ST. LOUIS – Slinger crepes, boozy juice, brisket mac-n-cheese and more are coming to St. Louis’ City Foundry.
So we’d say City Foundry’s food hall lineup is looking pretty solid so far, with international flairs along with St. Louis inspired dishes.
Its choices were inspired by the Krog Street Market and Ponce City Market Atlanta, along with NYC’s Chelsea Market – all were historic buildings that were turned into landmark gathering spaces for celebrating local cuisine. The highly anticipated public market is expected to open in 2020.
City Foundry STL announced the development exceeded early leasing goals for its 30,000 square foot food hall by securing a lineup of food vendors that are exclusive to the development and St. Louis.
“We shared our vision with top local chefs, who responded by developing concepts that are unique to our development and the region. There is no other dining experience in St. Louis like the one to be had at City Foundry STL,” said Steve Smith, principal owner of City Foundry STL and CEO of Lawrence Group.
CropCircle
Proprietor Samantha Mitchell (owner of Farmtruk)
Concept Experienced in the food truck scene, Mitchell wanted to recreate the feel of her existing Farmtruk brand in a brick and mortar location. She’ll serve what she calls “hyper local country fair” foods like Brisket Mac-n-Cheese, Hot Fried Chicken and a Catfish Plate featuring many down-home sides. Mitchell says she’s proud of her Midwestern roots and is excited to share new interpretations of recipes that have been handed down for generations in her family.
Good Day
Proprietor Jonathan Schoen and Brian Schmitz (owners of Polite Society and The Bellwether)
Concept The Foundry’s early morning, lunch, or late night crowd of residents, university students, office workers or revelers can grab an authentic crêpe or delicious breakfast sandwich at this sunny spot. Signature crêpes like the Slinger (scrambled eggs, pork steak chill, sausage patties, seasoned potato wedges, scallions and cheddar cheese), Smoked Salmon (lemon, chives, spinach, tomato, cream cheese) the Florentine (creamed spinach, artichokes, mushrooms). Sweet crêpes like the Raspberry Orange (warm raspberry compote, orange sabayon, fresh whipped cream), and Lemon Blueberry (lemon curd, warm blueberry compote, fresh whipped cream) are great for breakfast, but also make a lovely dessert after dinner. A selection of mimosas, sparkling cocktails, gourmet coffee drinks and Bloody Marys will round out any meal.
Hello Poke
Proprietors Daniel Jensen and Amy Guo
Concept Native St. Louisan Amy Guo and her husband Daniel Jensen are returning to the city to be one of the very few places locals can enjoy fresh poke. (Fun fact: poke is a two-syllable word pronounced PŌ-kā that means “cut into chunks” in Hawaiian...appropriate, since that is exactly how this fish-based dish is prepared.) Signature bowls like the Hello Hawaii with ahi tuna, the Ginger Shrimp, the Sweet Chili Mango Salmon and the Furikake Shoyu Chicken will share the menu with build-your-own bowl options, sushi burritos, miso soup, bubble tea and seasonal Hawaiian shave ice.
Lost & Found: A Burger and Pizza Joint - and - Juice Box Central
Proprietor Michael Friedman (previously of Retreat Gastropub)
Concept for Lost & Found Named for the reclaimed foundry property, the 1,300 square foot space will specialize in hand-tossed pizzas, burgers, freshly-cut fries, and substantial side items. Guests can enjoy signature items like the Blue Ribbon Burger (two smashed beef patties with pub cheese sauce, thick slab of house-cured and candied bacon, and a fried egg on Brioche) or Bagel & Lox pizza (everything bagel seasoning, house-cured salmon, red onion, fried capers, goat and cream cheese spread). Gluten free buns and pizza crusts are available.
Concept for Juice Box Central Friedman’s second location within the development is Juice Box Central, a delightful drink station offering fresh-pressed juices, boozy juice, smoothies, and seasonal specialty beverages.
Mokyu Mokyu
Proprietors Laura Leister, James Lettau, Ameet Rawal (owners of Pieces: The St. Louis Board Game Bar & Café)
Concept The trio of owners – two of whom are first-generation Americans – has traveled the world for inspiration that informs the menu of St. Louis’s first eatery to offer Taiyaki, a fusion of Japanese cuisine and Korean ingenuity. Their signature item will be a sweet, fish-shaped waffle cone, served warm and fresh, with a choice of vanilla custard or red bean filling, topped with creamy soft serve ice cream and decorated with playful toppings. “Mokyu Mokyu” is a Japanese expression uttered when you encounter something so aesthetically pleasing, it leaves you at a loss for words.
Press Waffle Co.
