Ciao Exceeds Expectations
By Becky Billingsley
In a town with dozens of fine Italian dining choices, Ciao stands out as a local neighborhood restaurant with fine food at reasonable prices and professional service.
The little restaurant on Kings Highway in the heart of Myrtle Beach has been an Italian restaurant for a long time, but only in the past handful of years since it became Ciao has it achieved an excellence that keeps it bustling with discriminating locals. Owner Claudia Hysa has worked hard to offer quality fare, and then invested in her business with an interior remodel and new exterior awning that has made the restaurant look as great as the food tastes.
If it has been a while since you visited Ciao, the deli case that lined the rear of the dining room is gone and has been replaced by a wall with arched windows cut into it that afford a peek into the busy kitchen. Removing the case also cleared space for more tables.
The square dining room has banquette seating on the left and right, tables at the rear and cozy booths in the middle. The decor is chic and sleek with rustic touches, including a color palette evoking the natural splendor of the Italian countryside.
The menu offers an explosion of flavors for culinary palates.
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Both the dinner and lunch menus are full of tradition Italian choices presented with panache. Simple Italian recipes are prepared with fine ingredients and using classic preparation methods.
Light diners often choose entree salads for lunch, from a basic house salad to Caesar, Italian and Greek that can be topped with grilled chicken or shrimp. There are also cold and hot lunch sandwiches, and each is prepared with fresh ingredients such as just-picked basil, tomatoes and hearty slices of house-made mozzarella.
The crusty-chewy Italian bread used with the sandwiches is also served sliced as a meal accompaniment with a pool of oil and herbs for dipping.
Lunch entrees include pasta choices such as Penne ala Vodka, Lasagna, Veal Parmesan and Mussels Marinara or Scampi.
At night the list expands to include appetizers such as Polenta Cakes and Fried Calamari, and entrees including Fettuccine Alfredo, Penne Puttanesca, Lobster Ravioli, Chicken Lemone, Chicken Cacciatore, Prosciutto-wrapped Grouper and Chicken Florentine. A house specialty is Spinach and Walnut Ravioli in a decadent cream sauce.
This is a great place to save room for an Italian dessert such as Tiramisu, Cannoli or Tartufo, but you can also get a light and fresh sweet ending like Lemon or Peach Sorbet.
Ciao (CiaoMyrtleBeach.com) is at 5223 N. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach, and the number is (843) 449-5700. It's open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 4-9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 4-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations are recommended, especially in the evenings.
We eat there all the time and have never been disappointed. The service and attention to your every need is unmatched. Claudia, the owner, is always there to make sure your lunch or dinner experience at Ciao’s will be pleasant.