Camille’s on the River

Next to the steakhouse at the Soaring Eagle Casino, Camille’s is the priciest restaurant in town – we’re talking $ 36 for a steak in Mt. Pleasant, MI. There’s no salad or soup as at the Brass and not even a basket of bread. Still I could give them a pass because the food is good, if the service and management were on par with the prices and the level of fanciness they’re striving for. But a recent experience there has left me cold – I went with my wife in late November 2015 for a «date night.» Food was good, but when I got home and looked more closely at the check, I noticed all kinds of surcharges on my wife’s cocktail: she ordered a Maker’s Mark Manhattan with a splash of cointreau. They charged $ 8 for the drink, then $ 2 for serving it «up,» then $ 2 for serving it in a martini glass, then $ 2 for the thimble full of cointreau. All right, $ 2 for a «splash» I could live with, but $ 2 for serving a drink in the glass it conventionally comes in? And then $ 2 again for that same glass? It’s precisely that kind of nickle-​and-​diming that makes people hate the airlines.
So I wrote to them – actually a letter in the mail – and got … no reply. I then followed up a month later via facebook and did get a response. During a brief exchange, I suggested that these kinds of surcharges seem dishonest – and stupid when you’ve got a couple ordering pricey entrees and a bottle of wine. A week or so later I got a gift card in the mail … for the price of the drink. Not even a note with it saying «sorry.» Translation to me: screw you, now go away. That’s not the kind of service one expects from a restaurant trying to be high-​end. Mountain Town, btw – the sister restaurant to Camille’s that shares the same building – has the same absurd pricing for cocktails. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. We’ve been occasional customers for both Mountain Town and Camille’s during our 14 years in the area – and I’ve even set up the occasionally work-​related meeting for drinks at Mountain Town – but I don’t feel to inclined to give them my business anymore. There are other places to go with more honest pricing, better service, and a more considerate attitude toward customers.

What a pleasant surprise. Camille’s is beginning to get up to NYC and Chicago standards. We had appetizers of avocado stuffed with lobster and a quesadilla, both fresh and hot from the grill. One entrée was a braised short rib on a fried rice cake with Brussels sprouts. Ribs were excellent, falling off the bone. The other entrée was chicken bolognese which also had copious quantities of veal and pork, making it very rich and tasty.
Wait staff very efficient and knowledgable.
House Cabernet was acceptable.

The best food in central Michigan! I have been to camilles a number of times and they never disappoint. The appetizers are meals in themselves, steaks are excellent, and they regularly have great seafood specials that shouldn’t be missed. A lot of farm to table selections that support Michigan, and they even have their own garden on site.
This is the only place for an upscale meal in MP, and the prices won’t break the bank! Don’t miss it.

We just visited Camille’s the day they started serving lunch. I loved the atmosphere to start with – it’s elegant but cozy. We had a lovely table right by the fireplace (great if you’re always cold like me, but it does get a bit warm). Our server was really nice and gave good recommendations on the new lunch menu.
I settled on the chicken pot pie. It was awesome. Flaky pastry all around with a wonderful filling and frisée salad on the side. Best pot pie I’ve ever had. My husband chose the spicy Italian beef sandwich, which he really enjoyed.
This restaurant is the best I’ve been to in Mt Pleasant. Can’t wait to come back to try dinner. I’ve heard they have a great wine list.

After moving to Mt. Pleasant from San Diego, I was extremely put out by the lack of restaurants serving decent food. So far, Camille’s is one of about three exceptions to the rule here. The quality of the food and service at Camille’s is light-​years beyond most of the establishments in this town. At Camille’s they neither slack in presentation nor taste. Everything we ordered was delicious, fresh, and well prepared. Having said that: If you want quality food in Mt. Pleasant, you are going to have to pay for it. This restaurant is pretty pricey, however, it is worth the cost if eating well is important to you.