For anyone who has gone to Fraser’s Pub for a meal recently, you will have likely eaten food from the culinary creativity of Kristina Mucha. She and her husband Noah are the current owners and are bringing her ideas of incorporating old school dishes with modern updates and making all soups and most of the sauces from scratch every day.

Kristina grew up near Jackson, in Michigan Center, and got her very first job working in the kitchen at the Village Inn in Grass Lake while she was in high school. Throughout her time in college, she worked as a line cook at the Jackson Country Club for regular service as well as catering special events.

After college, Kristina continued her culinary experience by working as a prep cook at the Common Grill in Chelsea. She said that she really learned the importance of accuracy and consistency during her time there. She also said that she learned the big difference between what people who work in the front of the house can make versus those who work in the kitchen.

That realization led Kristina to become a bartender. She started bartending at Cubs AC (now Revel and Roll) before moving to Denver. In Denver, she worked at a high-volume club (i.e., a big crowd, a lot of fast-to-make cocktails, and no time to chat with the customers) and began doing some catering management.

She proudly noted that this was the first time that she got a key for the establishment to be able to do that work. Kristina also pointed out that she learned how to be very creative with an extremely limited kitchen. She said that there were frequently meals for 100 people that she cooked on a two-burner stove and an oven.

Kristina moved back to Michigan to help her family, and it was then that she reconnected with one of her former co-workers from Cubs AC and started working at Fraser’s Pub. Not long after, COVID hit and shut everything down. Kristina noted that they were able to make catered meals for regular customers and used a window in the screened-in seating area to allow for safe meal pick-ups.

In addition to the work at Fraser’s, Kristina started the Five-Toed Foods business making spice blends and cocktail salts. She sold these products at farmer’s markets and holiday markets. This was a great way to maintain her culinary creativity during that chaotic time.

When Fraser’s Pub opened to indoor dining again, Kristina transitioned from being a bartender to being a manager. This transition resulted in the next step she took, that of being the owner. When the previous owner of Fraser’s Pub was looking to retire, he looked for someone who would be willing and able to continue the established traditions. He identified Kristina and Noah as worthy successors, and they completed the purchase in September of 2022. Since taking over the ownership of Fraser’s Pub, Kristina has focused on incorporating traditional recipes with new twists to the menu, specifically as daily specials. She gets a lot of her inspiration from looking at photos and reading articles in her spare time. She is also trying to source as many of the ingredients for the menu as are available from local or at least nearby sources. She said that she hopes to include visits to the local farmers markets to accomplish some of this in the near future. Ultimately, it is enjoyable to see Kristina’s imagination in the daily specials, knowing the emphasis on foods made in-house and from scratch.