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PETER DAINING---The Holland Sentinel
Holland, MI — Five years ago, New Orleans residents were scrambling to survive in their own flooded streets.
Many more Gulf Coast natives were watching the dramatic Hurricane Katrina floods take over on television
from hotels and family members’ homes across the nation.
Even five years later, Angie Anderson thinks about the friends and livelihood she lost in 2005.
“It’s definitely emotional,” she said. “Out of 3,000 missing people, I probably knew 150 of them.”
Anderson moved to Holland with her business partner Sara Fiorenzo during the Katrina evacuations. The
restaurateurs chose Holland because Sara’s parents live here. Earlier this year, they opened Blue House
Bistro at 220 W. Eighth St.
Anderson goes back to New Orleans to tend bar and cook during the busy Mardi Gras season, but she thinks
about the city nearly every day.
“I’m like a love-sick puppy,” she said. “There really is no place like home.”
More than 1,800 people died because of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that generated 175 mph winds and
caused $81 million of damage up and down the Gulf Coast.
The government is still fixing the city’s failed levee system that gave up more than 80 percent of New Orleans
to flooding.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the city could now withstand another storm the size of Katrina, but
only about half of the planned work is complete. The rest should be finished by next summer.
“The good news is that the Corps of Engineers has done an about-face in its sense of urgency,” said Sandy
Rosenthal, the executive director of Levees.Org, a citizens group formed after Katrina that’s waged numerous
battles with the corps. “By their actions, words and deeds, it looks like they are doing everything they can to
meet their deadline.”
President Barack Obama plans to visit New Orleans today to commemorate Katrina’s anniversary and
reassert his commitment to the region following the BP oil spill.
The combination of Katrina, the oil spill and the greater U.S. recession have crippled New Orleans. And yet a
report by the Brookings Institution and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center says the metro area
recovered more than 90 percent of its population and almost 85 percent of its jobs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 The Holland Sentinel. Some rights reserved
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Growth Media--July 29th, 2010
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 Graafschap 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 sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.
___________________________________________________
Grand Rapids Press--July 21st, 2010
HOLLAND -- A year and a half after closing their Grass Cup Café in the tiny hamlet of Graafschap,
restaurateurs Angie Anderson and Sara Fiorenzo have opened the Cajun-influenced Blue House Bistro.
The bistro, 220 W. Eighth St., gets its name from its bright blue paint.
"We weren't thrilled with the color of the building but didn't have the finances to repaint it, so we decided to
keep the color and go with a restaurant name that seemed obvious," said Fiorenzo, who with her partner
remodeled the former restaurant building on a "shoestring budget" and a lot of sweat equity.
The result is a large professional kitchen with a 24-seat dining room and outdoor patio seating for about 30.
The bistro, between the farmers market and Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant, also offers a wall of coolers for
take-out wine and beer.
"We're the only place in town where you can order a pizza and six-pack of beer for home delivery," said
Anderson, a Georgia native who developed her Cajun and Creole culinary skills working at a variety of New
Orleans restaurants, including Chef Paul Prudhomme's K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.
Anderson, 31, said the restaurant's menu is a fusion of Cajun, Creole, American and Mediterranean foods,
including Greek and Spanish.
The menu includes a mix of soups and salads, pizzas, small plate appetizers, sandwiches and wraps priced
from $8 to $12.
Mark Copier | The Grand Rapids Press from left, Blue House Bistro restaurant manager Courtney Savage, and owners Sara Fiorenzo and
Angie Anderson.
What makes the menu different from other eateries is the New Orleans-influenced offerings, like Shrimp Po-
boy sandwiches on fresh baked Muffaletta bread, Bleux House (hot) Wings and Creole Pizza with shrimp,
crawfish, roasted peppers and a spicy herb cream sauce.
The food got a thumbs up from Park Township resident Yvonne Gill, who is from Britain.
"Contrary to popular belief that Brits survive on fish and chips and bland food, we love spicy foods because of
our colonial background," said Gill. "The shrimp here is nice and spicy."
