He took over a neighborhood dive bar on Wilson Street in Manchester just a few months ago -- and he's running the whole thing solo. One man, one kitchen, and food that's stopping people in their tracks.

Mike Ivas grew up in Salem, NH, learned to cook from his grandfather who handed him a chef's knife before first grade, and spent seven years in the kitchen at the Cheesecake Factory in San Diego before coming home to New Hampshire. When he took over The Alibi Aftermath, he had one goal: prove that a neighborhood bar could serve food worth driving across town for.

In this episode we talk about what it actually looks like to run a bar completely solo -- Detroit-style pizza, a French onion pizza that already has a cult following, smoked chicken chili that won a competition at Pat's Peak, hand-cut fries he takes very seriously, and the off-menu burrito moment that says everything about how Mike runs this place. We also get into where he learned to cook, why he came home to New Hampshire after years in California, and what he hopes The Alibi Aftermath becomes for the Wilson Street neighborhood.

📍 The Alibi Aftermath

137 Wilson Street (corner of Wilson & Somerville), Manchester, NH

Find them on Facebook and Instagram -- search: The Alibi Aftermath

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This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner.

4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7.

redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

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ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

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0:00 - Intro

0:26 - How Mike ended up at The Alibi

1:31 - "I had to pull the trigger" 😂

2:07 - Running the kitchen solo

3:59 - What ownership means to him

5:32 - Peeking out the window for new faces

6:39 - Turning the page on the Alibi's past

7:11 - Karaoke, music bingo, Patriots games

8:00 - Mid-show intro

8:31 - Keeping Mark's onion rings on the menu

10:14 - Potato skins and what makes them different

11:18 - Carol's Alibi dinner story

13:13 - The French onion pizza explained

17:21 - "People come for the food or the vibe -- they come back for both"

17:47 - The off-menu burrito moment 😂

19:17 - What it means to be a neighborhood bar on Wilson Street

20:27 - Earning the regulars' trust

21:26 - Full menu breakdown

22:41 - The chili that won at Pat's Peak 🏆

23:51 - Red Arrow Diner sponsor read

24:11 - Where Mike's cooking really started

24:53 - His grandfather, a chef's knife, and why food stuck

26:22 - First job at Canoby Lake Park

27:15 - Seven years at Cheesecake Factory in San Diego

30:03 - What brought him back to New Hampshire

31:37 - Manchester Country Club and the road to The Alibi

32:01 - Where he sees The Alibi in 2-3 years

36:13 - What he wants people to know about him

37:03 - Building a team, making people feel seen

40:01 - What surprised him most about owning a bar 😂

43:12 - Lightning Round

46:00 - Last meal on earth: pizza 🍕

46:51 - Closing