The wait is (finally) over, ºüÀêÊÓƵ: Expat BBQ, Niche Food Group’s largest concept to date, will open its doors inside City Foundry STL on Sept. 12. The restaurant has its sights set on showcasing “well-traveled†barbecue, fusing flavors from around the globe with classic American barbecue technique. Expat will be the 12th restaurant for Gerard Craft’s food group and the fourth inside City Foundry STL: Fordo’s Killer Pizza and the Kitchen Bar sit adjacent to Expat inside the Food Hall, while speakeasy concept None of the Above is steps away.
The concept also marks the return of something longtime fans of Niche Food Group will recognize; a pull toward experimentation, a hallmark of the restaurant group since the beginning. “I like trying new things and being experimental,†Craft says. “What we did at Niche was so experimental, and then we built everything around us to be really classic and rooted. Once Niche was gone, we really wanted some of that experimentation back, and that’s when we did Fordo’s, or even Sardella; those were our chances to branch out and do new things.â€
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Expat allows Craft and his team to break into new territory in both size and scope, with a multi-experience concept and menu hard to find elsewhere — one of the reasons the concept has been a long time coming. “There’s just no playbook for this place,†he says. “There’s not a lot of points of reference out there in the world to say ‘Hey, let’s go there and see how they do it.’â€
Which makes the way the globally informed barbecue concept came together especially fortuitous, beginning with a call executive chef Sam Nawrocki made to Craft looking for opportunities within NFG. He asked Nawrocki – who was working at the 404 Kitchen in Nashville at the time – what she was into, and the answer was more than he bargained for. “What she started talking about on the call were her collaborations with Marcus Samuelson and working with African ingredients in southern food, and then working with Vivek [Surti] from Tailor in Nashville on infusing Indian ingredients in southern food,†Craft says, noting that the path she was on led directly to what in his mind was the foundation for what would become Expat. “It was just very serendipitous, and she was a very easy choice, because she can back it up. More importantly, she can cook; talking about it is one thing, but being able to actually do it at a scale this large is not for everybody.â€
Flanking Nawrocki are sous chefs Joe Landis, formerly of BrassWELL, Brasserie, and the opening residency at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.; Nick Wegman, formerly of Songbird; Nia Pruitt, formerly of Winslow’s Table who also worked with Nawrocki in Nashville; and John Koines, formerly of Brasserie and Pastaria. “The thing I’m most excited about right now is the people in the kitchen,†Nawrocki says. “to work with any of [the four sous chefs] individually would be a godsend, and to have all four of them as a team is just incredible. I could not be luckier. I know what everyone is bringing to the table here, and I just can’t wait to see more of it.†Rounding out the talent is Melinda Cooper, NFG’s director of beverage and bar operations, who will oversee Expat’s beverage program.
For Nawrocki and her team, creativity is paramount, and it weaves its way through the menu gracefully, which underscores the effort and technical skill that went into building it. “People think of creativity as something you either are or aren’t — like it’s not a skill you can train — and I disagree,†she says. “Creativity is like a pixelated photograph; the more influences you’ve pulled from is the number of pixels you have. Increase the number of pixels by adding more and more input, and you end up with something that appears very creative.†To pull off the final menu, Nawrocki researched and gathered inspiration from a wide range of sources to ensure each dish was as dialed in as she wanted.
The main floor dining room is lush, with elements that balance and soften the concrete elements of the historic space. An elegantly lighted eight-seat bar gives way to an expansive 120-seat dining room that feels intimate despite its square footage. Three discreet alcoves tuck themselves into the side of the main space, with two seating 10 to 12 and a third with room for up to 25 guests. The beauty lies in the details here; gold chain link curtains throw off a muted glow, colorful vintage travel posters provide playful movement against the natural light that streams in from skylights, and green plants break up the lines and define the space.
The third-floor terrace, by delightful contrast, is a stark departure from what lies beneath; high on style and low on pretension, sightlines that extend beyond the walls to the enormous covered patio that overlooks the center of City Foundry. Set to greet guests is Patty, a pink concrete elephant sculpture designed for Expat by Tony Rocca and Kurt Knickmeyer in the style of Bob Cassily, the mind behind the iconic City Museum. The indoor and outdoor terrace areas — both decked out in vibrant peach, teal and yellow tones — function seamlessly together, able to accommodate 250 guests between the two areas.
The visual elements of each floor echo the service style of the multi-concept. The main level will maintain traditional dinner service with an elevated barbeque menu that riffs on classics. Guests can jerk chicken wings served with sweet and spicy sauces; Frito pie with braised black-eyed peas, smoked pork shoulder, toasted gari and crispy collards served over a bag of Fritos; and fried kimchi pickles served with a pickled garlic ranch.
Larger format barbecue plates will include pork shoulder marinated in lime, Thai basil, lychee, ginger and fish sauce; beer can chicken rubbed with berbere and smoked over mead; lamb shoulder brushed with pomegranate molasses and rubbed with bay leaf, black and green cardamom, cumin, coriander and clover; and a plant-based twice smoked sweet potato dish featuring sweet potato glazed with sherry barbecue sauce and served with fresh parsley, garlic, capers and lemon.
The third-floor terrace menu leans toward fast-casual, with dishes like a beef brisket torta rubbed with chilies, garlic and cumin and topped with avocado salsa verde; a cowboy burger, a double-patty affair with Gochugaru barbecue and fried kimchi pickles on a Martin’s potato bun; and pulled Vietnamese spiced pork tossed in Hogwash barbecue sauce and served with pickled veggie slaw and fresh herbs.
After two and a half years of watching the concept come together in parts, the team is more than ready to hit go on the endeavor. “I think the most exciting is finally getting people in here to see what we’ve been working on for so long. I think the space is one of the most exciting parts, and all the little details of it,†Craft says, noting that it’s far from the only thing the concept has going. “The food is awesome. Sam [Nawrocki] is absolutely killing it and really excited for people to taste it. I think it’s going to be something very unique and special.â€