February 29
Happy Leap Year Day!
One-day leap
Ronnie Simpson of Atlantic Discount Spirits in Garden City says he needs to reduce his inventory, so he is holding “a special wine sale” through 7 p.m. Saturday. During this time any case of wine ordered will receive a 15 percent discount. However, if the customer comes into the store and pays cash, the discount will be increased to 20 percent.
These discounts DO apply to items already on sale.
You can check out the inventory on-line HERE.
The store is located at 2901A U.S. 17 Business S., and the number is 357-6232.
Three-day leap
If you are a member of the Myrtle Beach Chapter of the American Culinary Federation and you attend the next regular monthly meeting, you might win $150!
At each monthly meeting, the names of all dues-paying current members are put in a basket, and one name is drawn. Every month $50 is added to an ante. If the member whose name drawn is not present at the meeting, the money rolls over to the next month.
This month the pot is up to $150.
The meeting is at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 3, at Fontinello’s, which is on U.S. 17 Bypass in Murrells Inlet. The speaker is Jeff Gore of J&J Butcher Shop.
If you are headed to Fontinello's from the south, it's on the right just north of where U.S. 17 Bypass and U.S. 17 Business split off from each other. It’s located in South Inlet Plaza.
If you are coming from the north, you'll go by TBones on the right, and then you'll see Fontinello's on the left. However, you have to go a short distance beyond Fontinello's and turn left on Morse Avenue, go one block and turn left on U.S. 17 Business, go one block and turn left on Horry Drive, and then South Inlet Plaza is on your right.
The phone number at Fontinello’s is 277-0960.
The ACF promotes culinary knowledge. Two new membership categories are:
The Culinarian category, which “includes line cooks, bakers, pastry cooks and other non-management culinarians with a minimum of six months of full-time employment. This level of membership is limited to five years. The goal is for the culinarian to pursue on-the-job training and gain the experience necessary to advance to the Professional Culinarian level.”
The other new category is Culinary Enthusiast. “This membership level is defined as being open to those not employed in the culinary industry, but who have a passion for the culinary arts. Member benefits include attending chapter events, discounted conference and convention registrations, ACF e-store special pricing, subscriptions to The National Culinary Review and The Culinary Insider e-newsletter, and a gift.”
Learn more by visiting www.acfchefs.org, and the local Myrtle Beach Chapter of the American Culinary Federation has a Web site at MyrtleBeachACF.com. Anyone interested in joining is welcome to attend a meeting.
12-day leap
Chef Miguel Lopez, formerly of City Café across from the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion site, has new partners and a new restaurant scheduled to open Wednesday, March 12.
David Hernandez and Alfredo Rosas join Chef Lopez in opening La Cabana at 670 U.S. 17 Business S. in Surfside Beach.
This building was most recently a Japanese restaurant called Sake Steak House & Sushi Bar. Before that it was Yokoso, and before that it was Ichiban.
The men plan to open as a “steak house with Mexican flavors,” Lopez says, adding that, “This [Mexican] concept is different.”
Diners will pay for entrees such as Porterhouse Steak, Prime Rib, Tilapia with Scallops and Salmon with Tamarind Chipotle Sauce, and then have a buffet of choices for their starch and vegetables. Choices will include a variety of special sauces including a steak sauce made with tequila, jalapenos and cheese.
La Cabana will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, and the menus will offer a variety of Mexican and American dishes. At breakfast, Chef Lopez says, customized omelets will be a specialty of the house as well as a breakfast buffet. Lunchtime favorites, he says, are sure to include enchiladas, tamales and quesadillas that can come with steak or chicken, and with a variety of sauces such as his homemade green mole.
The restaurant’s number is 839-1081.
49-day leap
It’s almost time for the food festival season to begin, and one of the most anticipated of the year is in the spring. Mark off April 18 and 19 on your calendar for Smoke on the Beach, an annual barbecue competition at Family Kingdom Amusement Park.
