4 Hens Creole Kitchen has joined the vendor lineup at the Food Hall at City Foundry. The restaurant opens Monday (Jan. 24) at the five-month-old Midtown venue.
4 Hens is a partnership between two married couples, Brandi and Brittany Artis and Brittani Gardner-Evans and Ebony Evans.
“We are a Black, queer restaurant that is women-owned here in St. Louis,” Brandi Artis tells Off the Menu.
Artis is 4 Hens’ executive chef. The Kansas City native first cooked professionally as a teenager at Godfather’s Pizza and later attended both culinary and bartending school. More recently, before relocating to St. Louis with her family, she operated a culinary business in Chicago for 4½ years.
That business was known for its street taco pop-ups in bars and clubs, Artis says, but she also catered larger events such as brunches where she would include Creole-based fare.
At 4 Hens, appetizers on the online menu include fried green tomatoes and the Slapp’n Shrimp (sauteed with Creole spices and sauced with remoulade).
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Among the main courses are po’boy sandwiches (andouille, chicken, shrimp or fried green tomato); shrimp and grits with smoked gouda cheese grits and Creole cream sauce; and the Big Easy, fries with mozzarella, Creole cream sauce and your choice of andouille, chicken, shrimp and crawfish.
In lieu of gumbo, Artis offers succotash soup, with okra, tomato, lima beans and corn: “I didn’t want to have gumbo because you do have a lot of Creole restaurants here in St. Louis, and so this is my modern twist on traditional Creole cuisine.”
Ali Thiam serves a small but appealing selection of Senegalese, Ivorian and Afro-Caribbean fare at his Food Hall kitchen.
Artis and her partners had looked at other commercial spaces before the Food Hall at City Foundry caught their interest.
“I love architecture, and I love industrial design and industrial buildings, and so to be in this type of building, with such history, was something that I was like, ‘Oh, my God … I want in,'” she says.
For all her restaurant and kitchen experience, 4 Hens’ opening this week marks Artis’ debut as a restaurateur.
“This is literally a dream come true,” she says. “And I could not be happier.”
The 30,000-square-foot hall opens with 11 vendors and four more due to open later this year.
4 Hens Creole Kitchen is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant is closed Tuesday.
The Food Hall at City Foundry is located at 3730 Foundry Way.
Photos: Opening day diners get a taste of Food Hall at City Foundry STL
City Foundry Food Hall: opening day
The Food Hall at City Foundry debuts Aug. 11, 2021.
City Foundry Food Hall: Poptimism
From left: Danielle, Jude and Evelyn McKay of Kirkwood enjoy ice pops from Poptimism on Aug. 11, 2021, opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry.
Opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL
Austin Smith of St. Charles and Alli Brennan of Oakville wait in line at Subdivision Sandwich Co. on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
Opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL
“I saw a post on Instagram over a year ago and I’ve been waiting for it to open” said Jessie Wong, right, who enjoys a Poke Bowl with Clarissa Bowers, far right, next to a moss column on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. The column of moss was created by Audrey Smith. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
City Foundry Food Hall: opening day
“I saw a post on Instagram over a year ago and I’ve been waiting for it to open” said Jessie Wong, right, who enjoys a poke bowl with Clarissa Bowers, far right, next to a moss column on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. The column of moss was created by Audrey Smith. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
City Foundry Food Hall: Subdivision Sandwich Co.
Executive chef Tom Futrell oversees lunch orders at Subdivision Sandwich Co. on Aug. 11, 2021, opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry.
Opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL
“We wanted to come check it out,” said Don Closter , who enjoys playing with his granddaughter Dani Lawson on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
Opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL.
“I used to come down here a lot when it was used as a foundry. I wanted to see how it looked,” said Jim Long, right, who photographs the industrial architecture on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
Opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL
“I saw a post on Instagram over a year ago and I’ve been waiting for it to open” said Jessie Wong, center right, who enjoys a Poke Bowl with Clarissa Bowers, far right, next to a moss column on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL. The column of moss was created by Audrey Smith. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
City Foundry Food Hall: Poptimism
An assortment of ice pops — cantaloupe sea salt, blueberry lemonade, watermelon, blackberry goat cheese, peach basil and cucumber lime — from Poptimism at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Kalbi Taco Shack
Kalbi Taco Shack Owner Sue Wong-Shackelford calls out an order on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, on the opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry STL Photo by Laurie Skrivan, [email protected]
City Foundry Food Hall: Kalbi Taco Shack
A teriyaki chicken taco from Kalbi Taco Shack at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Kalbi Taco Shack
A pan-seared boneless beef short-rib taco from Kalbi Taco Shack at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Kalbi Taco Shack
Mark Shackelford and Sue Wong-Shackelford, owners of Kalbi Taco Shack, on Aug. 11, 2021, opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Patty’s Cheesecakes
Pat Upchurch, owner of Patty’s Cheesecakes, on Aug. 11, 2021, opening day of the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Patty’s Cheesecakes
A slice of cinnamon cheesecake from Patty’s Cheesecakes at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Patty’s Cheesecakes
A blueberry-lemonade petite cheesecake from Patty’s Cheesecakes at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Patty’s Cheesecakes
A chocolate chip cookie cheesecake sandwich from Patty’s Cheesecakes at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Subdivision Sandwich Co.
Any Glen Will Do, a sandwich with crispy chicken breast, bacon, pepper jack cheese, arugula, pesto and avocado spread, from Subdivision Sandwich Co. at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Hello Poke
An ahi tuna poke bowl from Hello Poke at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Press Waffles Co.
The House from Press Waffles Co. at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Press Waffles Co.
Chicken & Waffles from Press Waffles Co. at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Buenos Aires Cafe
Ainara Farina, owner of Buenos Aires Cafe at the City Foundry Food Hall, holds a plate of papas gauchas (left) and an Argentinian empanada Aug. 11, 2021.
City Foundry Food Hall: Buenos Aires Cafe
An Argentinian empanada from Buenos Aires Cafe at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Turmeric Street Style
A Chettinad mushroom roll from Turmeric Street Style at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Good Day
An apple pie crepe from Good Day at the Food Hall at City Foundry
City Foundry Food Hall: Buenos Aires Cafe
Papas gauchas (loaded french fries) from Buenos Aires Cafe at the Food Hall at City Foundry
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