Written By Paul Grimshaw
Images By courtesy of Aspen Grille; courtesy Ciao Italian restaurant; courtesy of SeaBlue Restaurant & Wine Bar; Ted Waters and Courtesy of Chestnut Hill
Chive Blossom
85 N Causeway Rd, Pawleys Island. (843) 237-1438
Chiveblossom.com
Wonderfully natural, Chive Blossom’s courtyard is a year-round delight for its patrons, shaded in the summer and warmed by fireplaces in the fall and winter. For more than 20 years, the owners and chefs have sought to bring a sophisticated menu in an elegant, yet casual, setting. Open for lunch and dinner, Chive Blossom’s daytime menu includes she crab soup, house-made pimento cheese, crab nachos, wild salmon, seafood sampler, a crustless tomato basil pie, sandwiches, and burgers and signature salads. For dinner, choose from small plates and entrees, including filet mignon, locally sourced flounder and grouper, bouillabaisse, crab cakes and much more.
Flamingo Grill
7550 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach. (843) 449-5388
Flamingogrill.com
For nearly 40 years,the owners of Flamingo Grill (known as “The Dinos”) have set the standard for casual fine dining all set within an art deco-inspired restaurant and lounge. Particularly known for their lobster bites with Bearnaise and Flounder Cagney (named for the owners’ first area eatery, Cagney’s), the extensive menu features dozens of starters, salads, seafood specialties, pasta, and a huge selection of steaks with prime rib in four sizes from 8 oz to 24 oz. It’s a true Myrtle Beach dynastic treasure.
Bistro 90
7209 SC-90, Longs
(843) 390-5151
Bistro90.com
In the bucolic westerly haunts of Horry County, in Longs, Bistro 90 has made its mark by serving only USDA Prime beef, along with fresh seafood, chops and classic Italian dishes. A regular Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recipient, the casual fine dining experience sought by so many may be found here Monday-Saturday for dinner only. Though Pizza and Calzones are available Mon-Thurs, it’s the Foie Gras, duck confit-stuffed mushrooms, wild caught salmon, chicken and veal marsala, and, of course, dry-aged and traditionally aged steaks, rack of lamb and a bevy of a la carte sides that have customers returning. Reservations recommended but not required. Try their sister restaurant in Myrtle Beach, Aspen Grille, too.
Frank’s and Frank’s Outback
10434 Ocean Hwy,
Pawleys Island
(843) 237-3030
Franksandoutback.com
With options to dine al fresco “outback,” the cleverly tented, semi-outdoor cousin of Pawleys Island staple Frank’s, offers this indoor/outdoor dining highbred year-round. Both Frank’s and Frank’s Outback offer a nod to the French, with Frank’s offering casual fine dining inside on white linen tablecloths. Frank’s Outback is literally “out back,” and employees a casual, informal attitude. The food at either spot, however, is what brings customers back for more. Small plates and entrees include beef, seafood and chicken dishes, while Outback serves the same plus wood-fired pizzas.
Perrone’s Restaurant & Bar
13302 Ocean Highway,
Pawleys Island. (843) 235-9193
Perronesmarket.com
Dry-aged prime steaks, a visual feast of art and design, an award-winning wine list, an inviting bar/lounge and attention to their Mediterranean-inspired menu have helped Perrone’s (opened in 2012) develop and maintain a loyal clientele. From its nondescript exterior, you’d never suspect the interior color and complexity of this stand-alone restaurant/bar concept created by owner Steven Perrone. “We pride ourselves on [a] philosophy of balance by creating dishes that have many notes, but are all playing the same song.”
Gios Italian Kitchen
7915 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach
(843) 712-2238
10008 Ocean Hwy, Pawleys Island
(843) 237-8245
Giositaliankitchen.com
Both Gios locations are family owned and operated, offering modern, sleek, sophisticated, comfortable surroundings and serving authentic, creative Italian dishes. Enjoy seafood, steaks, chicken, surf & turf, fresh sides, and unhurried service. There vare also 15-plus pasta dishes, along with chicken and veal served traditionally as Marsala, Napoleon, scaloppine and in other creative ways. Seafood and steak specialties include scallops, lobster claw, N.Y. strip in two sizes, and much more.