February 28
Chosen Children
The winner of the friendly culinary competition at the IFH Foodshow held Tuesday is Rayde Tompkins of Quality Sales and Marketing, which is based in Cornelius, N.C.
His winning dish is Ring of Kerry Rustic Casserole, and that recipe will be published here on Sunday.
Since Chef Tompkins received the most votes, $500 will be donated to his charity of choice, Chosen Children Ministries.
Can’t wait to go back
A friend and I visited Goober’s 52, which is near the intersection of U.S. 17 and S.C. 22, before it opened and were impressed by the décor and menu, and by the friendliness of owner David Parker. Then I tasted Goober’s food at two different charity events and was even more pleased.
But I hadn’t made it to the actual restaurant to dine until last week, when my co-workers and I had our semi-monthly staff meeting at Goober’s. And we were all impressed!
We shared an appetizer of Krab Dip. The dip was a generous helping of hot cream cheesy goodness, but we didn’t care for the pita chips that came with it. Too tough, we thought. No problem – Goober’s makes their own tortilla chips, and the manager brought us some. They were perfect with the dip – nice and crispy.
Our entrees were even more delicious. One associate tried Chicken Farfalle: “An applauding combination of grilled chicken, bacon, mushrooms, red onions bathed in an Asiago cream sauce. We serve it with bowtie pasta to catch all the drippings. Push it around on your fork with our hot garlic breads, but not until you try some of my special dressing on the house salad.”
She loved it, and had enough salad and pasta left over to take home for a second meal.
Another co-worker and I made a pact: She would order the Oyster Po’ Boy, and I would order the Lobster Reuben, and we’d swap half our sandwiches with each other.
But I couldn’t honor my end of the deal.
The Lobster Reuben was incredibly delicious, and I was digging into the second half when my companion asked if I forgot to share.
“Uh, yes,” I told her. “I forgot. That’s it, I forgot. So sorry.”
She’ll have to get her own Lobster Reuben next time. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
There’s no sauerkraut on this Reuben – just lots and lots of lobster coated in a creamy dressing and spices on toasted rye bread with Swiss cheese.
I’m going to Goobers again this week to meet friends for dinner, and I’m already agonizing over what to order. The Lobster Reuben again?
The Cuban Sandwich also looks good with shredded pork, salami, ham, Swiss and provolone cheeses, mango vinaigrette and pickle relish. I’m eager to try their She-Crab Soup and Baltimore Chowder, and their Scallops and Mushrooms pasta entrée looks awful darn tasty.Thank goodness I have a day or two to decide.
Goober’s 52 is at 9924 N. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, and the number is 839-2295.
Green beer and…bagels?
Why not green beer and bagels? But no matter what you drink with them, the green bagels that Benjamin’s Bakery is making for St. Patrick’s Day will be yummy. Because they’re from Benjamin’s.
Retail customers can buy them at Jacob’s Java at 810 Third Avenue S. in Surfside Beach. Wholesale buyers can call Benjamin’s at 477-1100 to place their orders for delivery.
Rescued window
The stained glass window in this photo is inside Cagney’s in Myrtle Beach. The building is full of antiques and pieces of the area’s architectural history.
One of the Cagney’s partners, Dino Thompson, says the window was, “made in 1911, [and] was rescued from the Red Springs, N.C., Baptist Church. They had the same minister from 1916 until 1974 when the church was demolished and rebuilt.”
Dino adds he has many customers who were baptized and married in the Red Springs Baptist Church, and when they dine with him they like to sit at the table in front of the window.
Cookbook donation
If you have Southern cookbooks you don’t mind donating to a charitable and educational cause, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum would love to have them to add to their library collection.
