Waterscapes

Superking and I were able to do two fancy dinners while in Myrtle Beach.  Our favorite one we saved for our last night, which you'll hear about in a later post.  But we wanted to try a new place as well. We found a restaurant called Waterscapes.  Its located inside a hotel called the Marina Inn at the Grand Dunes.  The Grand Dunes is a more upscale portion of Myrtle, located right between the north and south areas, so this hotel was pretty posh as was the restaurant.

pretty fountain outside hotel entrance

Waterscapes strives for a sustainable "farm to table" dining experience. All their seafood menu options are selected fresh every morning by the head chef himself, straight off the fishing dock in Murrell's Inlet, a small fishing town just south of Myrtle. As such, the menu changes daily depending on what was caught that morning.

beautiful "waterscape" paintings along the hallway leading to the restaurant

fancy balcony in hotel

sweeping "Scarlett O'Hara" staircase in hotel leading to restaurant

We began with an appetizer of Foie Gras Torchon.  The foie gras (fatty goose or duck liver) was served with rum-pressed peaches, pickled radishes, and pain perdu (which is sort of like French toast, kind of sweet and eggy bread).  The foie gras was super creamy and smooth while the peaches were very boozy.  Very unique and interesting presentation of ingredients.

Superking also ordered a salad.  A fried salad actually.  Yes, a fried salad. Kind of an oxymoron isn't it?  It actually was called the Parmesan Seared Romaine Salad. A long chunk of romaine lettuce topped with sun-dried tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, kalamata olives, and a creamy house dressing all of which is covered with a layer of parmesan cheese thats been lightly seared just enough to melt it and slightly wilt the lettuce.  We've never seen or even heard of anything like this before.  The melted cheese gave the whole salad a light crispy shell that was amazing!

Superking also ordered the Seared Tenderloin for his entree.  A juicy tender cut of beef served with a mushroom ragout, asparagus spears, and topped with a lobster tot.  We weren't really sure what a lobster tot was but when it arrived, it appeared to be a risotto croquette with lobster in it. Delicious of course! And the steak was ordered rare and was cooked so perfectly, he wasn't even given a steak knife because the butter knife worked just fine.

I decided I had to go for their specialty...one of their fish specials of the day.  After consulting with our knowledgeable waitress, I went for the Triggerfish, a local specimen, topped with pork belly and served with a fig risotto.  Omg, it was absolutely amazing.  I think probably the best fish I have ever eaten.  Sometimes white fish tends to be a little dry or bland.  This was nothing of the sort.  Completely juicy and as flavorful as chicken.  The pork belly (ok you haven't lived until you've eaten pork belly btw) was smokey and sweet. The fig risotto was also sweet and creamy.  The combination of all of it together was pure awesomeness.  And beautifully presented too.

We were pretty stuffed but I knew once we got back to our room, I'd be ready for dessert so I ordered one to go.  A coconut cake soaked in rum with a creamy coconut filling in the center and served with a passion fruit sauce. And the slice was huge! The flavors didn't quite live up to what we had in our entrees but I think if I had eaten it fresh, it probably would have. Still, who's gonna turn down a coconut cake soaked in rum?