Hello,

Frequent visitor of Myrtle Beach and always looking for my next favorite restaurant. Next trip falls on anniversary so looking for really great italian restaurant. Suggestions? Thanks.

Stallion, you're in for a real treat.

Here are my two favorites:

Ciao - a wonderful little neighborhood Italian restaurant. Casual, simple-but-elegant atmoshphere, great staff, and the food blows away more popular and glitzier restaurants (such as Rossi's). It's at about 52nd Aveneu North on Kings Hwy.

Travinia - a brand new restaurant in the Market Common (a collection of shops & restaurants on the old Air Force base). Great atmoshpere & design, lots of choices, the food was creative and perfectly prepared, lots of seafood entrees very reasonably priced.

Both are open for lunch & dinner (although I think Ciao is closed on Sundays).

Runners-up?

I liked and probably would still like Benny Rappa's Trattoria in NMB, but I haven't been in a year.

Dined at Villa Romano in the south end with friends who love the place; it was pretty good, but I didn't think it was in the same category as Ciao or Travinia.

Enjoy!

Sorry I didn't reply in a timely manner. Thanks for the suggestions. Ciao was a big hit. I haven't tried Travinia yet but plan to soon.

Benny Rappa's, Travinia, and Rossi's.

Bove in Pawleys Island.

How is Bove?

I have to say I am involved with Bove but it is excellent. Peter Ryan opened it and he has been instrumental in shaping the dining scene on the south end. He helped Louis Osteen win his James Beard award and also opened Bovine's and Divine Fish House for Jack Divine.

Hmmm. We will definitely give it a try, but we cooled 'way down on all the Bovine's restaurants. And our kids got such OUTRAGEOUS service at Louis's we were never allowed to go back--or we never went because theywouldn't go back! These people need to pay attention to "returns". That is why Frank's has lasted. I think the others are pretty "slick". I appreciate your "identifying" your contact, and I thought you might appreciate my input also. It is meant to be constructive.

I will add that our adult children who endured the outrageous service situation are all "restaurant people"--either just plain servers, up to managers of Charlotte area restaurants, and one is now a sommelier of a high end resto in Denver. It was inexcusable.
BUT what is the actual food at Bove (now I see the connection too-not a particularly good thing for us). You answered about Italian. Is it the same as the other Bovine's?

Louis had some serious problems and his wife was just arrested and extradited back from Florida (his Las Vegas restaurant went the way of the economy) for writing $50,000 worth of bad checks. From what I've heard they left town owing a lot of people money.

He is the Executive Chef for a resort chain in Florida. It is really really sad that you are that successful and it all goes down the drain. The police chief told me Marleen will serve time.

Bove is Low Country with a Mediteranean twist. The sausage parm is truly to die and they have the best oyster stew I've ever eaten. It is more of a oyster creole than just milk, butter, and oysters.

We are getting ready to go to High Hammock for dinner tonight. Have y'all been yet? It is what replaced Louis's and the Southern Maverick Kitchen (Charleston, SNOB, High Cotton, Old Post House, Charleston Cooks!) people own it. They are serving SNOB's menu.

I thought that was where Bove was --someone told me that. We didn't eat out much this past trip. But I saw High Hammock was where Louis's was--and it confused me. SO, where is Bove? Interestingly, when I wrote them about the p is s poor situation our family had there, it was from "marleen" so I guess that was DW.
Can't get too much better than SNOB's menu.
The night in question Louis was just as much to blame as anyone--he was schmoozing with the customers instead of paying attention to the fact that appetizers were 45 minutes late coming out, and servers didn't bother to say that "something" as a main was not available until 30 minutes after that.
Maybe it is too bad about who is around him, but GOOD chefs run their restaurants, front to back. It's his fault too. Bib head.

Bove is in Austin's old location.

High Hammock was really good last night, excellent in fact but expensive for the area.

Wine is $7-$15 a glass and food is spendy.

I got the veggie plate and it was $18. It was enough food but not $18 worth of veggies. Husband got oysters, excellent. The food is really good but know it isn't a great deal.

Bib head, lol!

Aha, Austin's. For that price we'll just keep going to Frank's--or even Bistro 217, in that area. There is only so much to go around. Someone has to "just say no".
I see that the "Caribbean" place on the Causeway that I think Chuck has recommended has "gone south" to Georgetown. We never quite got there. It seemed a bit spendy for not a lot of menu choices, as I recall. Maybe it was the size of the place, and maybe will be different in Georgetown. Or not-- ;o)
I tried to get the menu of the new restaurant in that space, but couldn't find the entrance, sort of.

Love Franks! I got engaged there!

Their chef Pierce eats in Bove on his nights off

Is Roz's still there? As we went by several times I never caught her sign on the road. We were not blown away by the dinner when she expanded to that, but LOVED lunches there. I know you know she was at Outback.
Frank's chef sounds like the chef at DD's resto in Denver--he eats out all over town, as do DD and her BF--testing the competition.

Umbertos -- at Barefoot Landing.