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, the restaurant offers a "farmers market brunch menu"
that highlights New Orleans cooking and includes shrimp and andoullie grits, spinach and feta quiche, and
banana bread French toast.
"We will also be making the French market beignets," said Anderson, referring to the deep-fried doughnut
dough covered in powdered sugar made famous by New Orleans' 150-year-old Café Du Monde. "It's a
tradition in the French Quarter of New Orleans."
Fiorenzo, 29, said they selected the big blue house as the home for their new restaurant after considering
spots from Grand Haven to Fennville.
"We liked it because it's on a busy street and only a few blocks from downtown Holland and the farmers
market," she said.
The partners plan to get a class C liquor license later this year for full bar service and want to open a dining
room on the second floor next year.
The Blue House Bistro is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily and serves a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
E-mail the author of this story: localnews@grpress.com
________________________________________________
A BRIEF INTRO FROM CHEF ANGIE K.
Hello Everyone!!
The paint is dry, the furniture is assembled, the new menu is created & our
renovations are complete. We hope the winter has been gentle on you & your
families, and that this letter finds you well. We just wanted to take this
opportunity to introduce and give ya’ll an update of what we have in store at
the Blue House Bistro in the upcoming season.
Spring Hours— Tuesday-Sunday 11am-11pm We are Located at 220 W. 8th
Street. Downtown Holland MI.
Please join us for Farmer's Market (Wednesday and Saturday) & Sunday
Brunch, every week 11am-3pm. Chef Angie K has been working on some
amazing recipes that will be sure to delight you!
Don’t forget! We deliver food, groceries, and (within the next few weeks) beer
and wine.
Hosting a party? Planning an Event? Let us do the Cooking! Blue House Bistro
offers a large selection of catering options. Chef Angie K is available for
cooking consultations, classes, and personal chef services.
Our commitment to fair trade, organic coffee & espresso is unwavering. Want
more info on Fair Trade? www.transfairusa.org
We are still hosting a variety of great works on our walls, courtesy of
Thirdstone Art Gallery. All of them are fantastic and all of them are for sale!
Want more info on something specific? Just drop us a line
Chef@BlueHouseBistro.net or give us a ring 616-355-1994
Angie K & Staff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chef Series: A Sweet and Savory End
Saturday, September 12, 2009, 10:00 AM
Holland Farmers Market
Eighth Street Market Place
150 West Eighth Street
Holland, MI 49423
http://www.hollandfarmersmarket.com
phone: 616.355.1138
The end of summer brings with it many new, fun ingredients for Chef Angie K. Anderson from Blue House
Bistro. She will be showing us how to make our own sweet potato doughnuts with an apple cider glaze. A
savory quiche will also be on the menu with end of summer veggies like zucchini. Make the most of these
harvest-time favorites with Chef Angie!
Blue House Bistro, a new restaurant opening shortly in Holland, will feature a cozy bistro and garden patio for
lunch, dinner and late-night dining. Combining local ingredients, seasonal specials, sommelier style drinks
and superb service is at the heart of the Blue House Bistro mission.
Chef Angie K. began her culinary ambitions upon arriving in New Orleans in 1997. She spent the next nine
years perfecting her craft at some of the finest restaurants in the area. When hurricane Katrina hit, Chef Angie
K. found herself in Holland, MI, ready to draw upon her multitudes of culinary knowledge to bring a unique
dining experience to its residents.
The Chef Series is held each Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Farmers Market from May 16 through September 12.
The Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from mid-May to mid-December
rain or shine. The City of Holland’s Department of Leisure and Cultural Services hosts the Market at the Eighth
Street Marketplace in Downtown Holland. Visit www.hollandfarmersmarket.com or contact Market Master
Candy Todd at 616-355-1138 for more information. No pets of any kind are allowed at the Market.
The Chef Series is sponsored by Visser Farms, a family farm in business since 1902. Please visit them in
person at 10791 Blair in Zeeland, MI or at www.visserfamilyfarms.com. Thank you!
Admission: free
Organized by: City of Holland Principal Shopping District
Contact: Farmers Market
616.355.1138
http://www.hollandfarmersmarket.com
Holland, MI — Five years ago, New Orleans residents were scrambling to survive in their own flooded streets.