Museum Director Liz Williams has agreed to share duplicate copies of books with other worthy organizations in New Orleans, including Café Reconcile, a training program for young people in New Orleans to give them job skills for the culinary industry. Donated books will serve multiple purposes, but the books need be shipped only to one location:
Southern Food and Beverage Museum
1435 Jackson Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70130
February 27
Season for change
Bryan Bodle, executive chef at SeaBlue in North Myrtle Beach who has been with the popular restaurant since it opened in the summer of 2004, has resigned his position.
"We want nothing but wonderful things in his future," says Kelly Graham, SeaBlue Chef Proprietor.
Spring Menu
If you haven’t signed up for the Emi e-newsletters, I heartily endorse doing so. They’re well-written and funny, and I certainly can’t convey the message any better than the author, Emi partner Ben Cachila:
"Sometimes when my mother got into one of her 'ruts,' she was overcome with a sudden urge to rearrange everything in the house. She frantically moved the furniture back and forth in order to achieve optimal Feng Shui or environmental harmony in our home.
"Ideas like polarity, bagua and Qi (or Chi) went flying around the house until she found this peace she sought after. We always thought it ironic that finding environmental harmony meant that these frequent chaotic cycles of disharmony needed to coexist. The young boys in the house were privileged movers of heavy objects.
"Sometimes Mom would say, 'Your room is a mess!'
"'Yes Mom, but only by observing the messy room does an unmessy room materialize, for if it were always neat and organized, then a room by definition would always be neat and organized...'
"She never appreciated the wisecrackers of the house...
"Someone once warned me that there will come a day when you wake up and you realize that you have become your parents. In regards to being in a constant pursuit of optimal harmony, I am my mother. It can sometimes be mentally daunting, but it can also sometimes produce some interesting offerings in a restaurant.
"Last week, we decided to give the Emi menu a moderate overhaul. Unleash the dogs, expand on the stars. Everything on the menu trying earnestly to have a necessary place, everything trying hard be aligned with what the chefs are trying to achieve.
"So far, the new format has gained a good deal of approval. But we would like give our valued critics a chance to explore the new flavors that have recently developed in our kitchen - all in one sitting.
"This night, we plan to highlight tastes that we feel define the new menu and allow the Chefs to give background on these ideas and new format.
"We invite you to join us in this casual exploration, and be a part of the constant 'reinvention' that is our offerings."
When: Thursday, February 28th at 6 p.m.
Price: $28
Menu items to be tasted:
Wasabi Shrimp Cocktail with duo of Sauces
Panko Crusted Oysters
Ginger Brushed Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce
Soups
Coconut Shrimp with Apricot Chili Sauce
Salmon with Mandarin Orange Beurre Blanc
American Kobe Beef done three ways
Wok Seared Chili Prawns with Sake-Chili Butter Sauce
Pacific Rim Duck with Hoisin-Pineapple Sauce
Classic Pork Katsu
Foodshow
The annual Institution Food House Foodshow was yesterday at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, and as usual there was a lot going on. IFH is a Foodservice Distribution company; they sell a variety of foods and non-food products from many different sources to restaurants.
Of course the IFH employees were wearing their most hospitable smiles, but it’s easy to see genuine pride in their company is behind the grins. Several of them said they enjoy working for the family-owned company because it practices family values.
But if you’ve never been to a vendor food show such as this one or the ones that US Foodservice has, or if you simply couldn’t make it to this one, let me show you around.
Friendly competition
Six chefs – one from IFH, but the other five were from other companies – had culinary workstations in the middle of the show and were each cooking one or two dishes. Nearby was a voting station where you could vote for your favorite dish. The winning chef had $500 donated to their favorite charity.
I have all their recipes, so you can look forward to having them doled out on upcoming Sundays when we always give you great recipes. One of the most unusual, and tastiest, was from Certified Executive Pastry Chef Kimberly Brock-Brown of Food Fetish, a specialty food distribution business based in North Charleston. She made White Chocolate Grits Cakes with seasonal fruits and raspberry coulis.
Grits for dessert? Yes, it worked.
Chef Brian Palombo of McIntyreSales, a foodservice sales and marketing agency based in Charlotte, made Creamy Sesame Pasta and Vegetable Salad.