21 Main Prime Steakhouse
719 North Beach Blvd. North Myrtle Beach (843) 315-3000
21mainatnorthbeach.com
At 21 Main Prime Steakhouse, attention to detail sets them apart from many fine dining establishments. Dry-aging their beef on the premises, 21 Main’s extensive menu includes a la carte steaks, chops, seafood, poultry, lamb, sides large enough to share, award-winning soups, salads, house-made desserts, an extensive wine list, sushi and a full bar. Here, the service and elegance you’d expect is delivered without pretense and the food is simply amazing. Dress to impress and enjoy a special evening at one of the finest restaurants along the Grand Strand.
Ciao Italian Restaurant
5223 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach
(843) 449-5700
Ciaomyrtlebeach.com
This cozy Italian restaurant in Myrtle Beach is beloved by locals in-the-know for its generous portions, friendly service, intimate but uncrowded atmosphere and incredibly authentic Italian cuisine. Open for lunch and dinner its right-priced apps, pasta, salads (try the antipasto), seafood, chicken, veal along with sandwiches and more are nearly all less than $15, many under $10. For dinner try the Zuppa Di Pesce, a mouthwatering combination of shrimp, scallops, calamari, PEI Mussels, clams and grouper in a choice of fra diavolo or marinara, served over linguini.
Aspen Grille
5101 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach
(843) 449-9191, Aspengrille.net
A sister to the upscale steakhouse Bistro 90, the Aspen Grille takes the same approach to casual fine dining. With a commitment to using as much locally and regionally sourced beef, produce and seafood as possible, a freshness comes through with each dish. Starting with creative, signature cocktails at its cozy bar/lounge, to dinner in its elegant dining room, where occasional, live soft jazz floats through the air, you’ll know you’re in for an atypical Myrtle Beach dining experience. Dry aged prime beef, NC mountain trout, and Lowcountry Carolina shrimp & grits, only scratch the surface of the inventive menu.
The Parson’s Table
4305 McCorsley Ave, Little River
(843) 249-3702
Parsonstable.com
Experience what locals have known since 1978, The Parson’s Table must be seen to be appreciated. In the converted Little River Methodist church (the main dining room dates back to 1885), restaurateurs have created a following not just for the century’s old cypress and stained-glass windows, but for the food and service. Incorporating an emphasis on locally and regionally sourced ingredients, the menu is sophisticated, eclectic and approachable with creative beef and seafood dishes taking center stage, but also including pan seared duck, New Zealand rack of lamb, and wiener schnitzel, plus much more and an award-winning wine list.
Chestnut Hill
9922 N. Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach. (843) 449-3984
Chestnuthilldining.com
In an historic home on Kings Highway, Chestnut Hill restaurant has been hosting gatherings since the 1950s. Beloved by generations of locals and visitors, the restaurant’s menu focuses on Southern comfort food, but expands to include sushi-grade seared tuna with ginger, wasabi and soy, to pork Marsala, entrée worthy salads, aged Angus beef, chicken, pork and veal, plus some 18 seafood dishes; shrimp & grits, salmon, King Crab legs, fried oysters, scallops and much more. Many come for Chestnut Hill’s scratch-made desserts, too.
SeaBlue Restaurant and Wine Bar
501 Hwy 17 N., North Myrtle Beach. (843) 249-8800
Seabluerestaurant.com
Art and style greet visitors to this chic and trendy North Strand restaurant, featuring blue-ish mood lighting, an aquarium and locally sourced seafood and entrees. SeaBlue won “#1 Restaurant in the Country,” by OpenTable and a “Best of… Award of Excellence” by Wine Spectator, to name but a few accolades. Featuring contemporary American cuisine rooted in classic French cooking, SeaBlue strives to be a Farm-to-Table establishment getting much of its seafood from local fishermen. Small plates, large plates, and steaks round out the extensive chef-inspired offerings.
