When it comes to preparing great dishes James Lewis has a way of taking recipes and making them his own, like his delectable lettuce wraps, which infuse the heartier flavors we all love with healthier ingredients that love us back.

Lewis is part of the reason Flint has a plethora of new possibilities for dining. Whether sitting down with the family or grabbing quick bites, the community has more options.

They are on the menu at the 501 Bar and Grill where “Chef James,” as he’s known, satisfies many a customer in downtown Flint.

Lewis is part of the reason Flint has a plethora of new possibilities for dining. Whether sitting down with the family or grabbing quick bites, the community has more healthy options ranging from grilled specialties to healthy Mexican.

In the coming weeks TheHUB Flint will share the stories of restaurants, food trucks and retail shops now offering healthy menu options.

With so many flavors to savor, making better food choices is easier than ever. Both chefs and entrepreneurs are fashioning great new menus that give residents a plethora of new possibilities, which can often pop up in the most unlikely places, like a dollar store. More the place to pick up laundry detergent or greeting cards than food, it’s not a place you’d think to get a smoothie.

An entrepreneur like Kathy Jackson, however, thought differently. In 2011 she opened Healthy Dollar, her version of the familiar dollar store. It offers the usual goods such as cleaning supplies, clothing, pet food and cosmetics, but also carries the blended fruit drinks that make for a healthy breakfast.

“I started making smoothies the day I started,” says Jackson.

There’s no menu on the wall. She fills drinks to order based on what she has on hand – bananas, yogurt and strawberries – the ingredients most people tend to like.

“Customers tell me what they want to use as a base, and I tell them what I have, like an array of juices, coconut water, and the fruit,” she says.

Jackson reports a good smoothie following to date. To further help encourage a healthy lifestyle for her customers she has added fruit and fresh vegetables from the large garden planted on the roof of her store at First Street and Beach.

She bought the building when she moved back to Flint after a 30-year career as an editor traveling the world for Crain Communications. She returned to her native city with the desire to own a business and bought the 2,000-square-foot building, putting the store on the ground level and turning the top two floors in living quarters.

Now 67, the entrepreneur says she loves having her own business. “I wish I had done this 20 years ago,” she says. “This place would be booming.”

Food trucks are also serving healthy options. Take tacos, for example. They can be a healthy alternative for any meal.

That’s the realization Yevette McClain-Henley  came to when she started Yevette’s Gourmet Tacos. Her truck, parked on Court Street between Avril and Center Roads, draws repeat customers every day for her turkey-meat-only tacos, loaded with a variety of veggies and McClain-Henley’s special secret sauce. Each taco is made to order and costs only $2.

McClain-Henley’s goal is to provide healthier food that contributes to better eating in her hometown. “I’m trying to turn lives around here, which we really need after the water crisis,” she says.

For McClain-Henley, the taco truck is much more than a place to sell food. She’s turned it into a street ministry. “This is my church,” she says. “People are hurting out here. This is where I can minister to those in need.”

Fine dining restaurants are also changing their menus to offer healthier options.

Cork on Saginaw is leading the charge in Flint. Marjorie Murphy, owner, managing partner and executive chef, opened the 75-seat restaurant in February 2011 and hasn’t looked back since.

It’s housed in an historic white marble building with a bright white interior, high ceilings and fun artwork. The purple velvet seating and candle-lit tables give it the chic appeal patrons love. The European flair makes Cork stand out in a town that is getting known for its vibrant restaurant scene.

“It’s really the fresh, local, seasonal ingredients we use that keep people coming in,” emphasizes Murphy. One of the most popular menu selections is the grilled salmon the restaurant conjures up at different times of the year. Look for it winter, spring, summer, and fall.

These are just a few of the places Flint residents can go for healthy options. TheHUB encourages area chef and business owners to tell us their story. Tell us how you are helping so we can share your story and showcase your healthy alternatives.

See more of TheHUB’s coverage on Flint’s growing food culture and Chef’s Best series:

Flint cook finds life-changing recipes and corners a new market 

Coffee Culture: Café Rhema stands on its grounds

Sweet Success: Meet the Curly Girl Lemonade founders

A Smooth Approach: Meet Healthy Dollar Store Owner Kathy Jackson

  501 Bar and Grill, Cork on Saginaw, Flint’s growing food culture, Flint’s small businesses, Healthy Dollar, Healthy Dollar Store, James Lewis, Kathy Jackson, Marjorie Murphy, small business growth in Flint, Small Shops, Yevette McClain-Henley, Yevette’s Gourmet Tacos

Comments

comments