curried Fuji apple mousseline, Brussels sprouts, pancetta and chanterelles.
*St. Suprey Virtu 2005 Meritage
Poached Maine Lobster with Osetra Russian caviar, artichokes, roasted peppers and pine nuts.
*Flora Springs Barrel Fermented 2005 Chardonnay
Braised Short Rib of Harris Ranch Beef with sweet roasted onion and tomato confit, cauliflower puree and Yukon golden potato gnocchi in truffle glace
*Merryvale Starmont 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
“Chocolate and Peanut Butter.”
*Domaine Carneros Rose
You may call 449-7013 to make your reservation for this special holiday event.
What’s Hot and What’s Not
I love knowing inside scoops about what’s going on in the culinary world, and learning about industry trends is high on my “stuff I want to know” list. Recently The American Culinary Federation and Nation’s Restaurant News sent a survey to ACF members about foods and other dining trends they consider to be hot, passé or perennial favorites.
You can see the complete results HERE, but a few highlights include:
HOT items:
Bite-size desserts
Locally grown produce
Organic produce
Small plates/tapas
Specialty sandwiches
Craft/small batch/microbrew beer
Sustainable seafood
Grass-fed meats
Energy drink cocktails
Salts
PASSE items:
Low-carb dough
Chai
Guava
Papaya
Poached food
Aperitif/digestive
Cajun/Creole cuisine
Crepes
Low fat and nonfat sauces and dressings
Bulgar wheat
Perennial favorites:
Chocolate desserts
Fresh herbs
Tea
Red wine
Vodka
Seafood/shrimp appetizers
Olives
Lobster
Ice cream
Salmon
A couple of additional questions posed to the chefs include:
What is the hottest trend right now when it comes to culinary uses of alcohol?
Signature cocktails 25%
Deglazing/reductions/sauces 24%
Food-beer pairings & beer sommeliers 18%
Food-wine pairings & sommeliers 17%
Desserts 5%
Marinating 5%
Braising/stewing/steaming 3%
Grilling/barbecuing 2%
Other 1%
Which is the hottest trend in kitchen equipment right now?
Multi-purpose equipment 33%
Environmentally friendly equipment that saves water and/or energy 25%
Equipment that speeds up cooking or prep times 20%
Unique/unusual equipment 10%
Equipment that enhances food safety 7%
Equipment endorsed by celebrity chefs 4%
Other 2%
More inside info
Restaurant industry professionals are invited to sign up for Phillips Seafood’s Insider Newsletter. It gives “industry trends, menu musts, innovative recipes and the latest product news.” You can enroll at http://phillips.marriner.com/registration/.
December 11
Fuzzy warm Christmas Bear feelings
Each year Croissants Bakery & Cafe has special Saturday morning Breakfast with Santa events. The first one was Dec. 8, and two more are scheduled for Dec. 15 and 22. They start at 9:30 a.m. and cost $12 per person.
The breakfast is a buffet with French toast, quiche, bacon, sausage and lots and lots of Croissants' incredible baked goods. The price includes a special fuzzy teddy bear hand-delivered to each child by Santa, and plenty of one-on-one time with the Jolly Old Elf.
While you’re there, you can also pick up cookie trays and other delicious holiday treats. Also, from 5-7 p.m. today and on Tuesday, Dec. 18, you can visit Croissants for a free wine tasting and then select bottles for gift-giving.
Croissants Bakery and Café is at 3751 Robert M. Grissom Parkway, Myrtle Beach, in the Beach First National Bank building. The number is 448-2253, and they have a Web page at www.Croissants.net.
New Year Gala and Buffet
Litchfield Plantation’s Carriage House Club has a New Year’s Eve party and a New Year’s Day buffet planned.
The New Year’s Eve Gala starts at 8 p.m. and costs $155 per person, which includes tax and tips. Proper attire, including jackets and ties for men, is required.
The evening will feature:
*An open bar with cocktails, wine and Champagne before dinner.
*Canapes served butler-style in the Carriage House Club’s Living Room and Library.
*A six-course dinner (see menu below).
*Live music (swing, blues, top 40 and more).
*Party favors and Champagne toast at midnight.
The menu is:
Duck Consommé with Wild Mushroom Tortellini
*Baby Arugula and Heart of Palm Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
*Butter-Poached Lobster Tail with Truffle Mashed Potato and Chive Oil
*Lemon Sorbet Intermezzo
*Grilled Filet Mignon of Beef with Périgourdine Sauce, Crispy Parmesan Polenta and Herb Roasted Provençal Vegetables
*Flourless Chocolate Cake with Gran Marnier Crème Anglaise
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