Many more Gulf Coast natives were watching the dramatic Hurricane Katrina floods take over on television
from hotels and family members’ homes across the nation.
Even five years later, Angie Anderson thinks about the friends and livelihood she lost in 2005.
“It’s definitely emotional,” she said. “Out of 3,000 missing people, I probably knew 150 of them.”
Anderson moved to Holland with her business partner Sara Fiorenzo during the Katrina evacuations. The
restaurateurs chose Holland because Sara’s parents live here. Earlier this year, they opened Blue House
Bistro at 220 W. Eighth St.
Anderson goes back to New Orleans to tend bar and cook during the busy Mardi Gras season, but she thinks
about the city nearly every day.
“I’m like a love-sick puppy,” she said. “There really is no place like home.”
More than 1,800 people died because of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that generated 175 mph winds and
caused $81 million of damage up and down the Gulf Coast.
The government is still fixing the city’s failed levee system that gave up more than 80 percent of New Orleans
to flooding.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the city could now withstand another storm the size of Katrina, but
only about half of the planned work is complete. The rest should be finished by next summer.
“The good news is that the Corps of Engineers has done an about-face in its sense of urgency,” said Sandy
Rosenthal, the executive director of Levees.Org, a citizens group formed after Katrina that’s waged numerous
battles with the corps. “By their actions, words and deeds, it looks like they are doing everything they can to
meet their deadline.”
President Barack Obama plans to visit New Orleans today to commemorate Katrina’s anniversary and
reassert his commitment to the region following the BP oil spill.
The combination of Katrina, the oil spill and the greater U.S. recession have crippled New Orleans. And yet a
report by the Brookings Institution and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center says the metro area
recovered more than 90 percent of its population and almost 85 percent of its jobs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2010 The Holland Sentinel. Some rights reserved
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Growth Media--July 29th, 2010
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 Graafschap 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 sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.
___________________________________________________
Grand Rapids Press--July 21st, 2010
HOLLAND -- A year and a half after closing their Grass Cup Café in the tiny hamlet of Graafschap,
restaurateurs Angie Anderson and Sara Fiorenzo have opened the Cajun-influenced Blue House Bistro.
The bistro, 220 W. Eighth St., gets its name from its bright blue paint.
"We weren't thrilled with the color of the building but didn't have the finances to repaint it, so we decided to
keep the color and go with a restaurant name that seemed obvious," said Fiorenzo, who with her partner
remodeled the former restaurant building on a "shoestring budget" and a lot of sweat equity.
The result is a large professional kitchen with a 24-seat dining room and outdoor patio seating for about 30.
The bistro, between the farmers market and Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant, also offers a wall of coolers for
take-out wine and beer.
"We're the only place in town where you can order a pizza and six-pack of beer for home delivery," said
Anderson, a Georgia native who developed her Cajun and Creole culinary skills working at a variety of New
Orleans restaurants, including Chef Paul Prudhomme's K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen.
Anderson, 31, said the restaurant's menu is a fusion of Cajun, Creole, American and Mediterranean foods,
including Greek and Spanish.
The menu includes a mix of soups and salads, pizzas, small plate appetizers, sandwiches and wraps priced
from $8 to $12.
Mark Copier | The Grand Rapids Press from left, Blue House Bistro restaurant manager Courtney Savage, and owners Sara Fiorenzo and
Angie Anderson.
What makes the menu different from other eateries is the New Orleans-influenced offerings, like Shrimp Po-
boy sandwiches on fresh baked Muffaletta bread, Bleux House (hot) Wings and Creole Pizza with shrimp,
crawfish, roasted peppers and a spicy herb cream sauce.
The food got a thumbs up from Park Township resident Yvonne Gill, who is from Britain.
"Contrary to popular belief that Brits survive on fish and chips and bland food, we love spicy foods because of
our colonial background," said Gill. "The shrimp here is nice and spicy."
