A new focus for bakery in Myrtle Beach...
Guest Blogger: Becky Billingsley
There's not much that could stop Heidi Vukov, owner of Croissants Bakery and Cafe, from selling her premium bakery products. But on Nov. 5 the name of her iconic Myrtle Beach restaurant is changing from Croissants Bakery and Cafe to Croissants Bistro and Bakery .
The breakfast and lunch menus won't change, but at 5 p.m. the menu becomes "American French," Heidi says, and she is delighted to have Executive Chef Roger Miller executing it. What may shock diners is that they'll be able to purchase exquisite entrees such as Braised Beef Shortribs served in natural juices with fresh braised vegetables jardiniere and spaetzle, for $17.
Another entree is Grilled Lamb Chops marinated with fresh herbs, then grilled and finished with lamb au jus/red wine reduction, and served with sweet potato frittes for $19.
The entrees are all less than $20.
"It's comfort food at comfort prices," Heidi says, "and we'll have a special chef's menu every night with soup or salad, an entree, either a glass or a flight of wine and dessert."
Chef Miller says he’s preparing "comfort food in an elegant setting at very reasonable prices." Part of the reason he's happy is because the venue and atmosphere are so different from the two previous places he worked, which were both large corporate-type settings where preparing banquets was a normal workday. At Croissants, he gets to be more creative.
"It's a dream come true," he says. "I can create what I've been trained to create."
When preparing food for a bistro versus a country club, he’ll be able to employ cooking techniques that aren't feasible when feeding several hundred people at a time. Chef Miller is looking forward to making his own beef stocks and court bouillon.
"The style of cooking can be done with precision," he says. "You can take the simplest ingredients and the right techniques, and deliver a masterpiece."
Have you been to Croissants Bakery and Bistro ?Tell us about your experience!
Becky Billingsley is the CEO of The Food Syndicate, a food media and culinary tour company based in Myrtle Beach, SC. She provides daily local restaurant news at MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com , co-publishes an annual magazine called The Top 100 Grand Strand Restaurants , offers group culinary tours viewable at GrandStrandCulinaryTours.com , and is secretary of the Myrtle Beach chapter of the American Culinary Federation.