Applewood Provides Variety
By Becky Billingsley
At Applewood House of Pancakes you'll find gourmet pancake creations and a lot of other better-than-average breakfast and lunch fare, plus the friendly atmosphere makes it a social gathering place for locals and visitors.
Located off U.S. 17 in Pawleys Island, Applewood was created by the longtime restaurateur Vlahos family. Amy and Jimmy Vlahos have owned restaurants in North and South Carolina throughout their 26-year marriage, and their four children have been raised in the business.
It's Amy Vlahos' smiling face and sweet southern drawl at the hostess stand that puts the icing on dining experiences at Applewood. She deftly seats guests, and ensures they are comfortable and happy and secure in the knowledge their presence is appreciated. As manager Vlahos also handles requests from card-playing diners who want to schedule games at the restaurant before having lunch; arranges for catered affairs in their large side room; oversees the large and efficient staff; and all the other myriad duties involved with owning a bustling restaurant.
Now in its sixth season serving breakfast and lunch, Applewood has room for 250 hungry guests. The large space is sunny with many windows, and there are plenty of booths and tables of all sizes; large groups can be accommodated. Walls are a soft cheerful yellow, and many wood accents lend a warm home-style atmosphere.
Walls are adorned with works from local artists including landscapes, local flora and fauna, Americana and photography. Applewood is considered an art gallery, and the pieces are for sale.
Menus offer traditional breakfast and lunch favorites, plus more creative recipes.
There are egg platters that can come with a variety of meats: applewood smoked bacon, link or patty sausage, Virginia ham, Canadian bacon, smoked sausage, turkey sausage, corned beef or center cut country ham. There is cereal that you can have topped with a sliced banana, bowls of cantaloupe or berries, and halved pink grapefruit.
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Pancakes are of course a featured item, and the fluffy stacks can be topped with strawberries; pineapple compote and coconut; or raisins, pecans and almonds. Buckwheat pancakes are an option, or your pancakes can be filled with trail mix and topped with apple compote; stuffed with peanut butter chips and bananas; or have sausage links tucked inside.
A variety of omelets are available, including Chef John Vereen's favorite with chicken, fresh spinach, barrel feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil; the Crab Omelet with fresh mushrooms, Swiss cheese and hollandaise; and the Seafood omelet with shrimp, crab, smoke salmon, spinach, tomatoes, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses and Chipotle Hollandaise.
For diners who want to try extra-special treats, there are Salmon Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, Crab Cakes Benedict and Country Benedict where house-made buttermilk biscuits are topped with sausage, scrambled eggs and sausage gravy. For those who like to eat light choices include yogurt-topped strawberry crepes, egg white omelets, a fruit/granola/nut/yogurt parfait, and a wrap filled with fresh and healthy ingredients.
Rounding out the breakfast offerings are Belgian waffles, French toast (including almond-crusted French toast), several frittatas (like the Grecian with eggs, bacon, peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes and feta), breakfast sandwiches and hearty combo meals like pork chops and eggs.
The lunch menu is a celebration of variety from their famous Cranberry Gorgonzola Salad with sliced chicken breast to Smothered Chop Steak topped with onions, mushrooms and brown gravy that comes with two side dishes. Other lunch dishes include Rosemary Grilled Salmon over pasta with spicy cream sauce; Gyros; Fried Chicken; and Open Face Roast Beef Sandwich.
More sandwiches include burgers, Reuben, BLT, tuna salad, steak, chicken salad and the Grilled Blue Chicken where grilled white meat is topped with roasted red peppers, grilled red onions, balsamic vinegar and blue cheese on a Kaiser roll.
A terrific dessert is luscious fruit crepes such as one filled with ricotta and topped with blueberry sauce, or the house favorite banana crepes where fresh banana slices are folded into a luscious and light vanilla/banana sauce.
Applewood House of Pancakes (http://www.applewoodhouseofpancakes.com/#) is at 14361 Ocean Highway in Pawleys Island, inside the Litchfield Exchange shopping center. It's open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, and the number is (843) 979-1022. From 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays there is a breakfast bar for $5-$9 in addition to the regular menu, and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays Applewood also offers a brunch buffet for $6-$12 per person.
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