ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI — While the Old Mill Brewpub & Grill may have recently changed hands, loyal patrons shouldn’t expect any major changes anytime too soon, general manager Brian Lonberg said.
“We’ve been a community staple as long as we’ve been open,” said Lonberg, who doubles as the head brewer for the popular Plainwell spot. “We want to continue to do all the great things we’ve done before and just grow from there.”
Lonberg, a former big city chef, who has run kitchens in Nashville, New York City and Seattle, and also brewed beers in Minneapolis before coming to Plainwell, is working closely with new owners Tim and Holly Woodhams, who recently purchased the brewpub from Scott Zystra, who founded Old Mill in 2012.
Located at 717 E. Bridge St., the brewpub may have only been around nearing 11 years, but the haunted building it resides in, has stood since 1869, once serving as the second largest buckwheat mill in the country.
Related: Ghosts in Plainwell: Meet William and Charles who haunt the old Eesley Mill
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the mill served for a long time as as the site of the Sunshine Flour Mill, owned by John F. Easley. At its peak, the mill produced 600 barrels of buckwheat flour per day. After Easley died in 1929, the Plainwell Elevator Company purchased the building and operated it as a feed mill until the 1990s, providing people a place to pick up dog food and chicken feed, Lonberg said.
The building sat empty for a few years until a coffee shop, flower shop and banquet center moved in, prior to the brewpub slowly taking over the building.
“We are in a great location between the two big cities, great for biking, great for the river walk, all the other things, between the ice cream and various other small, little stores downtown, " Lonberg said noting the location between Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, just east of U.S. 131. “It’s a great place to do a meal and a beer whenever you are in Plainwell or if you are passing through.”
Being a brewpub, the beers are what many come in for, and while Lonberg’s go-to may be the Island City IPA or whatever his latest small batch specialty is, he said the most popular, and the beer everybody always tries first, is without a doubt the Crazy Beaver Cream Ale.
“It’s a really easy-drinking light beer that will appeal to both craft beer fans as well as people who are drinkers of more mass market beers,” he said. “Our Island City IPA and Sunshine Stout are always on the menu and then we have some seasonal beers that cycle through.”
The Nutty Buddy Peanut Butter Porter and Railside Red Ale are both popular when on tap, as is the Oktoberfest, he said, adding that he loves experimenting with German styles, especially in small batches.
For those who love sampling them all, Old Mill offers flights of five different beers. After settling on a favorite, one can also purchase a growler or some canned beer to go. And for the non-craft beer drinker, the brewpub also sells popular domestics such as Bud Light and Miller Lite and has a full bar.
Odds are the person pouring your beers or cocktails if you stop by will be Dave Hurley, who new owner Tim Woodhams referred to as a “fixture in town.”
Woodhams, who purchased the business just a month ago, had been a regular at the Old Mill for years and he and his wife jumped when hearing Zystra was looking to make a change. He said the couple was drawn to the business due to the ambience, beauty and history of the building, along with the great staff.
“I’m super excited,” he said. “And Brian has great ideas that will appeal to the existing customer base and new customers that don’t know about us. Scott did a great job here, and I don’t think that after the pandemic, he hardly skipped a beat. He had a great run, developed a great business, and I think it was just time for him to relax for a little bit and think about the next phase of his life.
“Of course, we want to add our mark where we think we can make incremental improvements. But we are taking our time listening to our customers and making incremental changes that reflect what we learn from talking with them.”
One change Woodhams is excited about is the upcoming installation of new water treatment equipment for the brewery that will improve base water used for the beer, he said.
Another, will be the implementation of some new menu items and return of some old favorites. Kitchen manager Dan Pearson, who Woodhams called “the backbone of the restaurant,” is working with Lonberg on some of those menu changes.
A few old favorites, such as the Caesar Salad, Cuban Sandwich and the fill-your-plate chicken and beef wet burritos, that went away during the pandemic are set to return later this month, Lonberg said. Other items such as poutine, a soup of the day and meat loaf will soon be added as well.
The menu, as it stands, he said, is highlighted by such items as the olive burger, grilled wraps and fish and chips. Other popular items are the aptly named Boxcar BLT and the Grain Elevator – the latter of which is Old Mill’s version of a club sandwich.
The brewpub, which used to offer events in the upstairs banquet space pre-pandemic, will be bringing back that option to guests this coming spring, Lonberg said. The space has the capability to do events for 150-180 people comfortably. The Old Mill also offers catering for groups of 50-500.
Seating at The Old Mill Brewpub & Grill is first-come, first-served, which means no reservations. For more information, call 269-204-6601 or visit oldmillbrew.com. The pub is open from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and currently closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Also on MLive:
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Dog & The Bank offers fine dining in unique setting in Plainwell
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Hillside Indian Cuisine strives for authenticity
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Caffè Casa serving something different for 30 years in Kalamazoo
"tasty" - Google News
December 09, 2022 at 03:26AM
https://ift.tt/PYJ3g2f
Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Old Mill Brewpub offers tasty pub fare, small batch brews north of Kalamazoo - MLive.com
"tasty" - Google News
https://ift.tt/isgSD59
https://ift.tt/Bh7i3Vt
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Old Mill Brewpub offers tasty pub fare, small batch brews north of Kalamazoo - MLive.com"
Post a Comment