Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012

Local Restaurant Notes

Sean Christenson, shown here at Nacho Hippo, has been named executive chef at Bandito's, a new oceanfront Mexican restaurant under construction in Myrtle Beach. Photo by Becky Billingsley for Weekly Surge.

 

Bandito's, the Mexican restaurant being built oceanfront at 1402 N. Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, has named its executive chef: Sean Christenson. Most recently Chef Christenson worked with Divine Dining Group at Nacho Hippo, and his previous experience includes several years as executive chef at Thoroughbreds Restaurant. He says while the Bandito's menu will have a strong Mexican flavor, dishes will also reflect Latin-influenced cuisines from South America, the Caribbean and more, including plenty of fresh local seafood.

Socastee diners are heaping appreciation on Ed Flambard and T.J. Allinder, the partners who bought Socastee Station in the fall of 2011, for putting a tasty new twist on Chicken Bog. They serve the traditional Grand Strand dish of rice, chicken and smoked sausage in a conventional manner, but they innovated a new preparation to also create Chicken Bog Balls. The sticky mixture is formed into a ball, coated in beer batter and deep-fried before each ball is halved and plated with a spicy dipping remoulade. Diners get several Bog Balls for $5. Socastee Station is at 4504 Socastee Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, and the number is 831-0527. It's open starting at 10 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

The Coliseum is longtime local restaurateurs Todd Tavares and Sharon Tavares' newest enterprise, and they've designed it to be comfortable for diners of all ages. Located in the former Cafe Italia spot at 3901-A Dick Pond Rd., in the Socastee area of Myrtle Beach, several tables were removed to make room for a pool table, a trio of dart machines, pinball and more. The menu addresses a wide variety of tastes, from Buffalo Chicken Salad and Fried Calamari to Ribeye Sandwich, Lasagna and Barbecue Chicken. The Coliseum is open daily from 11 a.m. to at least 11 p.m., and the number is 215-6093.

Gilligan's, a seafood restaurant chain based near Charleston that opened a Pawleys Island location in 2009 at 13707 Ocean Highway, had its last day of business on Feb. 5. The company headquarters is on Johns Island, and seven other South Carolina locations remain open.

The Screamin' Pig is coming soon to the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach with a team of experienced restaurateurs getting ready to smoke up the town. Owner/chef Pet Hutchings, general manager Tonya Bracken and kitchen manager Brandon Becker all have much corporate and catering food experience, and they're ready to fire up a new Texas smoker to produce ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket and the unusual Grilled Barbecue Meatloaf sandwiches. It's in the former location of Beaches Burgers & Grill, at 1020 Sea Mountain Highway. They aim to open at the end of February and anticipate having a liquor license by May so they can sell canned beers for bikers to enjoy around an outdoor fire pit. When it opens, operating hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and as the weather warms up they'll extend to 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The phone number is 427-7901.

Dan Malfroid and Tina Malfroid have leased their current Burger Brothers restaurant to Alan Shulver and Kellie Shulver, who are turning the spot at 1518 4th Ave. in Conway into Burger Brothers Express. When the transition is complete, the plan is for the express location to serve burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fries and ice cream in five minutes or less, and will specialize in carry-out and drive-through service. The Malfroids are taking their next step a few blocks away to 601 Church St. in Conway, which is the former location of Luigi's Italian Restaurant and El Cerro Mexican Restaurant. It will be called Burger Brothers Buffet & Steak House, and Dan Malfroid says it will have, "...a huge buffet with salad bar and dessert bar. We will also offer several kinds of steaks, and everything else you loved on our dinner menu." The new restaurant should be open for business in about two weeks.

Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant, at 740 Coastal Grand Circle at Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach has a new gluten-sensitive menu with 14 dishes including salads, Tex-Mex plates, house specialties and dessert. A few choices are Yucatan Shrimp Fajita Salad, Tamale Plate, Pork Tenderloin with Honey Chile Glaze, Bacon-wrapped Stuffed Shrimp Fajitas, Pork Tenderloin Fajitas, Vegetable Fajitas and Flan.

Frank's and Frank's Outback in Pawleys Island are open after renovations and innovations with new menu choices, dining and drink specials and a cozy area dubbed the "casual corner." The new bar menu ($4.25-$13) is available from 4:30 to 7 p.m., and on Tuesdays it is half-price. A few of those choices are White Bean Bruschetta with prosciutto, truffle oil and remoulade; Tempura Fried Flounder with hand-cut fries, tartar sauce and malt vinegar; and Hummus with house-made Flat Bread. Frank's is at 10434 Ocean Highway, and the number to call for reservations is 237-3030.

Brookgreen Gardens is serving Winter Teas with seatings at 3:30 and 4 p.m. on Saturdays during February. Tickets are $20 for Brookgreen members and $27 for non-members, and a few of the savory and sweet bites offered include Blue Cheese Chicken Salad, Smoked Salmon with cream cheese, Mini Lemon Pound Cake, Scones and Southern Butter Biscuits. The ticket purchase comes with a discount coupon for same-day purchases in the Brookgreen Keepsakes shop. Call 235-6016 for reservations.

Becky Billingsley serves daily restaurant news at MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com.