Thursday, Jul. 29, 2010

Making pub crawl fantasy a reality

One of the first times I visited The Market Common after it opened in the spring of 2008 on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, I thought to myself: pub crawl!

It's not teeming with bars, taverns, lounges and sipping spots compared to other shopping/entertainment destinations along the Grand Strand - such as Broadway at the Beach, or Barefoot Landing - but The Market Common has that city vibe to it, where strolling from bar to bar down the street can encompass some window shopping, patio seating, bench-sitting and people watching.

I have been to The Market Common too many times to count - including last Friday night (July 23) for a bit as the Dave Matthews Cover Band performed at Valor Park - but I have yet to go on that pub crawl that's been living in my mind.

When King Street Grille opened at The Market Common, I thought: pub crawl's got another stop-over. I mean, it's a straight shot from there to Tommy Bahama's Restaurant & Bar then Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant. There's three stops for you right off the bat, within a block.

Besides the Friday Night Live Concert Series (which winds down on Friday with a performance by Columbia rock act Villanova), The Market Common's Valor Park has been the site for many events that we've been associated with, including Myrtle Beach Beer Fest, Oktoberfest, Irish Fest, etc.

And along with my fantasy pub crawl, I've often envisioned making a night of it while attending Beer Fest or Oktoberfest, and booking one of The Market Common's accommodations on-site, to have a crash pad.

Alas, that dream hasn't come to fruition, either.

But guess what? I can live vicariously.

So, we enlisted correspondent Rebecca Homitz to live out my barhopping dreams, and she's on board for the fourth installment of Weekly Surge's Pub Crawl Series, which, if you haven't figured out yet, puts the spotlight on the watering holes of The Market Common. The majority of the establishments are restaurants that put the focus on food service, but if it's got a bar, we hit it.

In addition, she tracked down info on renting a nearby crash pad if you want to go on a pub crawl/staycation of sorts.

If you're going to head home, or elsewhere, after your adventure, we've also got a list on page 12 of taxis and cab companies that serve The Market Common, so you can arrive back at the crib safely, and not at J. Reuben (or worse, in the grave).

And if you want to continue your party after your Market Common pub crawl, we've got suggestions for places to get a nightcap at the various speakeasies near the Backgate of the former Air Force Base.

Oh yeah, and there might be some urgency, too. You might want to hit some of these spots while you can, as Divine Dining Group has reportedly discussed changing the concepts for Roy & Sid's American Kitchen and Divine Prime.

And there's that foreclosure thing, too.

We're not saying it's about to fold up shop, but in this economy, who the hell knows?

I never thought I'd see the Beach Wagon shut down.

All the doom-and-gloom naysayers that drag this area down like to point to The Market Common as being the next Hard Rock Park - i.e. destined for failure, but there are plenty of differences, although the two attractions opened within days of one another.

Personally, I'd hate to see this upscale development fail, as it's one of my favorite spots conjuring up my love of urban landscapes, and I'd love to see the entire concept built out to plans mainly because it feels so (sorry, city fathers) un-Myrtle Beach.