Betsie Bay’s Gem of a Grille

Sept. 14, 2014

When Jill Weide and Dale Evans swapped the rat race for a slower pace, they chose Northern Michigan.

They retired, moved from Virginia, and bought a small cafe for sale overlooking Betsie Bay between Frankfort and Elberta.

"We loved the view of the bay," said Weide, a former government employee. The Bayview Grille opened in spring of 2010 with two caveats, said Evans, a former realtor.

"We decided when we came here we wanted to make things from scratch and at a reasonable cost," Evans said.

THE SCENE

Since then, they’ve made many changes:

An amicable divorce, a new covered porch, and a liquor license have kept the business partners busy.

Then this year, they opted to stop serving dinner and instead focus on the restaurant’s strengths: breakfast and lunch.

"We don’t sell as much wine as we used to," said Evans.

Yet they still do a good business with alcohol.

"People come here for the Bloody Marys and mimosas," Weide said. "And Bellinis."

Evans and Weide’s decision to scrap dinner was a lifestyle choice, but not an easy one to make, they said.

"It was not an easy decision to end dinner," said Evans.

They do believe they made the right choice. "We have people who live here come in for breakfast every day," he said.

THE MENU

Bayview Grille includes a full slate of sandwiches, salads, soups and small plates. Burgers include the Bayview Bar Burger, with horseradish cheddar tavern cheese, sautéed onions and mushrooms.

Other entries on the sandwich side include a crab cake sandwich, pulled pork, Grille Mediterranean (roasted red peppers, marinated portabellas, spinach and fresh mozzarella with gorgonzola pear dressing), turkey club and turkey Reuben, even Baja fish tacos with avocado, cucumber, cabbage, salsa verde and bistro sauce.

Salads include cherry chicken and apple walnut, while featured soups are sweet corn and bacon chowder and gazpacho. Small plates include fried calamari, steamed mussels, flatbread pizza and corn dog dippers, a dozen golden brown mini corndogs with honey mustard sauce.

Earlier in the day, patrons can choose from a complete slate of breakfast items. Eggs, omelettes, pancakes and waffles top the list. Other options include house-made corned beef hash, biscuits and gravy, and crab eggs Benedict. They also offer a quartet of breakfast sandwiches.

At the bar, in addition to cocktails, Bayview also offers a number of craft beers.

THE BEST

Among the omelettes, the Bayview Spinach is a sure winner, with tomato, avocado, bacon, basil and both Havarti and feta cheeses. If you’re feeling more adventurous, Evans says the Pure Michigan Omelette is a great choice, with asparagus, mushrooms, dill, Hollandaise sauce, and salmon.

Weide says customers love the pancakes. "We just had some people in here who said they were the best pancakes they’d ever had," she said. Evans says the buttermilk recipe gives them just the right tang.

Bayview Grille also makes its own beignets, crispy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth inside.

The four-berry jam served with toast is also made in house.

"We have one lady who comes in and has it with toast, then eats it with a spoon," said Weide.

At lunchtime, they say they sell more hamburgers than anything else, and their favorite is the 50/50 burger.

"It’s bacon and beef. We mix it together," said Evans.

He also calls turkey "a huge seller," pointing to the fact they smoke the meat themselves.

THE REST OF THE STORY

Both Weide and Evans say the best part of being restaurant owners has been their immersion in the life of Frankfort and Elberta.

"We’re part of a community," says Weide. The operation is also a family affair. Their sons Tony and Matt both work there, and daughter Jerrekia helps out occasionally as well.

And they’ve both learned new skills, given that neither had worked in a restaurant before.

"I spent a lot more time in the kitchen this summer," said Weide. "I love to cook."

Now they are taking their lifestyle choice one step further.

This year for the first time, the Bayview Grille will close for the winter Oct. 31, reopening April 1.

THE SKINNY

Breakfasts start at $4.99 for sandwiches, $8.99 for omelettes ($5.99+ for build-your-own), and $5.99 for waffles.

At lunchtime, burgers start at $8.99, sandwiches at $6.99, salads at $8.99, and small plates at $5.99.

Bayview Grille is open 7am to 2pm Sun.- Thurs. and 7am to 4pm Fri. and Sat. It is located at 727 Main in Frankfort. For more, call (231) 352-8050, visit bayviewgrille.com, or visit its Facebook page.