Camille's definitely a winner
| Wednesday, May 27 2009 04:33 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, May 27 2009 04:33 PM
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3615 Coffee Road
213-3400
Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Prices: Wraps $6.99, pizza $6.59-$7.59, Panini $7.59, sandwiches $6.59-$6.99, soup and salad $3.49-$6.99, breakfast items $2.95-$4.95. Child's plate available.
Payment: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover personal checks and The Californian's Press Pass accepted.
Dress: Casual.
Amenities: Wheelchair accessible; beer and wine served; some vegetarian options.
On the Web: camillescafe.com
Food: HHH
Atmosphere: HHH1/2
Service: HHH1/2
Value: HHH
Next week: Marie Callender's
Images:
Jenn Ireland/ The Californian A 'Chicken Artichoke Grilled Hot Wrap' served with a spring mix salad and hot coffee sits on a table ready to be eaten at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe in northwest Bakersfield. In the back, Andrea Caouette and Debra Paradis chat as they finish up their lunch Monday afternoon.
Jenn Ireland/ The Californian Patrons enjoy their lunch outside on the patio at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe in northwest Bakersfield Monday afternoon.
Jenn Ireland/ The Californian Customers enjoy their lunch at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe in northwest Bakersfield Monday afternoon. General manager Antoine Feghali, far right, says hello to a patron as he sits down to eat his food.
Jenn Ireland/ The Californian Sofi Jonsson, as assistant manager, works in the kitchen at Camille's Sidewalk Cafe Monday afternoon in northwest Bakersfield. Camille's serves soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and even flatbread pizza.
Jenn Ireland/ The Californian Camille's general manager Antoine Feghali brings food to his nephew Andrew Feghali who stopped by to grab some lunch with a friend Monday afternoon. Camille's Sidewalk Cafe, located in northwest Bakersfield, serves soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps and even flatbread pizza.
I was in New York City recently and noticed calorie counts on all the restaurant menus, from fast-food places to white-tablecloth restaurants. Apparently it was a new law passed by the city, and I can immediately see the benefits. I discovered that what had seemed like a fair meal become a gargantuan feast if you're actually trying to stay in the 2,000-2,500 calorie-a-day range.
I bring this up because I recently visited Camille's Sidewalk Café off Coffee Road just north of Rosedale Highway, and I was intrigued by one of the wraps on the specials board, the sweet herbed turkey wrap ($6.99). The young man behind the counter said it's been up there for about a year and would probably not ever be taken off due to its popularity as a low-cal lunch. Only 300 calories for the whole thing, with five grams of fat and 15 grams of fiber. We had to try it.
You won't miss the calories. This is like a salad in a wrap, made with fresh romaine lettuce, sliced processed turkey and a nice mix of vegetables, including julienne carrots, purple onions, dried cranberries, rosemary and I believe some sprouts. (The vegetables on everything we tried here was exceptional.) The proportion of meat to veggies was perfect if you're trying to eat healthy, and it is served with a side salad topped with a raspberry vinaigrette. (I'd prefer a simple garlic vinaigrette, as the cloying nature of the vinaigrette isn't as satisfying.)
One of the other special board wraps was similarly excellent, though I'm sure it had at least double the calories: the chicken artichoke wrap ($6.99). (Our waiter said they sold 250 of those on the first day!) Inside a jalapeno tortilla was a chopped mix of artichoke hearts, grilled chicken, bits of artichoke leaves, a pesto mayo, red pepper strips, feta cheese. This was warmed up on a Panini grill, melting all these great flavors into a mix that was fantastic. Order this to celebrate the weight you lost from the herbed turkey wrap lunches.
I didn't really care for the barbecue chicken flatbread pizza ($7.59), which had another nice mix of ingredients (bacon, grilled chicken, red onion, barbecue sauce, pepperjack cheese and chives) but the crust was charmless and dry. I had better luck on another visit with the Napa Valley chicken Panini ($7.59), which was made on focaccia bread, red onions, provolone, the same grilled chicken and a nice sun-dried tomato pesto that was not too fatty.
Some of the desserts (cookies, scones, muffins, brownies) are made on the premises, but the more exotic cakes and desserts are brought in from Los Angeles, according to our waiter. The brownie we tried was OK (chocolate chips inside) but the real star was the dulce bar that was like a piece of caramel cheesecake.
Service was just excellent on one of our two visits from a young man with a short haircut. He was informed and informative, very social and helpful, definitely earning his salary by going the extra mile, talking to customers and working hard. He seemed to know a lot about everything on the menu.
I worry about the restaurant, as the Wings To Go place nearby has already closed and too much of the office space in the center, which likely would provide some traffic, are still empty. There's a nice patio with tables, though you'll be looking out on Coffee Road's traffic. They need to slow down and check out some of these sandwiches.