He talked about how the recipe was inspired by his mother’s “Must Go Salad.”
“That’s when everything in the refrigerator must go,” he said with a laugh, “so it went in the salad.”
Soup to nuts
Whatever a restaurant owner or manager might need was likely at this show.
There were companies specializing in seafood: one had only oysters, another clams and a third showed off glorious piles of lump crab meat. The country’s largest ostrich farm (Fossil Farms) was represented as was Cuisine Innovations, a company specializing in bite-size food like Bacon-wrapped Scallops and Seafood-stuffed Mushrooms.
Pepsi wasn’t on display at the Pepsico booth, but they did have Sun Chips, Tropicana juice, Quaker Oatmeal and Gatorade.
Jim Luttrells at the McCain Foods booth said the hottest new restaurant food item for 2008 is bite-size desserts, and he recommended serving them as skewers. The idea is to take bite-size Bananas Foster or Brownie Bites and slide them on skewers with strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe chunks, bananas, etc.
One of the prettiest displays was created by Jeff Lorey, Southeast Regional Manager for Innovative Concept. He sells Brill desserts, which is batter that comes in buckets. His display was full of the gorgeous baked goods that could be baked with the batter.
Campbell’s Soups had a huge area where a couple of chefs – one was IFH Chef Dirk Rusthoven, who recently earned a gold medal at the Myrtle Beach American Culinary Federation competition – were using Campbell’s Soups to create dozens of gourmet dishes.
See, Campbell’s has a foodservice line of soups that regular schmoes like you and I can’t buy in the grocery store. Restaurants can get the extra-special stuff like Yukon Gold Potato with Bacon & Cheddar, and Mushroom Brie with Madeira Wine, and Thai Infused Chowder with Haddock. Campbell’s also has a line of Insignia Sauces for restaurants like Red Curry, Chipotle Cream and Balsamic Cream.
You can imagine the casseroles us ordinary folks could make if we had ingredients like that to work with! So of course trained professional chefs can take those and turn them into dishes like Pan Roasted Grouper with Red Thai Curry and Tuscan Lake Victoria Perch with Balsamic Cream.
But out of all the food booths, there is one that stood out as the busiest. People were lined up for samples of IttiBitz ice cream. It’s small round ice cream pellets similar to Dippin’ Dots.
Inedible but indispensable
A lot more than just food was on display. People were checking out ice machines, stoves, scales, storage bins, meat slicers and ramekins. You could learn about wireless paging, plastic cutlery kits and toilet paper (restaurant patrons want the soft stuff too!).
A crowd was gathered at the EcoLab booth. They’re a chemical company that makes hand sanitizers, floor cleaners, shampoos, deodorizers, bathroom cleaners, dishwasher detergents and a lot more. They also have a “green line” of environmentally responsible cleaning products.
EcoLab also offers ways to track product performance, such as a new program called Apex that monitors dishwashing data. It tracks usage ratios, costs and potential problem trending in the dishwashing machines they lease.
Moral of this story
Next time you’re invited to a food show…go! It’s a lot of fun, and you might just find a great new dish to serve or a way to save money.
February 26
Up to his head in soda bread
Last year Steve Perrone of Perrone’s Fine Food and Wine Market in Pawleys Island spent two full days right before St. Patrick’s Day making 200 loaves of Irish Soda Bread.
“I was literally covered with flour for two days,” he says.
This year he is taking pre-orders for his hugely popular soda bread. It’s $7.99 for a round 10-inch loaf that serves 10 people.
“Traditional Irish soda bread is on the dry side,” Steve says. “Mine is more of a cake. I touched up my mother-in-law’s recipe. She’s Irish. This one has golden raisins, regular raisins. It’s an incredible breakfast bread. People order three and four of them, then keep them in the freezer. They put pieces in the toaster and have them with tea.”
