Story &amp; Photos by Becky Billingsley
Since Capriz Italian Feast opened in the summer of 2011 at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach it has been a favorite for people who enjoy trying a variety of dishes for one fixed price, and now the menu has been updated.
Here’s how the Capriz concept works. Diners can either pay $10 at lunchtime to enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat experience at the salad bar (which is so much more than a salad bar), or $20 for the salad bar and passed entrees any time during the day and evening.
When seated, guests are given cards that are green on one side and red on the other. When entrees are desired the card is turned so the green is showing, and servers bring to the table a variety of Italian entrees. When the card is flipped over to red, servers stop bringing more dishes until the green signal is again given.
Recently Chef Jordan Habibi, a graduate of the Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, arrived to update offerings at the Capriz salad bar and its passed dishes. The chef has experience at Sofitel hotels in France, Brazil and Canada; and at restaurants in New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago and Sao Paulo.
The salad bar is one of the best in town. There are salads like seafood salad with calamari, shrimp and scallops; curry-infused Indian chicken salad; Italian greens salad; spinach salad; green bean salad; tropical salad; crunchy Romaine; Caprese; and pesto pasta salad.
But this salad bar also stocks portabello mushroom carpaccio; cured Italian meats like prosciutto and salami; a huge wheel of Parmesan cheese filled with large shavings; more imported cheeses; marinated garbanzo beans; fresh soups such as curry soup; broccoli Alfredo; Tuscan potatoes; crunchy Cerignola olives; creamy polenta; and pasta with Bolognese sauce.
Capriz has a full bar including many fine Italian wines. I enjoy the house Chianti.
When diners are ready for entrees they flip their cards to green and servers start arriving with the passing dishes. They include farfalle Carbonara, creamy penne ala vodka with chicken, lemony and crispy chicken Francaise, seafood Portofino with house-made fettuccine, Italian sausage and peppers, steak Marsala, and garlic-rosemary pork tenderloin.
If you enjoy pasta sauces with a spicy bite, be sure to try cheese-filled ravioli with arrabiata sauce. There’s also spaghetti with enormous and tender house-made meatballs, and hand-tossed pizzas. A pizza maker works at a station near the salad bar so diners can see him tossing the dough, and pizzas are also passed around to the tables.
Capriz has an excellent after-dinner drinks and desserts menu. My favorite is a slice of ultra-creamy Limoncello cake and a glass of Italian Limoncello (if it’s good enough for Danny DeVito…). More choices are Portuguese port wine, espresso-tini, black Sambuca, Banfi Grappa, vanilla-citrus Tuaca, cappuccino, house-made vanilla crème brulee, cannoli and tiramisu.
If you’re in the mood to dine early, head to Capriz between 4 and 7 p.m. for happy hour. A special small plate menu offers several dishes at discounted prices, and they often have featured specials like a large pizza and a pitcher of beer for $12.
Capriz Italian Feast is at 1311 Celebrity Circle at Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach, on the southwest side by the carousel and the upside-down WonderWorks museum. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner, and the number is 843-712-1707.

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