FLYING FISH - N. Myrtle Beach, SC

I hate when I'm really looking forward to a meal and it turns out to be a major disappointment. Our last day at the beach I really wanted seafood and I was looking forward to really good seafood. Our hosts selected Flying Fish Public Market & Grill. I was happy to learn that this was not one of their favorite go-to seafood spots.

We will probably never eat here again. Although their claim to fame is that the seafood goes from the boat to the kitchen within two hours of being caught, the fish being fresh is all they can claim. Once it was cooked it was all downhill.

Let me start with the staff and service. We asked for a particular table. There's no point in dining on the water if you can't have a window with a view. We were there shortly before noon and there was no crowd so being seated at the table we wanted should not have been a problem. The hostess was visibly annoyed when she had to actually wipe off that table to accommodate us and she didn't bother to hide her irritation. It set the mood for the entire meal. The server was much more pleasant and I actually give her props for her efforts. Without her pleasant personality the entire meal would have been a total bust.

We started with a round of appetizers for the table to share.  The men selected the coconut shrimp with spicy orange marmalade and crispy calamari with sweet and spicy chili sauce. Eating the calamari felt like chewing on rubber bands and the sauce was horrific. The orange marmalade was the best thing on the table at that point. That is until you dipped a shrimp into it.

Big Daddy ordered Fish and Chips and I ordered the Southern Fried Platter with Oysters and Flounder. The oysters were probably the best things on both of our plates. They were lightly breaded, nicely seasoned and very tasty. The fish was over fried and tasted like the oil had not been changed in ages. The slaw was just okay and the fries were oddly seasoned. Two of us thought they'd been dusted with parmesan cheese and the others weren't sure. Either way they were not good and it's not often I can't at least eat the fries.

I wish there was something about this place that I can say I liked but there really isn't. With all the great seafood restaurants in Myrtle Beach I can't say that I would recommend them to anyone if asked. It was truly a disappointment.

TRAVINIA ITALIAN KITCHEN - N. Myrtle Beach, SC

Big Daddy and I stole a few days down at the beach, the first getaway for the New Year and one of our last binges before we resumed our green smoothie cleanse and diet. We reconnected with family and had a delightful time just hanging out and playing board games as we sipped on our favorite adult beverages.

Our first day there the group of us decided to try Travinia Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. There was some reluctance for a few after reading the reviews. Seems like they might have had some issues a year or two ago. Others of us were more optimistic and I was just wanting to check out the new Market Commons area where they were located.

Our party of six was quickly seated and within minutes a round of drinks was had by all and appetizers were on the way. The table shared the Gnocchi and Italian Sausage, Pan Fried Calamari, and the Italian Nachos. The gnocchi was exceptional and everyone loved the calamari with its spicy marinara sauce. I noticed the men were particularly fond of the nachos which were a nice presentation of lightly fried chips, Italian sausage, provolone, black olives, tomatoes, scallions, banana peppers, and asiago cream sauce.

Big Daddy ordered their Pasta Mia Nona. His bowtie pasta was served with grilled chicken, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and that scrumptious asiago garlic cream sauce. I chose the Chicken Marsala and was delighted that they had no problems replacing the cappellini with rigatoni. The sauce was rich and abundant.  My sister/BFF ordered the Scampi Travinia. Although the jumbo shrimp weren't overly jumbo, they were a nice size. The sauce was a delicate blend of garlic butter, herbs, basil and beurre blanc served over cappellini. 

My brother ordered Uncle Tony’s Favorite Pepperoni Pizza. Unfortunately, neither I, nor Big Daddy got a chance to taste it but by the way he inhaled it, I think it was good! The other couple dining with us selected the Flounder Parmesan. The fish was lightly crusted with Italian bread crumbs and was served with lemon butter, capers, spinach-roasted tomato pine nut orzo pasta. The presentation was extremely pretty and it tasted good.

Big Daddy said he would definitely eat here again and I whole-heartedly agree with him.  Our server was delightful and went above and beyond to insure that our meal was topnotch. I can't wait to get to the beach again and will make this a definite must stop. Two thumbs up!

And please, forgive the stock photos but with all the excitement and chatter going on we both forgot to take pictures of our meals!

BIG ED'S CITY MARKET RESTAURANT

We really like Big Ed's City Market Restaurant! I credit Big Daddy for the discovery, the downtown Raleigh venue serving up down home goodness with true Southern flair. We've been twice now. The first time we were there for breakfast. I wanted grits and Big Daddy was craving country ham. Both plates were served with red-eye gravy and both plates were loaded with fresh baked biscuits and fatback. They have easily stolen the award for our favorite breakfast spot.

The second time we went for fried chicken only to discover that they don't serve fried chicken every day. But we weren't discouraged, choosing the daily Blue Plate Special instead. On this particular day the special was fried catfish with a whole host of sides including cornbread and a biscuit. The meal also came with sweet tea and dessert. It was a wealth of food for $8.50 per plate.

Big Daddy ate his fried catfish with butter beans and mashed potatoes and gravy. I chose the collard greens and butter beans.  From start to finish the meal was exceptional with only a few bumps. The butter beans were on point and we were both thoroughly pleased. 

Big Daddy enjoyed the mashed potatoes and they were real potatoes not powder. The collards were the only real disappointment for me. Cooked with real pork meat the flavor was on point but they were horribly over-cooked and were more paste and stem than anything else. They had absolutely no bite or chew to them at all. But I loved the coleslaw that came with the fish and that's saying a lot because I'm not a big fan of coleslaw.

They have some of the best cornbread I've ever eaten and the biscuits are good, too, but I prefer them with breakfast. We both selected the banana pudding for dessert. We've had better but theirs was not bad at all.

Overall, both meals earned an easy A+ from us. The staff is friendly and pleasant, the atmosphere engaging and service was exceptional. They have an extensive MENU that's sure to please everyone. We will definitely frequent Big Ed's City Market Restaurant again. We just have to try the fried chicken!