McCali Manor

Wonderful atmosphere, and good food. Great location for a special event.

Things are looking up in Mt. Pleasant!
What has been a mostly dreary time-​forgotten town, is showing a few sparks of life. One of them is the restaurant within McCali Manor, the former Elk Hall in the middle of town on Main Street, sitting right off the Monument, and across the street from Veterans’ Park.
I spent the night in the upstairs apartment, which was available for the weekend, and went down to have dinner in their small, but amiable dining room, which seemed freshly painted, and a small bar towards the back with a few friendly regulars. The menu was not extensive; a few questions to my server made it apparent that the Herbed Chicken was one of the house specialties. It came with Fresh Veggies, and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes. My son at 14 was happy with the Mac & Cheese.
The Chicken was roasted well, but remained juicy. The light herb crust added flavor, but was so thin as to be almost unnoticeable. The Veggies were an interesting mix of Carrots, Onions and String Beans, sautéed in butter and a little salt. Simple and tasty. The Mashed were like momma used to make, but I gave a large part of it to my son, who seemed to love it as much as his Mac and Cheese — which came in an enormous bowl and had a little spicy kick to it.
I was surprised by the quality of the food coming out of the kitchen, and mentioned it to our server. Next thing I knew, we were invited into the kitchen to meet the chef, J.D. who was a bit busy. He was warm and engaging. It was cool to watch him work. Before we left, a slice of Carrot Cake with Pumpkin Mousse and Whipped Cream appeared on our table in gratitude for our appreciation of the meal.
That was literally the icing on the cake for a exceptional meal, whether in Mt. Pleasant or any other ville.