It's new to you

"Airbrushed t-shirts when I get there/Eat some Calabash shrimp when I get there/I'm gonna miss the Pavilion when I get therrrrre."

-From "Myrtle Beach" by Sunny Ledfurd

Myrtle Beach is an ever-shifting burg, to be sure. Restaurants open and shut so fast that we had to start a weekly column (An Open and Shut Case) to catalog it all. People move here from everywhere, bringing their ideas (and their money) with them. As with any business climate, some of these places will be successes, and some others will close their doors mere months after first opening them.

Bike Rally visitors, we're talking to you. In the months since you've last been here, a lot has changed. Notice that big 'ol space downtown, chockablock full of upturned soil? Once trod upon by generations of thrill-seekers as the home to the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park, it now stands as Myrtle Beach's biggest pile of high-priced dirt, awaiting whatever plans the Burroughs & Chapin company - mixed business and residential, it is said - has for it. (In typical fashion, B&C opened a Pavilion Nostalgia Park at Broadway at the Beach, something that wouldn't have been needed had they, you know, kept the damn original.)

There are other changes, as well. There's now a rock 'n' roll theme park, Hard Rock Park. We have a new downtown of sorts, the multipurpose residential/retail complex known as The Market Common. The home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans baseball club has a new name, plus a lot of added amenities that are fast making a game there one of the finer viewing experiences in not just A-level ball, but minor league baseball as a whole.

Oh, and if you're out in public in Surfside Beach, smoking is now illegal.

Yeah, we know.

NEW DINING OPTIONS

Of course, where there's a void, someone's going to try and fill it. Still Smokin', a bar and eatery opened in the wake of Surfside Beach's smokingly-debated decision of late last year, is now open at 700-C U.S. 17 North, mere feet outside of Surfside Beach town limits. The menu offers all sorts of cigarette-named dishes, including "Virginia Slim Fries," "Kool Rings," "Newport Grouper Bites," "Camel Bites," "Parliament Poppers," and more. For more information, call 477-1111.

The Duke Sandwich Company, originally a venture by Eugenia Duke, the creator of Duke's Mayonnaise, is open in the Piggly Wiggly Plaza in Carolina Forest (2005 Oakheart Road, Myrtle Beach). The restaurant features home-style dishes such as pimento cheese sandwiches, barbecue and Southern-style hot dogs, as well as various soups, spreads andmore.Visit them online at www.myspace.com/dukesofmyrtlebeach or at www.dukesandwich.com.

<< The old Freaky Tiki that used to be located on Ocean Boulevard near the Superblock is no more, but a new Tiki, The Tiki @ The Afterdeck, is located directly beside Thee Dollhouse on Restaurant Row in Myrtle Beach. Call 449-1550 for more information.

What was formerly the NASCAR Cafe (1808 21st Avenue North, Myrtle Beach) is now the NASCAR Sports Grille. The NASCAR Cafe brand, which was operated by H&C Racing Inc., was bought out by The Cordish Co., a Baltimore-based developer.

The former Surf Shack (4711 S. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach) is now a Wimpy's Bar and Grill. The eatery serves stuff such as hot dogs and Angus burgers, daily lunch specials, and something called the Flat-Liner Burger Challenge - a meat sammich which weighs some four pounds, boasts an astonishing 8,500 calories, and is so, well, unhealthy that, according to the restaurant's menu, "conditions apply" before you can even take the plunge. For more, call 477-0440. Cash up front, however - no gladly paying them on Tuesday.

Another new bar and restaurant, Borgata, (813 Surfside Drive) has opened in Surfside Beach. Located across the street from Sundown Sports Bar and next to Charleston Cafe. Borgata's main floor houses a more neighborhood-like pub, while the upstairs bar is an upscale martini-style bar. For more information, call 839-9595.

Do Andy and Aunt Bea know about this? There's a new downhome/Island-inspired joint called Goober's 52 located next to Chestnut Hill and kitty-corner from The Farmer's Daughter on Restaurant Row (9924 North Kings Highway) in Myrtle Beach. The restaurant is an offshoot of an original Mt. Airy, N.C. ocation, and features the restaurant's signature arcade, spicy, coastal- and Caribbean-inspired menu (yeah, we don't get the Andy Griffith connection either). For more information, call 839-2295.

There's a new upscale sports bar at the old Sam Snead's Grille location on Restaurant Row (9708 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach). It's called Chopper's Sports Bar and Grill. Call 449-4433 for more info.

Another new eatery, Redeye's Smoke House Grill and Watering Hole (4378 U.S. 17 Business in Murrells Inlet, formerly the Still Cruisin' Cafe), describes itself as "The Inlet's Hub of Misinformation" and promises "The freshest gossip in Murrells Inlet." They also boast "smokin' hot food and cold drinks," which, of course, goes well with a little fresh gossip. For more information, call 651-2139.

