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More than Just Croissants
Although off the beaten path, Croissants Bistro and Bakery has been a lunchtime staple for Myrtle Beach residents and guests for over 14 years. Now, with their new café and gourmet dinner menu, they are presenting themselves as more than just a classy place to spend a lunch hour.
Originally sitting on 22nd Avenue North between Oak Street and Kings Highway in Downtown Myrtle Beach, Croissants has made a well-respected name for itself preparing delicious homemade pastries and cakes and serving a small variety of lunch options in their little dining room. In November 2008, owner and manager Stephen Stroman moved his business into the new Beach First building and launched its new inception as an all-day eatery.
The café is a brilliant mix of both cottage-cozy and chic. Antiquated pieces accent the room, juxtaposed against the clean lines and contemporary colors that give the restaurant a hip, sleek undertone of elegance. Each table is beautifully set with unique china and clean linens but, despite the haute formalities of the dining experience, the interior design allows each patron to feel as if they are dining in their own home.
Croissants starts off each day with their colorful breakfast menu, complemented perfectly by an assortment of hot or cold drinks from their extensive coffee bar. The breakfast repertoire consists of breakfast classics such as eggs, waffles, pancakes, and French toast, but really excels at boasting executive chef Bryan Bodle’s creativity. Early-rising diners can choose from Eggs Benedict or Crabcake Benedict, both served over a fresh, crispy croissant. Shrimp and Grits are another Southern favorite but the restaurant changes up the standards a bit with a Homemade Granola Plate or a Salmon Bagel with cream cheese and capers, both somewhat foreign luxuries to Myrtle Beach natives.
By the time the lunch hour rolls around, the café is filled to the brim with the aromas of fine baked goods which include a daily selection of over 20 pastries and cookies. Additionally, the bakery offers an assortment of more than two dozen cakes and pies which they sell both by the slice and whole. The most popular of these daily cakes is the Triple Chocolate Mousse Torte which can be ordered by the slice like the others or as a mini-cake made for two. This decadent treat is a multi-tiered masterpiece combining mousse, cake, and a crushed-nut crust that lines the three layers of intertwining chocolate that is so amazing it has been known to elicit tears of those who choose to indulge.
The bakery is not only known for its incredible daily selections but also for the fantastic creations it produces for weddings, graduations, and other local events. They are eager to show off their bakers’ talents with a variety of styles and host a portfolio of their finest creations that they keep in house and on their website.
The lunch menu is what made Croissants the subtle powerhouse it is today. Homemade salads, innovative wraps, and more than a dozen hot sandwiches are complemented by little sides of pasta salad, potato salad or a broccoli salad and are the epitome of what it means to have a classy lunch hour.
However, the almighty lunch rush may be dethroned by the unbelievable dinner that renowned chef Bryan Bodle has ushered into the new and improved Croissants. Meal starters include a short list of fine appetizers such as Coquille St. Jaques and Steamed Mussels, even a mouth-watering Carolina Jumbo Lump Crab Cake made with sweet corn and coconut milk stew. A lemon sorbet cleans your palate perfectly for the main event, one of 10 entrées that are ever-evolving works of art. Although the chef changes the menu regularly, there are a few items that have become permanent fixtures due to their popularity and general appeal. Dinner plates range from a Veal Osso Bucco to a Mapple Leaf Farms Duck Breast and then to the obligatory Fresh Catch du Jour, an unwritten rule in any coastline restaurant. In particular, the Bistro Signature Chicken is a succulent treat, with a breaded chicken breast stuffed with boursin cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Prosciutto ham, and fresh basil, resting on linguine and covered in a tangy, rich Roma tomato herb sauce.
Even with its five-star quality meals, however, Croissants has taken into consideration the appeal of gourmet on a budget. Most of the dinner entrées are between $15 and $20, with only the steak and grouper dishes going a few dollars above. Additionally, all desserts are under $10, which makes splitting a rich slice of cheesecake or a monstrous Mousse Torte for Two even more tempting.
Croissants Bistro and Bakery is also using its new home to host a series of wine dinners, art shows, and live musical performances. Each month, the restaurant shows the work of a local artist while wine tasters can peruse the selection, enjoy a glass of wine and listen to live jazz. Additionally, every Monday evening at 7 p.m. the café creates a small stage to allow local amateurs to try their hand at live performances at the weekly open mic. All the monthly events are updated on the website, but if you’re interested in seeing what’s planned for a few months down the road, feel free to call the number listed below.
Croissants Bistro and Bakery is open Mondays through Fridays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. The café is located at 3751 Grissom Parkway in the Beach First Center on the first floor, facing 38th Avenue North. The phone number for the café is (843) 449-BAKE (or 449-2253.) The website for the restaurant is current and frequently updated with news and events, which can all be found at www.Croissants.net. Carryout and special orders are welcomed. Reservations for dinner seating are encouraged but not required.
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