Lake St. Clair locals and visitors have new options for waterfront dining with the recent opening of The Griffin and the planned opening of Batter Up in Ira Township.

The Griffin — an upscale steak and seafood restaurant — opened in early April at 8089 Dixie Hwy, behind the former Cove Café. Batter Up Owner and Operator Geoff Vercnocke said he plans to open a café at the former Cove Café on the front side of the complex in late June or early July.

The Griffin offers fine dining, a full bar, and an extensive wine, cocktails and spirits list. Its floor-to-ceiling windows offer full views of Lake St. Clair and a dock. The restaurant is open from 2 to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

General Manager Tom Moons said they plan to open a patio sometime this summer on the water.

“I want (customers) to be able to enjoy a nice dinner, a nice bottle of wine, be present and just take it all in,” Moons said. “It’s a nice spot after working hard all week to just come and look at the water, have a great meal and great service. I’m hoping they’re going want to rush back.”

Several locals sipped cocktails and nibbled appetizers at The Griffin’s bar on a recent Friday afternoon. Clay Township resident Karin Green was one of those patrons enjoying a meal with her husband. She said the area lacks upscale restaurants, so she appreciates having a different option.

“It really is an asset to the community,” she said. “(The Griffin) has great views on the water.”

Novi residents Jodi and Bob Buwalda stopped in for a meal while renting a cabin on the lake for a few days. Moons, a long-time friend of the couple, served them on their boat while he managed the Crews Inn, a waterside restaurant in Harrison Township that closed earlier this year and is in the process of being incorporated into neighboring Bumpers Landing.

“Most places on the water are more casual, so it’s nice to have a quiet, relaxed dining option,” Bob Buwalda said.

Moons opens last restaurant

Moons brings more than 50 years of experience to the Griffin. He got his start in the restaurant industry as a 12-year-old dishwasher at his best friend’s father’s restaurant.

Since then, he has worked every position possible in a restaurant. He was a partner in Shannon’s Steakhouse and the Crews Inn for decades before retiring from the Crews Inn earlier this year.

But, Moons didn’t stay out of the industry for long.

“A friend of mine I went to elementary school with, he told me he bought a restaurant, and he bought a piece of property, and he was going to put a steakhouse on it. And I told him he was crazy. All my friends that open up restaurants didn’t do so well, so I was trying to talk him out of it,” Moons said, chuckling. “But, (my friend) told me, ‘This one was going to make it, because you’re going to run it.’ And I said, ‘Ok I’ve gone one more left in me. I’ll open it.’”

Batter Up set to open next to the Griffin soon

Vercnocke will open the Batter Up café this summer. The cozy little spot will serve breakfast and early lunch from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Currently a food truck, Batter Up will offer Belgian waffle sandwiches, smash burgers, and scratch-made soups. Vercnocke said his batter is denser than a traditional waffle, which holds up well as sandwich bread.

Vercnocke bought the business about a year-and-a-half ago, and has been operating the truck in Macomb and St. Clair counties ever since. He decided to jump on the open space when Moons contacted him.

“That complex being able to accommodate both realms of higher-end fine dining to a café-style breakfast and lunch is a great thing, from the fishermen that are going out in the morning to the boaters that want to come in and eat,” Vercnocke said. “There is going to be something accessible for anyone in any kind of market.”

Vercnocke has also spent his entire career in the food industry, mostly as a chef.

“Cooking and preparing food that people enjoy is fun,” he said. “When you see somebody bite into something and their eyes kind of light up, you know? It’s a different kind of experience.”