Sharon Hanks
An aging vacant wood-frame building near the historic section of Holland has been transformed into a real delight for hungry visitors with its newest arrival: the
Blue House Bistro. Diners can choose from a large and tasty selection of Cajun, Creole, American and Mediterranean dishes, including Greek and Spanish, which are unique to the Lakeshore area.
Located at 220 W. Eighth St, the Cajun-influenced restaurant is owned by the previous proprietors of the Grass Cup Café, a little coffee shop in the little hamlet of Graafchap at 46th Street and 60th Street that closed more than a year ago after its lease expired.
Blue House Bistro owners, Angie Anderson and Sara Fiorenzo, are excited about their new location because of its close proximity to downtown Holland, more spacious area, and new, more modern updates they've made themselves to the older building.
"It took a long time to find a location, get financing . . . and renovate the building," says Anderson, adding the restoration of the 1,600-square-foot building took about six months, most of which she did herself along with help from contractors. The empty shell of a building was transformed with kitchen equipment from the Grass Cup Café along with a new stove hood, sink and other appliances and new plumbing, flooring, ceiling, electrical wiring and walls costing more than $20,000.
The result is a fresh, inviting and professional restaurant with a dining area for 15 customers and an outdoor patio for about 12.
The women, who met while students at Loyola University in New Orleans, decided to open the Blue House Bistro in Holland because of the renewed vitality they see in the city they attribute largely to the very effective Downtown District Authority. They had considered locations in Zeeland and Saugatuck, Anderson says.
Blue House Bistro offers the delivery of beer and wine in addition to its food items, she says. The owners hope to get a class C liquor license in the future to offer full bar service to dine-in customers and to refurbish the building's second floor for an additional dining area.
The menu includes a tasty selection of soups and salads along with pizzas, appetizers, sandwiches and wraps priced from between $8 to $12, most of which are prepared by Anderson. Its New Orleans-influenced offerings include beignets, deep-fried doughnuts covered with powdered sugar made famous by the city's legendary Café Du Monde, along with Shrimp Po-boy sandwiches, Bleux House (hot) wings, and Creole Pizza with crawfish, shrimp, roasted peppers and a spicy herb sauce.
The Blue House Bistro is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and for Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Source: Angie Anderson, co-owner of the Blue House Bistro, Holland
Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.