Right Here in Riverfront

“I was at art school: two years at Delta College and then one year at Western Michigan University as a painting major. But I enjoyed cooking more than anything, so I naively decided to go to culinary school. I thought ‘In two years I’ll get my degree and then I’ll be a chef!’After graduation, I worked at the Montague Inn Bed & Breakfast part-time as their pastry chef, and then my old chef referred me to a place in Ellsworth called Tapawingo. It was a Five Diamond property, James Beard-nominated and they needed a pastry chef.I got the job.I had to step it up. I had my own kitchen and got to work with a lot of great chefs. But when we had our first child, our family was still in Saginaw and we decided to move back to be closer to family. At that point, Patisserie had been open for about a year and I was fortunate to get a job there.While I was at Patisserie and Jenny was working at Home Depot, we were driving by this space one day and saw a ‘For Sale’ sign. Opening our own place was something we always wanted to do. The space was previously Richie Rich’s Deli, and it was perfect. We partnered with Jenny’s sister and brother-in-law and were able to buy it. They helped us get it going because they knew it was our dream.For the menu, I wanted it to focus on quality but still be accessible, and it's pretty much stayed the same since we’ve opened. Our specials are driven mainly by seasonality and Farmer’s Market produce. Peaches, blueberries, and strawberries are coming up so we’ll do something special with those.There is some carryover between art school and food. Food has to look good, it has to smell good, it has to be presented well. You’re working with all the senses.But the main thing is the taste. If it doesn’t taste good, you’re dead in the water.- Adam and Jenny Bolt, owners of fralias#artofthesandwichFralia's is open Monday through Friday from 10:30AM to 3:30PM, and Saturdays 10AM to 3PM. To place an order, call 989-799-0111.

“In Lebanon, my family has a home in the mountains. My two sisters and my dad’s family are there. I was born and raised here in Saginaw, traveling back and forth overseas once a year. I miss my sisters a lot. With the explosion in Beirut and with COVID, I haven’t seen them. It’s so sad, but they’re safe. Some scratches and some bruises, but they’re safe. I graduated from Arthur Hill and got my Associates Degree in Business from Delta. But then my mother became very sick. Doctors didn’t know what was wrong with her. Her lungs collapsed and she died in front of me three times. She was in a coma for five months. I brought my pillow and my blanket and slept on the floor of the waiting room, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for those five months. But I also met a lot of amazing people. The staff at St. Mary’s and even the patients were so amazing to me. You learn to love everybody. I grew to love being in a hospital setting so I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to go back to school to become a nurse.’ So, I got my Medical Assistant’s Degree and I worked in hospitals.A friend of the family was a fertility doctor in Dubai. They flew me out, and I ended up working for them for four years. Dubai is, like, 'WOW'. Imagine a 24-karat gold Lamborghini car on the street…that’s nothing. They have tigers on the passenger seat. It’s an amazing world, it’s beautiful. At the end of that phase, I said to myself, ‘I have to find somebody. I should get married. I want my child; I want a family. It’s time.’ So, I met somebody, got married, came here, and had my son Jude. He’s the love of my life. Mom and Dad were like, ‘You need to start your own business. You love helping people. You love giving your all to customers, and to everybody.’ Food was my passion. But I said no, I could never start a business, I don’t know anything about business. And they said, ‘Your food is gold!’ My dad, being a businessman, said, ‘There’s nothing like being an entrepreneur. You’ll grow, you’ll learn to know yourself better.’ And that’s exactly what happened. When I opened Falafel Hut, it was hard in the beginning! I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t know what I was doing except cooking. But I said, ‘I’m never going to give up.’ You shouldn’t hesitate on your dreams. It’s gonna be a lot of obstacles, and you might fall. But you’ll get right back up and become smarter, stronger. So, if you have a dream, you have to go after that dream.”- Nawal Hamd, Falafel Hut Middle Eastern CuisineYou can visit Nawal at The Falafel Hut inside the SVRC Marketplace Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 AM to 6 PM. 

On Sunday, July 12, Donald Simon left his house and walked to the truck parked outside his home.Inside the truck, he found a noose.Attached to the noose was a handwritten note: “Accessory to be worn with your BLM T-shirt! Happy protesting!”Instead of feeling shame or fear, they decided to love their city even more.

We talk to Saginaw's Mayor pro tem Brenda Moore. Moore is also the first African American woman to become president of the Michigan Municipal League.