By Nora J. Raum

njraum@msn.com

Tommy Bahama's Café is more than a restaurant -- it is a casual lifestyle for men and women. Whether dining or shopping, you will feel like you are buying clothes and accessories for an extraordinary trip, perhaps even a safari.

You will be comfortable enough to enhance your home with Tommy Bahama's furniture, rugs and accessories or stay home and lounge inside or outdoors in your new digs. Once you have tasted the food, you will want to recreate it and cook for your family and friends.

I did not try the Tommy Bahama Rums, which are crafted in Barbados. The White Sand Rum is clear and light-bodied and has hints of tangy, tropical fruit which include pear, citrus, vanilla, coconut, lime, orange and a hint of molasses.

The Golden Sun Rum is full-bodied and is amber in color with hints of coffee, roasted hazelnuts, figs currents, butterscotch, toffee, coffee and caramel like a sweet praline. I picture the latter on top of vanilla ice cream with raisins or pecans, etc.

There is a full bar menu including wonderful wines. I had the Sequoia Grove Cabernet, which was dry and full-bodied with a very good taste. Picture sipping on a drink in a comfortable and casual and still elegant atmosphere enhanced with natural light and soft tones. The Café at Market Commons seats 300 people, including the bar area, and outdoors there are 75 seats. The private dining room seats 50 people.

To purchase Tommy Bahama Ultra-Premium rums, visit www.877spirits.com. Do not forget to enter your birthday or to get the recipes for cocktails.

Actually, I just signed up for my newsletter with my own list of preferential notifications from Tommy Bahama by going to www.tommybahama.com.

To start dinner, I tried two appetizers: the Loki-Loki Tuna Poke (my favorite), which had fresh Ahi tuna layered with freshly made guacamole, soy and sesame oils served with Tommy's Flatbread and Torilla Strips. I felt so healthy while eating this light fare. I think I will eat it more slowly next time to make it last longer -- that's how good it is.

The South Seas Scallop Slides was the second appetizer, which had two sautéed jumbo sea scallops served between mini buns with Asian slaw, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and chipotle aioli all topped with crispy "tobacco" onions. This was such a nice change from the mini cheeseburger sliders most restaurants serve -- lighter and better for you. You could taste the peppers. It was flaky and flavorful.

Other appetizers at Tommy Bahama's include: the Big Island Goat Cheese (macadamia nut-encrusted goat cheese served with mango salsa, Tommy's Flatbread and a sweet soy glaze; Tommy's World-Famous Coconut Shrimp served with papaya-mango chutney and Asian slaw; the Crab Calloway, which are grilled crabcakes with a light coconut crust laid over a sweet chili mustard sauce and cilantro oil served with Asian slaw; and the Antiqua Quesadilla of Asparagus Spears, spiced Monterey Jack and goat cheeses sandwiched between flour tortillas and topped with tomato jam, lime sour cream and queso fresco.

Our server, Don DePasquale, was terrific. He was so service-oriented and made certain we were comfortable and well taken care of. He was so personable that just to look at his smiling face made our meal more enjoyable.

I tasted two soups, which were the Tortola Torilla Soup, a savory blend of ground corn tortillas and vegetables with grilled chicken seasoned with island spices that included cumin and a hint of cayenne and garnished with lime sour cream. This served as a wonderful palette opener. The other soup was the Cooper Island Crab Bisque, which had fresh vegetables and shellfish stock, butter, Sherry, cream and lump crab meat. It was smooth and lightly creamed and not too heavy. It was delightfully infused with the texture of fresh greens and chunks of crab meat.

I was introduced to Andy Donato, the general manager, who was very accommodating and knowledgeable about Tommy Bahama's. There are over 70 stores worldwide.

The Managing Chef John Leichty has over 17 years in the culinary industry. He was raised in Atlanta, Ga. While working his way through college, he began as a line cook and became the executive chef at the historic Beaver House Restaurant in Statesboro, Ga. After John graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management, he returned to Atlanta and worked at The Holiday Inn in Roswell as the assistant restaurant manager.

After returning to Georgia, John moved to Vail, Colo., to attend Johnson & Wales University, where he graduated with honors in 1999. There, he worked at Michael's American Bistro and then returned to Atlanta to work for Ray's on the River, Vinny's on Windward, Grace 1720, Garrison's of Vinings and then became executive chef at the Horseradish Grill.

In 2006, Tommy Bahama had Chef Leichty become executive sous chef for the new Orlando Compound of Tommy Bahama in Florida. One year later, he was promoted to executive chef and he opened two more stores. As executive chef at Tommy Bahama's in Myrtle Beach, Leichty demonstrates his Southern flare, which he adds to the island-inspired cuisine. He likes to keep things simple by using the freshest ingredients, which speak for themselves in the dishes.

