With over 120 locations nationwide, it's a bit more chainy than I'd like to make a habit of getting into on this site, but each singular visit tends to be so remarkable that I can't help but talk about the place as a public service to any tourists in the area who have no idea what's going on at this place.
On the surface, the Myrtle Beach Mellow Mushroom is a pizza place. Digging a little deeper reveals it's so much more. Since opening in 2008, this Mellocation (oh my god did you just see what I did?) has been a huge regional proponent of furthering the craft beer cause. With over 40 taps and countless more varieties in bottles, there's something for every taste here from the mundane (Miller, Bud, Coors) to the eclectic and electric (Dogfish Head, Westbrook, Lagunitas).
What's this got to do with food? I'm thrilled you asked! Let me help you with that!
Last night, Mellow Mushroom and Founders Brewery teamed up to deliver the Mellow Mushroom Founders Brewery Beer Dinner. The latest in a series of beer dinners hosted by Mellow Mushroom, chefs from the Myrtle Beach and nearby Florence locations put their heads together to come up with a menu of four courses, each course paired with a different beer presented for the occasion by Founders Brewery out of Detroit, MI.
My roommate Joe is a big homebrewer and was at the dinner as well last night. He's gamely agreed to write up a review of the beers enjoyed throughout the evening and I'll be getting that up on the site a little later today. As you might expect, I'm here right now to talk about the food. Let's get on with it, shall we?
1st Course - Spring Mix Salad with shrimp, mushrooms, cucumber, tomato, mango, raspberries, and pecans drizzled over with a raspberry vinaigrette
Fun Fact: I don't generally like salads. I am literally the worst food reviewer.
That being said, this salad was pretty great. The leafy offerings were more hearty and bitter than your standard fare and this earthiness was further enhanced by the pecans. Plump shrimp provided a nice, savory presence. The tomato, mango, and raspberries brought a great combination of tart and sweet brightness to the dish and the vinaigrette wrapped everything up in its loving pink arms nicely to say nothing about the colorful presentation. They managed to make a salad for people who don't like salad without turning things into a heart attacked dressed in greens for Halloween. Excellently done.
2nd Course - Grilled Salmon Taco topped with lime claw and mango salsa
Look at that. Seriously, just stop what you're doing right now and gaze in awe-struck wonder at the majesty of that plate. So this Salmon Taco...actually, that reminds me.
Fun Fact: I am incredibly wary of seafood. Worst yet, it's not something where it's like "Oh gosh, I'm not sure I trust how this was prepared and am I going to get sick?" but more of a "Oh my god this tastes like FISH get it away from me, it's gross." Remember the part earlier where I told you how I'm the worst food reviewer? Anyway...
This was brain-crushingly delicious. Everything about this dish was perfect. This is fresh dining. Soft corn tortillas provided the base for a particularly-inspired, lime citrusy claw while mangoes and tomatoes danced the Dance of Secret Flavors o'er top a veritable heap of appealing pink fish. I swear to god nothing in that previous sentence was a euphemism. After enjoying these tacos, I already had it in my mind that nothing I could eat afterward during this dinner could possibly compare much less best this experience. SPOILER ALERT: IT GOT BETTER.
3rd Course - Chicken Marsala, Portobello and button mushrooms, and redskin mashed potatoes
Girrrrrl, get on that. A peril of dinners of this nature is that in a rush to serve upward of 40 people simultaneously, corners tend to be cut. Telltale signs like food that's too cool (and not in a good way), meat that should be moist but isn't, or general blandness can often creep up and mar what would be an otherwise extraordinary event.
That didn't happen here. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The breading - and this is important now in a dish like this - was barely there. It accentuated and added texture appropriately instead of taking over. The mashed potatoes were good in their own right. Marsala flavor came through without the plate tasting boozy. Nothing here starred because each unit worked equally toward a whole, quality dish. TEAMWORK, MAN. Get the fever.
Dessert - French Toast stuffed with banana and chocolate cream cheese with maple bourbon infused ice cream
Ballgame, suckers. Remember the part where I was lost in Fish Taco Heaven and swearing things couldn't get any better but then I promised things got better? This is what I'm talking about. I don't even have much of a sweet tooth, yet this obnoxiously divine creation had me wrapped around its little finger. Explanation will probably be an insult to what was consumed, but I'll give it my best shot.
This was probably the most perfectly prepared french toast I've ever had. So it's got that going for it. Impossibly thick hunks of bread struck that expert balance between moist and yielding on the inside and nicely toasted on the outside. Banana and chocolate are your perfect party bro's and they were having a good ol' time chilling out inside this thing. The fact that the chocolate came in the form of cream cheese makes this whole affair borderline in regards to the legality of the thing.
Also, yeah. You read that right. This wasn't just ice cream. It was ice cream that HAPPENED TO ALSO BE infused with maple syrup and bourbon. To top it off - literally, as you'll read - this was served alongside Founders' mighty Kentucky Bourbon Stout. I say alongside when what I more accurately mean is I poured the stout all over this thing like it was the most devilish chocolate and coffee syrup topping ever conceived. Historically baller.
In closing, the whole thing was great. Mellow Mushroom was great. Founders was great. If you've never been to a Mellow Mushroom (or even if you have), you owe it to yourself to visit anytime you're in Myrtle Beach or, of course, any city that made the rockingly good choice to host a location. As a warning, the food served at this dinner is NOT indicative of the norm - this is a pizza franchise, after all. The QUALITY is still the same though - so if you're on the lookout for some next-level gourmet pizza and sandwiches, it doesn't tend to get any better than Mellow Mushroom.
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers
1571 21st Avenue North
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
mellowmushroom.com
(843)444-1122
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