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays, the restaurant offers a "farmers market brunch menu"
that highlights New Orleans cooking and includes shrimp and andoullie grits, spinach and feta quiche, and
banana bread French toast.
"We will also be making the French market beignets," said Anderson, referring to the deep-fried doughnut
dough covered in powdered sugar made famous by New Orleans' 150-year-old Café Du Monde. "It's a
tradition in the French Quarter of New Orleans."
Fiorenzo, 29, said they selected the big blue house as the home for their new restaurant after considering
spots from Grand Haven to Fennville.
"We liked it because it's on a busy street and only a few blocks from downtown Holland and the farmers
market," she said.
The partners plan to get a class C liquor license later this year for full bar service and want to open a dining
room on the second floor next year.
The Blue House Bistro is open 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily and serves a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
E-mail the author of this story: localnews@grpress.com
________________________________________________
A BRIEF INTRO FROM CHEF ANGIE K.
Hello Everyone!!
The paint is dry, the furniture is assembled, the new menu is created & our
renovations are complete. We hope the winter has been gentle on you & your
families, and that this letter finds you well. We just wanted to take this
opportunity to introduce and give ya’ll an update of what we have in store at
the Blue House Bistro in the upcoming season.
Spring Hours— Tuesday-Sunday 11am-11pm We are Located at 220 W. 8th
Street. Downtown Holland MI.
Please join us for Farmer's Market (Wednesday and Saturday) & Sunday
Brunch, every week 11am-3pm. Chef Angie K has been working on some
amazing recipes that will be sure to delight you!
Don’t forget! We deliver food, groceries, and (within the next few weeks) beer
and wine.
Hosting a party? Planning an Event? Let us do the Cooking! Blue House Bistro
offers a large selection of catering options. Chef Angie K is available for
cooking consultations, classes, and personal chef services.
Our commitment to fair trade, organic coffee & espresso is unwavering. Want
more info on Fair Trade? www.transfairusa.org
We are still hosting a variety of great works on our walls, courtesy of
Thirdstone Art Gallery. All of them are fantastic and all of them are for sale!
Want more info on something specific? Just drop us a line
Chef@BlueHouseBistro.net or give us a ring 616-355-1994
Angie K & Staff
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Chef Series: A Sweet and Savory End
Saturday, September 12, 2009, 10:00 AM
Holland Farmers Market
Eighth Street Market Place
150 West Eighth Street
Holland, MI 49423
http://www.hollandfarmersmarket.com
phone: 616.355.1138
The end of summer brings with it many new, fun ingredients for Chef Angie K. Anderson from Blue House
Bistro. She will be showing us how to make our own sweet potato doughnuts with an apple cider glaze. A
savory quiche will also be on the menu with end of summer veggies like zucchini. Make the most of these
harvest-time favorites with Chef Angie!
Blue House Bistro, a new restaurant opening shortly in Holland, will feature a cozy bistro and garden patio for
lunch, dinner and late-night dining. Combining local ingredients, seasonal specials, sommelier style drinks
and superb service is at the heart of the Blue House Bistro mission.
Chef Angie K. began her culinary ambitions upon arriving in New Orleans in 1997. She spent the next nine
years perfecting her craft at some of the finest restaurants in the area. When hurricane Katrina hit, Chef Angie
K. found herself in Holland, MI, ready to draw upon her multitudes of culinary knowledge to bring a unique
dining experience to its residents.
The Chef Series is held each Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Farmers Market from May 16 through September 12.
The Market is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from mid-May to mid-December
rain or shine. The City of Holland’s Department of Leisure and Cultural Services hosts the Market at the Eighth
Street Marketplace in Downtown Holland. Visit www.hollandfarmersmarket.com or contact Market Master
Candy Todd at 616-355-1138 for more information. No pets of any kind are allowed at the Market.
The Chef Series is sponsored by Visser Farms, a family farm in business since 1902. Please visit them in
person at 10791 Blair in Zeeland, MI or at www.visserfamilyfarms.com. Thank you!
Admission: free
Organized by: City of Holland Principal Shopping District
Contact: Farmers Market
616.355.1138
http://www.hollandfarmersmarket.com