Steve is also making corned beef and cabbage dinners to go, with his trademark reheating instructions for creating homemade meals that you didn’t have to make.
Perrone’s is in the Live Oaks at Litchfield shopping center at 13291 Ocean Highway in the Litchfield section of Pawleys Island. The number is 235-9193.
Vito’s new home
Chef Todd Tavares, owner of Crosswinds Catering that provides meals for people flying in and out of Myrtle Beach Airport on private jets, used to own Vito’s Deli on Socastee Boulevard. That restaurant is now called Pepper’s, and it’s a great spot to get sandwiches and more.
But diners around here really miss Todd’s cooking. We like his subs, his macaroni salad, his cookies…everything he made!
And now he’s coming back, and we don’t have to fly a Lear jet to place an order!
Once again Todd and his wife, Sharon Tavares, are opening Vito’s. It’s going in the brand-new Forestbrook Commons shopping center, next to Tender Years Day Care and across from the Hunter’s Ridge housing development.
Sharon Tavares says diners can expect everything they loved at the first Vito’s, plus more pastries and pizzas. They anticipate a May 1 opening.
Trio dinner
The Trio Dinner is a fund-raising event put together by different members of this area’s various hospitality-related organizations to promote the education of young chefs. A high-school-age culinary student and a student in the culinary arts program at Horry-Georgetown Technical College are paired with an executive chef to make food for the dinner.
This year it’s at 6 p.m. Monday, April 14, and ticket prices start at $85. It takes place at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel (at the intersection of 21st Avenue North and Oak Street).
You can order tickets on the event’s Web site at TrioDinner.com, and see photos of the 2007 dinner.
Culinary power
Our “Ask the Chefs” discussion board is where readers are going to have all their burning culinary questions answered by local professional chefs.
You can check out all the cooking give-and-take HERE.
A recent topic went like this:
“I have been going crazy looking at all the new kitchen pots. There are so many new brands, finishes, and the weight of the pots differ so much. Not sure whether to go with Teflon (is it even healthy?). I need some expert advice. You actually have to remortgage your home these days to make the purchase, so I want to make the right choice.” Wine&DineGirl
“Calphalon, I can tell you, you only need a few pieces and you can do anything you want. I use the same ‘pan’, to poach, sautee, blacken, boil, sear, they are multi-tasking, implements of joy.” Chef Steve Martin, Ciao! Italian Restaurant
“I am with Steve on this issue. I love the stuff and use it at home. Bed Bath and Beyond has an extensive collection and the have no qualms about replacing worn and damaged pans at no charge. They have a lifetime warranty and are certainly worth the $. Plus they are sexy as hell looking!” Chef Tim Head, Hard Rock Park.
“I like All Clad, I got used to using them at a restaurant in Atlanta and have been hooked ever since. They are expensive but last forever. I buy one or two when I have the cash or just the impulse and slowly build up my collection.” Chef Kurt D’Aurizio, Divine Dining Group.
February 25
Artful brunch
Crady’s, on Main Street in Conway, will be open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 1, for a special brunch during the town’s art walk.
Conway’s Saturday Art Walks are held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the first Saturday of every month. Art galleries in the river city’s historic downtown will showcase their merchandise during this time.
If you’ve never visited Conway’s downtown, this would be a perfect time to block off a few hours to stroll, dine, shop, stroll the River Walk and appreciate the town’s natural and architectural beauty.
New spring hours
Also in Crady’s news, the Whitley family is announcing new hours:
Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
Dinner: 6-8:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays.
6-9:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
Not Spuds
The recently-closed Wild Wing Café in Garden City (formerly Marshall and Chubbs, and formerly an Italian place, and formerly a sports bar) has a sign on it that it’s now Taterz.
Better baking
Pick Monday or Wednesday evenings from 7-9 p.m. during the month of March for your time slot for bakery classes at Croissants Bakery and Café.