In the local favorite of shrimp and grits, John uses the grits which come from the Anson Mill in Columbia, as many fine dining restaurants in Atlanta have found them to be the best, too. The grits were creamy but still had enough texture for them to feel like the comfort food they are supposed to be. They were absolutely delicious.

Tommy Bahama's Tropical Café roasts its own corn and everything is fresh, including the whipped cream for the desserts. The most popular dessert is the Piña Colada Cake. It was so light and moist -- with the vanilla layer cake laced with Myers Dark Rum and chopped pineapple, covered with white chocolate mousse and toasted coconut -- that it was heavenly.

A Piña Colada Cocktail is a favorite in warm weather to start a meal and may even be sipped at the end of a meal, especially with Piña Colada Cake.

Why risk staying up too late from either freshly brewed regular or decaffeinated coffee?

Getting back to the wonderful food, I cannot help but mention the salads. My advice is to eat plenty of salad to be healthy. I sampled Tommy's Classic Caesar Salad (Romaine lettuce is supposed to be the healthiest). This salad had crispy whole leaf Romaine Hearts tossed with Grana Padana Parmesan cheese and garlic croutons.

I also had a bit of the Boca Boca Beet Salad with fresh arugula mixed with roasted beets, roasted red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, Hearts of Palm and cabbage, tossed with a Lilikoi Vinai-

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grette garnished with Red Bull Beets. And The Bungalow Salad I also sampled and it was a chopped salad of fresh mixed greens, vine-ripened Roma tomatoes, Granny Smith Apples, Macadamia Nuts, Maytag Bleu Cheese, Hickory Smoked Bacon and Sweet Corn tossed with homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette and garnished with Garlic Croutons. I was in salad heaven as I enjoyed all three immensely.

For those that want to eat lightly, there is the Chicken Salad Junkanoo which is pulled Roast Chicken tossed with celery, corn, onion, scallions, red grapes, Monterey Jack cheese, mayonnaise and lime juice. It is served on toasted sourdough bread with fresh mixed greens and seasonal fresh fruit.

Then there is the St. Croix Chopped Salad which is diced, marinated and Grilled Chicken Breast, fresh Mixed Greens, Vine-Ripened Roma Tomatoes, Maytag Bleu Cheese, Granny Smith Apples, Macadamia Nuts, Hickory Smoked Bacon and Sweet Corn tossed with homemade Honey-Lime Vinaigrette and garnished with Garlic Croutons.

The salads with so many surprisingly high end ingredients make your eyes open wide upon reading. Take the Saba Steak Salad which is marinated with Char-grilled Tenderloin Medallions served over a bed of fresh mixed greens tossed with Tamarind Vinaigreette and garnished with Grillled Potatoes, Vine-Riped Roma Tomatoes, Shitake Chips and Garlic Aioli or the Tahitian Tuna Salad which is Blackened Ahi Tuna served Rare atop a bed of fresh Arugula, Spinach and Carrots, tossed in a Lilikoi Vinaigrette, ribboned with Sweet Soy Glaze and Wasabi Aioli and served with Wasabi Paste and Soy Sauce and then garnished with Crispy Wonton Strips and Toasted Sesame Seeds. They both sound so appealing.

There are also sandwiches for light fare including Above The Border Quesadilla of marinated Grilled Chicken mixed with Spiced Monterey Jack Cheese, chopped fresh Cilantro, Scallions, Chipoltle Aioli, Roasted Garlic Puree and Spices. It is topped with an Avocado Crème Fraiche and a fresh Tomato Salsa and garnished with micro Cilantro.

Still on the light side, The Habana Cabana Pork Sandwich with the slow Roasted Pulled Pork finished with Tommy's own Blackberry Brandy Barbeque Sauce piled high with "Tobacco" Onions and served with Asian Slaw and French Fries and the Martinique Mahi Sandwich with the Pan Seared Mahi Mahi Filet seasoned with Island Spices on Grilled Hawaiian Ciabetta with Romaine Hearts, sliced Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Red Onion and Remoulade Sauce, also served with French Fries sounds divine.

There are the St. Bart's Shrimp BLT which is Grilled Lemon Shrimp and is served with Pennetti Pasta Salad, Tommy's Great Big Crispy Fish Sandwich which is Crispy Beer Battered Island Fish, and the Paradise Nation Cheeseburger which is Char-grilled Angus Beef Hamburger cooked to order.

