From ‘fry guy’ in Tosi’s kitchen 28 years ago to new owner of the legendary ‘Getaway Cubbie Bar & Grille’ in Bridgman, Mike McCrery has been around the block in the restaurant and food service business. For the past nine years, McCrery has been the Executive Chef at Tosi’s, in charge of the menu of the region’s 85-year heritage fine dining establishment. And now—he owns a burger bar with a 70-year history of its own.
Mike McCrery is ‘pumped’. He can’t wait to put all that experience and expertise to work building on the legacy of The Getaway and bringing it back to a high level of quality, service and family-friendly fun. Mike took over last week and is gearing up with his new staff for a Grand Opening Celebration this Saturday, March 21. There’ll be specials, prizes, surprises and a warm welcoming atmosphere that will continue to be built around the Chicago Cubs. “The Cubbie Grille” will still be the centerpiece every day at the Getaway, says Mike.
“We’re still basing everything on the Cubs. We’ve got nicknamed Cubs on the menu with different items and everything’s got to play into the baseball theme. But the most important point is we’re back to running fresh food, not all frozen stuff. I even put fresh fish on the menu again so people can come and enjoy!”
McCrery says The Getaway will land squarely in the middle of the area’s excellent casual dining spots. Burgers are what helped make The Getaway famous, and they will continue to be a mainstay. But, there will be lots of other choices:
“I’ve been working on the new menu over the past month, putting things together, talking with different vendors, getting specific things lined up. For instance, I put a T -bone back on the menu. The T -bone I’m getting from Fred’s Meat Market in Coloma. They’re cutting steaks for me to start. We’ll certainly look at other great local meat markets, too. We’ll always try to buy locally.”
The Getaway Cubbie Grille menu is displayed below. Mike says he’ll continue to fine tune and make changes as he discovers—or creates—new items.
“I’ve got fresh fish out of Chicago, the same supplier that we used at Tosi’s. Over the next few weeks, I’ve got food shows coming up. I’ve got test kitchens coming up, where we’re going to go and have corporate chefs show us some new ideas and something different for this kind of place. We’re excited about the new Getaway!”
There will be a team of 22 people serving you at The Getaway, many of whom stayed on, plus several key staff members McCrery recruited from leading SW Michigan establishments.
At the bar Mike has 16 draft handles, with several set aside for local brews. One choice is a semi-exclusive Haymarket Session IPA “Throw It Back”, only available three places: Haymarket’s locations near Wrigley Field and in Bridgman, and at The Getaway.
McCrery says The Getaway was the perfect opportunity for him to ‘make it on his own’ after decades at Tosi’s, owned by his brother Dan McCrery and family. He emphasizes that he is not trying to compete in that space and wants to make The Getaway the best family-friendly sports bar and comfort food restaurant around.
While his experience has been as a chef, Mike plans to oversee the kitchen from ‘out front’, meeting the public and building relationships with customers. He is proud to be taking over the reins from another long-time successful restaurant family, the Ackerman’s, who operated The Getaway for two generations. Mike points out he has room for 99 customers right now, but looks forward to when he will need more seating:
“We’re going to add a lot more seating outside this summer, and then I’d like to do some live music outside on the weekends. And there’ll still always be the Cubs games on here at The Getaway!”
The Getaway is located at 9489 Red Arrow Highway, Bridgman 49106
More information at www.getawaycubbiebar.com or 269-465-5932
By Gayle Olson, MOTM Contributor
Mike McCrery, new owner of The Getaway