Head Baker Renee Schooner will conduct the classes. The price is $100 for the month, and participants will take home goodies such as decorated sugar cookies and a cake.
Call 448-2253 to sign up.
Wine Club
The Brentwood Restaurant’s monthly Wine Club dinner meeting is from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26 (tomorrow). The price is $40 per person, and participants should bring one bottle of Pinot Noir.
The menu includes:
Escargot Bourguignon: Tender escargot tossed with garlic, white wine, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, Pernod infused butter and baked in a poelon.
Salade Landaise: Duck breast served on top of a bed of fresh greens, pecans and green beans.
Petit Filet au Poivre: Covered with a black peppercorn and cognac sauce, and served with Chef’s potato.
Plateau de Fromages: Local and imported cheese served with fresh grapes and toasted nuts.
Fondant au Chocolat: Dark chocolate cake, firm on the outside and soft on the inside, served with raspberry sauce.
Joining the Wine Club costs $20 for singles and $35 for couples. Membership includes a monthly meeting, wine tasting tools and info, special discounts, special tastings and a Riedel wine glass. The number for reservations is (843) 249-2601.
February 24
Weekend Kitchen Warriors
Every Sunday you get recipes, are informed about national restaurant news that affects us in the Grand Strand, and you'll learn about food-related contests where you can try to win prizes!
Read all about it
We found a couple of extremely interesting articles for you this week. The first is about how the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse chain bought a fish market chain and a small steakhouse chain. You can read it HERE.
The second article talks about how some diners' complaints about noisy restaurants are falling on deaf ears. See what they’re irritable about HERE.
Venison contest
A top prize of $2,500 is being offered to the professional chef who comes up with the best venison recipe for a contest sponsored by Cervena Venison.
Read the rules and find out where to e-mail your entry, with a photo of the finished dish, HERE.
You know we like to always give you a great recipe on Sundays, and if you go HERE you’ll get a recipe for Cervena Tenderloin with Grilled Pears and Fresh Walnuts on Rocket Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing.
Getting passionate
Here’s a contest anyone can enter. The folks who make Prego pasta sauces want to know what you’re passionate about. You can write an essay or make a video, and the top prize is $5,000.
Find out more HERE.
February 23
DHEC Restaurant Inspection scores Feb. 15-21
February 22
Tell ‘em we sent ya
Marie from Nick’s New York Pub is always coming up with creative promotions for her customers, and her latest idea involves you and us.
She says through April 1 she’ll give a 10 percent discount on all food orders to diners who mention our name. Just tell the server that Marie says readers of Myrtle Beach Restaurant News get 10 percent off .
You can get your discount on Central Park Pretzels, Little Italy Calamari, Brooklyn Ribs, Staten Island Mini Burgers and Park Avenue Tuna. There are half-pound burgers with a choice of interesting toppings, French onion soup, a Metropolitan Spring Salad and the Empire Chef Salad.
A long list of sandwiches includes the Lou Gehrig Grilled Cheese with ham or bacon and sliced tomatoes; Babe Ruth BBQ; Willie Mays Club; The Godfather Steak; and a Coney Island Dog. For dinner you can get a New York Strip, Steak au Poivre, a Big Apple Pork Chop and Red Hook Shrimp.
Of course there’s New York Cheesecake.
Nick’s is open starting at 11 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and at noon on Sundays. It’s at the intersection of Second Avenue North and U.S. 17 Bypass in North Myrtle Beach, and the number is 249-7600.
Got the grill on
We told you a couple months ago that a new bar and grill in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, called Deckerz, ripped out most of the kitchen and was in the process of starting over with new equipment.
Now the shiny new stuff is in place, and the kitchen is cranking out food. You can get chicken fingers, a burger, chicken sandwich, fish sandwich, shrimp sandwich and more.
Right now if you go to their Web site you can print a coupon good for a free appetizer with a purchase of an appetizer.
You’ll also see the live entertainment schedule on the site. This week’s lineup includes Party Sharks starting at 8:30 tonight, and Krammer on Saturday night.