Proprietors Bryan Lewis and Caleb Lewis
Concept Press Waffle Co.’s Liege-style, made-to-order waffles are based on treats the owners sampled in Belgium, reimagined in both sweet and savory styles for St. Louis palates. A perfect treat for any time of day, diners can enjoy house specialties like The House (Nutella, cookie butter fresh cut strawberries, whipped cream), The Southern Belle (lemon curd, fresh blueberries, whipped cream), The Elvis (peanut butter, bananas, honey, bacon crumble), The Monte Cristo (black forest ham, smoked turkey, white American cheese, blackberry jam), or The Soulman (fried chicken tenders, bacon crumbles, maple syrup). Guests can also build their own creations from a wide selection of toppings like cookie butter, caramel, blueberries, and candied pecans. Together, these brothers are on a mission to teach St. Louis a new way to waffle.
Sumax: Hummus & Wraps
Proprietors Jason and Maria Sparks (owners of Layla)
Concept Fans of the owner’s popular Tower Grove restaurant can get a taste of the Middle East at Sumax (inspired by the popular spice sumac). Fresh hummus in flavors like edamame-cilantro and serrano-lime join classics like roasted red pepper and roasted garlic. Wraps include the Spicy (roasted red pepper hummus, romaine, tomato, sumac onions, spicy chile garlic sauce, tahini) or the Mean Green (spinach, edamame-cilantro hummus, cucumbers, feta, tzatziki) with choice of proteins. Rounding out the menu are Power Bowls that include a choice of base flavors, protein, sauce, and toppings.
UKraft
Proprietors Matt Ratz and Mike Ratz
Concept Feed your healthy cravings with the macrobiotic breakfast bowls and sandwiches, custom paninis, soup of the day, and whole wheat salad pockets created especially for this team’s first brick-and-mortar outpost. Upon arrival, guests choose between a UKraft experience (build your own entrée) or weKraft (select from a staff-recommended menu). Those who want to go the customized route can create countless personalized options with wide variety of lettuces, proteins like meats or local free-range eggs, cheeses, veggies, fruits, drizzles and dressings, toppings and add-ons. Standout items include Avocado Toast, Steak and Cheese Panini and custom UKrafted salads with house-made salad dressing.
Buenos Aires Café
Proprietors Oscar and Ainara Farina (owners of Los Gauchos in O’Fallon, IL)
Concept: The Farinas have a simple motto that will guide their work at their latest dining spot: “Doing what we love best: cooking, bringing people together, and sharing the rich culture and food of Argentina.” They’ll serve traditional items like skirt steak or choripan (sausage) sandwiches as well as 10 varieties of empanadas, all made to order using the freshest ingredients.
Chela Tapas
Proprietor Grace Dinsmoor
Concept After a 15 years as a professional chef and extensive travel abroad to Spain, Dinsmoor is ready to use her knowledge of traditional cuisine at Chela (an abbreviation of her Spanish nickname, Graciela.) Look for interesting combinations like eggplant stuffed with goat cheese and then tempura fried, then served with sesame, mint, and spicy honey or a Spanish charcuterie board featuring Serrano chiles alongside chorizo, anchovies, and a selection of cheeses.
City Taco Shack
Proprietor Sue Wong-Shackelford (owner of Kalbi Taco Shack)
Concept Innovative chef Wong-Shackelford moved to St. Louis from Hong Kong as a child and soaked up local food culture through her parents, who were both chefs. Diners can now enjoy her Asian-Mexican fusion cuisine when they order traditional dishes like tacos, burritos, rice bowls, quesadillas, and Bahn-mi sandwiches, all reinterpreted with signature flavors and techniques. The menu will include delicious vegan options and Vietnamese iced coffee.
Murf’s Deli
Proprietor Maher David
Concept St. Louis native David describes his concept as a classic sandwich bar that offers a casual setting for enjoying handcrafted sandwiches alongside a curated collection of local treats. The menu was inspired by meals David has enjoyed during his travels as well as a delicious El Cubano – tavern ham, rosemary ham, salami, smoked bacon, baby Swiss cheese, and veggies on a fresh-baked hoagie – that reminds him of a great sandwich he would order every day on his way to college classes in Tampa, FL.
Natalie’s Cakes & More
Proprietor Natalie Dubose
Concept Dubose started as a single mom making treats for bake sales and farmers markets. She took the plunge in 2014, gathering her courage and savings, and opened her first storefront in Ferguson, MO. Her second location at the Food Hall will serve her nationally-recognized Signature Caramel Cake (decadent yellow cake topped with caramel icing) as well as sweet menu items like Velvet, Molasses, Orange Dream, and Vanilla Almond Cakes.
“Food halls have been around for centuries in Europe and have recently become popular in fashionable cities throughout the U.S. The difference with City Foundry STL is our uniquely St. Louis take on the concept,” said Smith.
“We believe very strongly in the food hall model. The community it creates not just with the customers, but also with the individual companies brought together within the space, is a great way to do business. The history of the City Foundry STL site, the scale and vision of the whole development, and the team behind the food hall are all things that we know will make CFSTL an amazing addition to the St. Louis food scene,” said tenant Bryan Lewis of Press Waffle Co.
City Foundry STL Food Hall tenants join entertainment tenants Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Punch Bowl Social, and Fassler Hall. Office tenants Orion Genomics and Multiply digital publishing were announced in May 2018. Additional new tenants will be announced in spring 2019.
