The contemporary flair of the food at CityVu Bistro seems right at home amid the ultramodern furnishings and design of the 56-room CityFlats boutique hotel in Holland, Mich.
The hotel, owned by a local design and furniture manufacturing firm, Charter House Innovations, places an emphasis on distinctive, eco-friendly design, and the restaurant echoes both the sleek look and the green principles of the property.
“We wanted to have a full-service hotel, and the restaurant allows us to provide a finishing touch to the hotel,” says Charles Reid, president of Charter House Innovations.
CHI also has a contract to build a second hotel-restaurant in Grosse Pointe, Mich.
The 180-seat CityVu on the fifth floor offers one of the few high-rise views in this town of 50,000 that is best known for its annual spring tulip festival.
But despite the restaurant’s striking views and upscale appearance, the menu prices remain relatively down-to-earth.
“Holland is known as a conservative, penny-pinching town, a little bit,” says executive chef Neil Overholt.
CityVu’s dinner menu specializes in small plates, such as whole-wheat flat-breads available with some 16 topping combinations, including smoked salmon with mascarpone cheese, shaved red onion and capers and Italian sausage with roasted red peppers and mozzarella. The flat-breads are baked in a gas-fired deck oven and can be served either as appetizers or main courses. Prices start at $10 and go to $15 for the large flatbreads suitable for sharing.
Since the restaurant opened last January, the dinner menu has evolved to include more traditional main courses, called “City Fare,” now comprising about 40 percent of the offerings. Overholt describes the menu’s influences as “fusion,” drawing from everywhere, including Asia, Mexico and the American South.
“It’s a blend of all the different foods that are out there,” says Overholt, who quit culinary school after a year to continue his education by working at area restaurants, including the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids. “We try not to conform to any preconceived notion. We are not trying to copy anybody.”
AT A GLANCE Location: CityFlats HotelSeats: 180General manager: Michael MartinExecutive chef: Neil OverholtCheck average: $26Best-selling appetizer: lobster and crab pot stickers with dipping sauceBest-selling flatbread: roasted chicken, artichokes, roasted garlic, white sauce and white cheddarBest-selling entrée: roasted-salmon roulade
Still, much of the clientele also shies away from spicy foods, such as the flatbread topped with duck breast and Mexican mole.
“People here aren’t familiar with what mole is,” Overholt says, adding that he trains servers to understand less-familiar ingredients so they can explain them to guests.
In keeping with the hotel’s dedication to being green, for which CHI expects to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification, Overholt uses Michigan-produced fruits and vegetables as much as possible and is working on sourcing more regionally produced meats.
“Local and sustainable is more important to me than organic,” he says. “Organic quality is not as good, due to pest management problems.”
Many summer desserts incorporate Michigan’s abundant fruits. Seasonal examples are peach and raspberry cobbler, pound cake with fresh berries, and vanilla-bean cheesecake with macerated summer fruit compote.
Locals as well as hotel guests come in for breakfast, which extends far beyond the ordinary. Flatbreads, called “Morning Flats,” and frittatas are the house specialties.
Truffle-roasted potato wedges and toast accompany frittatas. Ingredient combinations accompanying the omelets include roasted garlic, mushroom ragoût and herb soft cheese, as well as prosciutto, Parmesan and scallions.
Additional choices include wild-blueberry waffles, steel-cut oatmeal with raisins, dried cherries and brown sugar, and oven-baked cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting.
CityVu Sunday brunch diners cannot enjoy champagne or wine with their meal but may have cocktails, in keeping with a local prohibition on Sunday beer and wine sales. That could change soon, however, if a referendum to eliminate the ban passes in the November election.
Dinner Menu City Lites Jerk seared tuna, pickled fennel, watercress & ponzu jus $12 Crab cakes with cucumber, cilantro & roasted sweet corn salad $9 Lobster & crab pot stickers with dipping sauce $11 Flatbreads Carolina pulled pork, green onions, white Cheddar & cole slaw $13 Roasted chicken, artichokes, roasted garlic, white sauce & white Cheddar $13 Blackened sirloin, caramelized red onion, scallions & blue cheese fondue $15 City Fare Menu Roasted salmon roulade, pineapple chutney & coriander-cilantro basmati rice $16 NY strip, roasted peach & jalapeño salsa, broccoli-rice salad $18 Seared red snapper, leek & roasted poblano relish, succotash, curry oil $15 City Sweets Spiced carrot pecan cake & warm cream cheese frosting $6 Chocolate pot-de-crème, fresh whipped cream & chocolate shavings $5 Lemonade tart with fresh whipped cream & blueberry sauce $5