A new Wild Wing Cafe is open in Barefoot Landing (4706 U.S. 17 South) in North Myrtle Beach. For more information, go to www.wildwingcafe.com or call 361-WING. The old Wild Wing Cafe in Garden City (2700 U.S. 17 Business, Garden City Beach) is now Taterz Grill.

A quite diverse American/Continental-style restaurant, Salt Creek Cafe, is open now at 4660 U.S. 17 Bypass in Murrells Inlet. For more information, call 357-2433.

Big Daddy Rabbits, a new sports bar and grill, can be found at S.C. 9, one quarter mile north of the S.C. 31 bypass in Longs in the Bingo Shopping Center (83 Cloverleaf Drive). For more information, call 248-3068.

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans have newly renamed (What was Coastal Federal Field is now BB&T Coastal Field) and renovated digs, and will host the California-Carolina League All-Star Game on June 24 of this year. Many stars have played here in Myrtle Beach over the years (see Major League Baseball stars including Brian McCann, Rafael Furcal, and Jeff Francoeur), and this year, you're more than likely going to see the Atlanta Braves' last 1st round pick, Jason Heyward, as well as Gorkys Hernandez, who the Bravos obtained in the Edgar Renteria trade a few months back, and hotshot pitcher Tommy Hanson. You'll also get to see some of the best class-A minor league players in the country, as the team will host the 2008 California-Carolina League All-Star Game at its spanking new (or spankingly new-named) BB&T Coastal Field on June 24. Want to catch them while you're in town? The team is playing a homestand May 16-18 versus Carolina League rivals the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

About the Birds' new nest: it features an outfield reserved bleacher section - the only outfield seating in the Carolina League - which has been renamed Land Shark Landing, and boasts its own concessionaires and beer vendors. The main entry plaza now hosts "The Pepsi Grille" and café-style seating. Seating has been increased in Pelicans Beach, the sand-and-sun area that butts against the leftfield foul line, and "lifeguards" have replaced uniformed employees. New tables and netting have been added to the first base picnic area. There's also a "Road to the Show" Wall of Pelicans who have made it to the major leagues, located in the concourse. Hungry? There are now vendors in the stands game-long, as well as new menu items, including cookies and milk, BBQ sandwiches, shrimp basket, clam strips, kids' meals and energy drinks. BB&T Coastal Field is located at 1251 21st Avenue North, in Myrtle Beach. Call 918-6000 or go to www.myrtlebeachpelicans.com.

As mentioned above, there's a multi-million dollar thingy called Hard Rock Park set to open on June 2 at 211 George Bishop Parkway (It's already open in a limited capacity - see www.hardrockpark.com). It's celebrating with some big shows by certified rock legends such as the Eagles and The Moody Blues, and there's all the wacky rides and roller coasters you could ever want.

The creators of the $400 million park, nestled on a patch of land formerly occupied by factory outlet stores and the Ice Castles Theatre, know how to make a splash - one of the biggest draws is the rock-'n'roller coaster Led Zeppelin: The Ride, which has nothing to do with Robert Plant's reputation with the ladyfolk. Rather, it's a first-of-its-kind coaster which snakes its way to the strains of Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," a track personally selected by Zep guitarist Jimmy Page. The park also houses more than 40 attractions, a large, 10,000-capacity multi-purpose live music amphitheater, live daily and weekly shows, other roller coasters themed after acts such as the Eagles and The Moody Blues, children's play areas, about a dozen restaurants, cafes, retail stores, a Jamaican-themed waterplay area, live comedy shows and more. Except for Eagles/The Moody Blues opening day gigs on June 2 and June 3, shows in the 10,000-plus capacity amphitheater will begin after the park closes at a time of 6 p.m. (The park will reopen the gates around 7 p.m. for the concerts.) For more information, call 236-ROCK or go to www.hardrockpark.com.

SHOP TIL YOU DROP

Rather rock than shop? A self-contained, so-called "City by the Sea" - despite not technically being by the sea - with loads of new shopping and dining choices (see Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, White House/Black Market, Williams-Sonoma and Banana Republic in the former category; Cold Stone Creamery, P.F. Changs China Bistro, Gordon Biersch Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Tommy Bahama's Tropical Café & Emporium and Ultimate California Pizza in the latter), The Market Common is a massive residential and retail community now open off of Farrow Parkway between U.S. 17 Bypass and U.S. 17 Business on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Developers say the area (The Market Common, a residential community called Withers Preserve, and a few other townhome neighborhoods) will one day host 15,000 future residents, or about half of Myrtle Beach's current, within-the-city-limits population. The area also includes athletic fields, a multi-field recreation complex and grand lawn, the aforementioned stores, and a recently-committed-to $10 million eight-lane, Olympic-size, 50-meter swim center. For a complete list of The Market Common retail and restaurants, go to www.mccafferyinterests.com.

Also for you shoppers, what we used to call Briarcliffe Mall, and then Colonial Mall-Myrtle Beach near the junction of U.S. 17 and S.C. 22 is now simply Myrtle Beach Mall (despite it not being in Myrtle Beach's city limits).