Fig & Honey • The Art of Creating Edible Masterpieces

With the recent opening of Fig & Honey Cheese Co, Saginaw’s Old Town Historic district, which has long been known for its unique blend of dining and entertainment, has also become equally more appetizing and artistic.

Located at 116 N. Michigan Avenue and nicely nestled between Pasong’s and The Liquid Lounge, this comfortable and delightfully appointed bistro features an impressive and meticulously concocted assortment of Charcuterie Boards and ‘Millennial Lunchables’, which coupled with its tasteful and inviting ambiance has already become an instant hit for its chief creators and proprietors, Kayla Pietrzak and Alexis Peake.

“Our primary goal is to provide gourmet food to people without paying a fortune,” explains Alexis when asked what niche the newly opened eatery hopes to fill within the region.

“We developed our menu by setting sizes based upon what we thought would fill us up and prices on what we could afford,” she continues. “Kayla has been in sales most her life so is good with setting profit margins and it’s nice to have her background and knowledge.”

One can order their signature  ‘Millennial Lunchable’ for $20.00, which consists of smoked salami, 2 seasonal cheeses, 1 spread, baguette, fruit and nut assortment, along with a sweet treat; or purchase charcuterie boards for small groups of 3 to 7 people for $35 - $70.  Additionally, they offer rather remarkable charcuterie ‘Grazing Tables’ for special events such as weddings and holiday parties that truly engage the eye as much as the appetite with the artistry of their design, and range in price from $7 to $15 per person.   Customers can order different selections of cheeses and pair their choices with items that best complement each other.

“We also hope to fill a niche in Old Town for people to enjoy some unique appetizers when other restaurants are busy,” adds Alexis.  “Because we offer bistro-style seating, guests can enjoy a charcuterie board with a growler from nearby Oracle Brewing, before having dinner at Pasong’s Cafe, which is located right next door, Artisan Urban Bistro on Hancock, or another local restaurant,”

People can also get Artisan Charcuterie Toasts ranging in price from $5 for one to $12 for three, which consist of the Classic (fig preserve, goat cheese, prosciutto, and pistachios) to the Honey Pair (brie, pear slices, honey, walnuts) to the Lox (goat cheese, smoked salmon, dill, capers, thinly sliced red onion).

Alexis and Kayka have known each other for about five years and initially became acquainted through frequenting some of the same bars, restaurants and entertainment establishments; but when Kayla bought a house five houses down the block from Alexis, they quickly became best friends.

“Kayla and I always got together and made charcuterie boards because cheese has always been one of our favorite foods,” explains Alexis. “Every time we got together to share a ‘Wine Night’  we would make these cheese boards to show off on Instagram; and each time we showed a new one we would have four or five people asking us to also make one for them.”

“We took it to the most extreme level and would try new flavors and different obscure combinations; and the first time we collaborated was kind of a wild moment,” she continues. 

“One night we had one of our friends over who said we should do up some business cards, but we snuffed it off because we didn’t want to take the magic and fun out of it. But three bottles of wine later we were designing business cards and decided if we didn’t do this professionally now we would be watching somebody else do it.”

As Kayla and Alexis posted more photos of their creative concoctions, additional requests for their catering services kept rolling in. “That same night we created our business cards, we made a Facebook page and offered contact list delivery services,” notes Kayla.

“We didn’t have a storefront at that time so rented kitchen space from Tina over at Pasong’s whenever she wasn’t open, and started creating things for family and friends to build up our social media platform. More people started messaging us for charcuterie boards so we both decided it was time to find a place to rent and start serving our creations directly to the public.”

“I think our storefront is going to take us into a new dynamic,” reflects Alexis. “Starting a business during the pandemic and being a wife and mom takes a lot out of you, and it was hectic doing this without a forever home. Now that we have a place where you can walk in and walk out, it makes everything more organized. Honestly, when you’re strictly doing contact list delivery you can spend 20 minutes driving somewhere, but now we can focus that time into spending it on what we do best. Once this gets bigger than the two of us we’ll hire more people.”

With their ‘Grazing Tables’ for special events and gatherings, the talents of Alexis and Kayla truly shine.  Recently they were hired to create a massive charcuterie table for a baby shower that was such a truly inspired work of art one had to think twice about eating from it, which was also decorated with flowers and grains.  They also created one for a Derby Party on a yacht that was adorned with mint and basil.

“We always consult with the customer first when it comes to creating a Grazing Table, notes Kayla. “We want to make sure we’re giving the what they are hoping for. No board or grazing table that we create for a customer is ever the same.  The smallest one can accommodate about 30 people, but for anything less it usually works better for people to order a couple of our Charcuterie Boards instead.”

“Although charcuterie has been since the 1700’s, it’s now become increasingly popular,” explains Alexis. “We’ve got the science town to a tee, but assembling these boards is definitely an art. We specialize in the flavor and mix of the various combinations so our presentations look pretty and taste good.”

“People tend to look at Millennials in a negative light, but as Millennials we’re constantly changing,” reflects Alexis. “Anytime Kayla and I have a creative night we’ll have umpteen ideas, but will always stick to the fundamentals. Outside of that I think we’ll always be featuring new and amazing things.”

Fig & Honey will also be showcasing live music for at least two Friday or Saturday evenings each month. “We have an outdoor seating area set up and will feature live entertainment over extended hours until 8:00 PM on the Fridays & Saturdays that we feature live music,” explains Alexis. “We love Old Town so much and love seeing people come down here, so will do anything we can within our limits to bring more people down to this area.”

On Friday, July 23rd , they will feature Wilson Shaner from Last Night Saved My Life and on August 23rd the featured artists are Marsupial Creampie.

“Our menu will stay the same for the most part,” concludes Alexis, “but we will be featuring many different selections of cheeses and other items that we will post about on our Facebook page.”

Fig & Honey Cheese Company is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and 3:00 - 6:00 PM and Saturdays from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm and are closed Mondays & Wednesdays.