The first restaurant I went to when we moved to Destin in 2017 was Camille’s. We were staying with friends who lived in the Crystal Beach area, so we biked over for a drink at the cafe before seeing the beach for the first time. I remember thinking, “Wow, I can get used to living here!” I just loved the quaint, beach town vibes. A few years later I met the owner, Leah Amitrano, through a mutual friend and later had the opportunity to take branding photos for them. Camille’s holds a special place in my heart, and its owner, Leah is just as amazing, so I’m excited to introduce you to her! She was born and raised here, but spent over a decade in New York before moving back to be near family now that she and her husband have two young kids. Check out our Q&A below to learn more about Leah and one of the best restaurants in Destin, Camille’s:
Are you originally from Destin?
Born and raised. I left Destin for college and headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Roll Tide), then spent 12 years in New York City working for some fantastic chefs and restauranteuers in the city. I moved back to Destin in March of 2020 with my husband and then, three-month-old son to be closer to my family and have a little more space.
Give us a quick history of Camille’s:
My Dad opened Camille’s in April of 2002. Our upstairs restaurant was opened first, followed by the cafe in April of 2004. Camille’s was also opened by our General Manager and partner, Chris Knight who is still with us. While we have some new faces around the restaurant, we’ve got a handful of employees who have been with us since opening, or close to it. We are really proud of that. I could not have been more excited to help take the reins when I moved back. We also have other family restaurants in town; Harbor Docks, The Local Market and La Paz, which are not to be missed!
Who is Camille’s named after?
Camille’s is named for my grandmother and great grandmother, Camille Morgan and Camille Bruner. Fun fact, my middle name is Camille and my three your old daughter is named Camille, it’s been a special name in our family for over 120 years.
What are a few of your favorite menu items?
This is like asking who my favorite child is. But if I had to choose…for breakfast in the cafe, I’m ordering a tropical storm smoothie or Jane’s beach bowl (a delicious, healthy, breakfast bowl with quinoa, egg, arugula, feta, tomato, avocado & za’atar seasoning; created by my sister, Jane). For lunch, I’m ordering Uptown Shrimp Tacos or our Sriracha Turkey Sandwich which has been on the menu since day one (with a few changes), always with a side of tater tots (I think we have the best in town). Upstairs for dinner, I’m usually ordering the Seared Scallops and Gulf Shrimp with butternut squash, peppadew peppers, leeks, and brown butter vinaigrette. My husband and Dad would argue we’ve got one of the best steaks in Destin. You can’t end a meal without our White Chocolate Bread Pudding or my Grandmother’s cookies (a New Zealand style coconut sugar cookie she learned to make from a childhood pen pal overseas). I feel like it goes without saying, but we’ve got some of the best sushi around and have had folks like CJ and Mr. V rolling sushi with Yoshie Eddings for as long as we can remember.
How is your business tailored to serve Destin?
Destin is obviously known for our beautiful beaches along the Gulf of Mexico and we’ve got a great Public Beach Access right across the street from our restaurant. Grab a coffee or smoothie for your beach walk or order online and pick up breakfast, lunch or dinner and take it across the street for a beach picnic!
What’s the best part about running your restaurant in Destin?
Camille’s is in a really special spot in Destin – Crystal Beach. We’ve got a great local community along with second homeowners who we see regularly. While we are a touristy beach town and we love seeing first-time guests each year, it’s really our locals who keep our doors open through the year.
Does your restaurant collaborate with any other local businesses or entrepreneurs?
We’re really lucky to have had such a successful business for 22 years, and we like to support other local, small businesses as much as we can. We try to use local purveyors, when possible. We sell coffee from a local coffee roaster, Amavida Coffee. We offer delicious beer from Destin Brewery. We’ve got the best locally made popsicles from Swell Pops. We sell merchandise in our cafe made and designed by local artists like Libbo Morgan and Marilu Morgan. We hire local musicians Thursday – Sunday to play live music in our cafe. And of course, we use local photographer, Jamie Kamber to take branding photographs to help promote our business.
What are your top 3 Destin recommendations?
- Learn a little bit of Destin’s history at the Destin History & Fishing Museum.
- Check out Captain Leonard Destin Park, it’s a beautifully designed park for kids and adults to enjoy and you get a great view of the beautiful Choctawhatchee Bay.
- Eat at La Paz Restaurante & Cantina during Christmas season for the best food, holiday cocktails and decorations.
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