Deckerz is at 90 Hillside Drive S. in North Myrtle Beach, and the number is 280-1200.
Not Aussie, just Outback
Visitors to the Grand Strand might think Frank’s Outback is an Australian-theme restaurant, but locals know it’s excellently prepared American cuisine. The “Outback” means the open-air restaurant is “out back,” as in outside in the back yard of legendary Frank’s Restaurant.
And Frank’s Outback has a new menu!
There’s a long list of small portioned dishes including:
Crostini with Roasted Pear, Prosciutto and Melted Gorgonzola
Pan Roasted Lamb Rib Chop with Curried Cous Cous with Black Olive Pesto
Sautéed Jumbo Shrimp with Spicy BBQ Onion Compote
Flash Fried Quail Breast Medallions with a Crisp Potato Cake and Port Demi
Tempura Fried Asparagus with Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce
Crisp Crab Fritters with Soy Sesame dipping sauce
Creamy Stone Ground Yellow Grits with Duck Confit
Rabbit and Ginger Sausage with Mashed Potatoes and Caramelized Onions
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wrap
The new menu also lists salads, entrees, wood-fired pizzas and a la carte items, which you can see HERE. If the weather is chilly don’t worry about feeling cold while you dine; there are heaters and a massive fireplace that keep the luxurious tropical space cozy.
Frank’s and Frank’s Outback are at 10434 Ocean Highway in Pawleys Island (across from McDonald’s), and the number is 237-3030.
Grocery news
The new Lowe’s Foods on S.C. 707 in Murrells Inlet opens next Wednesday, which is Feb. 27.
The new Piggly Wiggly at Market Common is scheduled to open April 13.
February 21
Family oriented
With a couple thousand restaurants, the Grand Strand area has a lot of chefs. At least half of those chefs grew up somewhere else before deciding they wanted to work and live at the beach.
So here at the Carolina coast we have plenty of eager young chefs ready to make their grill marks on the world and then surf on Sundays and Mondays. We also have a robust quota of “retired” chefs who want only part-time prep jobs so they can play golf the rest of the day.
But once in a while our chef-transplants are adults looking for warmer qualities of lives for their families. An even rarer culinary animal is the established talented chef who buys a restaurant, improves the restaurant, lays plans to expand the restaurant and immediately embraces community events and charities. And the food coming out of the kitchen is consistently excellent. And said chef and his family are extremely friendly and interesting people.
Eric and Kimberlee Masson are the new owners of The Brentwood Restaurant in Little River. Since buying the historic 1910 house/restaurant with its beautifully quirky rooms in fall 2007, they and their children, 6-year-old Jolee and 3-year-old Remy, have established lives full of work, school and lessons.
The kids take lessons, and their dad is going to start teaching them. He’s qualified.
Credentialed
Eric Masson grew up in Brittany in Northern France, and remembers a childhood filled with fresh flavors like escargot his uncle harvested from the backyard garden and prepared by the dozen with butter and garlic. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of Brest in Brest, France, and then earned a professional hotel cuisine designation from the Professional Lycee “Les Sorbets” in Noirmoutiers, France. In 1992 he capped off the formal education with an equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in Paris.
Between the second and third schools the young chef spent time working in London, England at a brasserie, and then after the final graduation was executive chef and manager for five years at a restaurant called Le Quincampe in Paris. Masson’s next stint was at a chalet restaurant in the French Alps, but while he was on vacation in Paris, his ascension in French culinary ranks was interrupted. By a vivacious blonde.
Eric met Kimberlee, who was from Amsterdam, New York, while they were both on vacation in Paris. They maintained a long-distance relationship for months, but eventually they could not stay apart. Eric moved to New York, they married and the newlyweds managed Ferrandi’s Restaurant in Amsterdam for six years. It was a hit, and was named Best French Restaurant three years in a row by a local publication.
The next leap was to |