The entrees are plentiful and I was fortunate to sample three of them. The Trinidad Tuna was Pan Seared Rare Ahi Tuna, Lemongrass Encrusted, seasoned Sweet Chili Sauce and drizzled with Cilantro Oil and served with Sautéed Baby Bok Choy and Shitake Mushrooms. It was garnished with Pickled Ginger, Wasabi Paste and Toasted Sesame Seeds. This Ahi Tuna was like an Ahi Tuna Mignon and the Shitake Mushrooms were a perfect accompaniment for this dish that were cooked incredibly well.

I also had The Island Cowboy -- a Tenderloin Filet of Beef with a Port Wine Demi-Glace, Roasted Garlic Cloves and Maytag Bleu Cheese Crumbles. This was served with fresh Grilled Asparagus which was seasoned with Lemon Garlic Oil. It was tender and I especially liked dipping the meat into the demi-glace.

The third dish was the Sanibel Stuffed Chicken with Herb Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper stuffed Chicken Breast sautéed golden brown with a Parmesan and Japanese Breadcrumb Panko Crust atop a Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce. This was served with fresh Grilled Broccolini seasoned with Lemon Garlic Oil. The Chicken Breast coating which was crispy was a perfect contrast to the inside stuffing of Herb Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper. The Chicken Breast itself was very tender and not at all fatty. Broccolini is always one of my favorites as is Asparagus.

Other entrees I will want to try in the future are the Ocho Rios Roasted Chicken as it is flavored with fresh Thyme and Fennel, The Tobago Tenderloin which is Maple Brined Grilled Pork Tenderloin topped with a Dried Cherry Merlot Chutney, Little Palm Island Pasta with Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp in fresh Garlic and Basil Oil and Vegetable Stock, Shoal Bay Snapper which is fresh Yellowtail Snapper encrusted with Macadamia Nuts, Old San Juan Shrimp & Scallops which are sautéed in a Curry Coconut Sauce, and Tommy's Rib Rack which are Grilled Baby Back Ribs with Tommy's Blackberry Brandy Barbeque Sauce.

Sides include Whipped Bayou Sweet Potatoes, Guadeloupe Grilled Asparagus, Perfect Storm Smashed Potatoes, The Big Basket of Fries, Bermuda Broccolini and Dr. Mambo's Plaintain Combo.

The desserts are exceptionally good. Again, the most popular dessert is the Pina Colada Cake. I also had Blackbeard's Butterscotch which is a consistency of dark brown cane sugar, butter, cream, vanilla and scotch whiskey, blended and served chilled. It is garnished with chocolate ganache, "from scratch" caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream. I found the best way to get to the chocolate ganache on the sides of the glass are with a teaspoon and a little scraping is involved but well worth the effort.

The Pineapple Upside Down Vanilla Cheesecake is baked with caramelized pineapple infused with cane sugar and vanilla. It is served with "from scratch" caramel sauce. I thought the pineapple went wonderfully with this vanilla accented cheesecake.

There are other desserts I would love to try next time such as the Wha' Jamaican Chocolate Cake which is a flourless chocolate espresso cake served with white chocolate crème anglaise and garnished with chocolate shavings, and the Barbados Brownie which is a chocolate-coconut fudge brownie served with vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream drizzled with "from scratch" chocolate and caramel sauces. Lastly, I will certainly try the Key Lime Pie next time served with fresh whipped cream. It is not supposed to be too tart.

After dining I decided a walk around the gift shop was a must. I was fortunate to meet Bobby Ham from Virginia. He is a sales associate who was shopping at Tanger and talking about how wonderful the Tommy Bahama clothing is for men . He was actually unbeknownst to him talking to the manager of Tommy Bahama's retail store. He was given a job and models the clothes he enjoys selling and looks oh so comfortable. I also met Arika Scafidi, the general retail manager of Tommy Bahama and it was a pleasure to find out that she is a very dedicated professional who loves her work. Actually, everyone that works there looks so happy -- I wonder if the food has a lot to do with it.

Tommy Bahama's Tropical Cafe is located at The Market Common, 3044 Howard Ave. in Myrtle Beach. The phone number is 843-839-1868; fax: 843-839-1808. Website: www.tommybahama.com

There are Drink & Appetizer Specials in the Bar from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Taste the Rhum Locker Collection with rums from Haiti, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Cuba, Bermuda, Trinidad, Anguilla, Guatemala, Jamaica, Tortola and St. Croix

Bungalow Bar Menu is available from 9 p.m. to closing.

The Cafe is open open for lunch and dinner with the same menu.

Nora J. Raum may be contacted at njraum@msn.com