Boom, boom, boom let’s go grub at the new Myrtle Beach wine room
Setting the Table
Beyond the rhyming and fun-to-say name of this new and interesting foodie and wine destination, the Boom Boom Wine Room is probably best known for its hi-tech, nitrogen gas-powered, self-serve, high-end wine vending. But those who know of this new Northwood Plaza establishment primarily as a place to sample wines should take a closer look at its food. Even Boom Boom’s own web marketing states that the business was born of a “love of fine wines and delicious food.” Following the locavore trend, Boom Boom works with its chef and sommelier to bring something altogether different, trendy and fun to Myrtle Beach, through fresh food and wine presented in ways not seen before in the area.
Longer than it is wide, the small restaurant is dark, but not too dark, with deep browns, golds, and grays, featuring red accents on the walls, tables, and chairs. It’s quiet, but not too quiet, with the sound system playing an eclectic mix of tunes from ‘40s jazz, to country, to AM ‘70s gold – “The Night Chicago Died,” for example, played just after a Garth Brooks tune. Live music is presented from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. most Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday features pianist/vocalist Liz King, who plays a wide variety of requests, and Saturday features acoustic guitarist/vocalist Wayne Cockfield.
A bar as wide as the room fills the far end of Boom Boom and seats approximately eight. A combination of high-top and standard height tables are configured as needed. Management happily reserved eight seats for our group, pulling tables together to accommodate. Smaller two-tops, with cloth high-back chairs sit against the walls, and a few café tables round out the seating choices outside on the sidewalk. Though there’s not much of a view to justify outdoor seating, still the sidewalk can be pleasant when the weather cooperates.
Down the Hatch
Nearly half of one wall is reserved for the wine vending, the self-serve pouring apparatus featuring wines on the cheap ($3.55 per glass), to expensive, such as the Opus One for approximately $66 per glass. Most are in the $7 - $15 per glass range. One and three ounce samples are also available of all the wines, and start at less than $1. Beer and soft drinks also served.
The menu changes regularly, but is filled with creative Tapas (small plates) including a build-your-own cheese tray, Crusty Baked Mac & Cheese ($8), which one day had Chorizo sausage, and two days later had sweet Italian sausage. Overstuffed pulled pork sliders ($10), and many more savory items satisfy your meat tooth, while the “Garden of Eatin’” section of the menu offers a wide variety of healthy choices. The Vegetable Terrine was served as a hearty portion of fresh-cooked seasonal vegetables (tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, onions) held together by egg, drizzled with a cream-based sauce, and served with a side of robust marinara. A Caesar salad, olive tray, and deviled eggs topped with candied bacon were a big hit at the table, as were all the dishes. Our group stayed for nearly three hours. We finished with a homemade blueberry cobbler and an interesting take on bananas foster, served as a bread pudding. Both desserts were passed around the table, sampled by all, and were big enough for several bites for each of us. Nobody complained.
Check Please
While the prices are all reasonable for the booze, and cheaper wines are easy to find, what’s the fun in that? You’ll likely spend more than you anticipated, only because sampling the wines is more than half of the fun. And of course with all that wine, you have to eat, too. My check covering three in our group was $89, which included dinner for three, the shared two desserts, $40 in wine, and more food than we could eat in our nearly three hour visit. Five in our party of eight took home to-go boxes.
Most menu items range from $6 - $15. A glass or two of moderately priced wine and a hearty small plate should run less than $30 per person for dinner. Limit yourself to one glass of wine and one small plate you’ll probably spend less than $20, but again, you will be tempted to spend more, and wine not?
This story was originally published August 20, 2014 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Boom, boom, boom let’s go grub at the new Myrtle Beach wine room."