What is the City foundry in St. Louis?

The opening celebrations at City Foundry just keep coming. Since its official first day in July 2021, the 15-acre site in Midtown has been adding businesses and nonprofit offices at a steady pace. Just this month it welcomed the dining and entertainment venue City Winery and the fitness and yoga boutique Trufusion.

That brings the total to 17 restaurants in the Food Hall, 15 retail shops and six entertainment venues, plus office space for organizations ranging from Orion Genomics to Great Rivers Greenway. More additions are in progress, including the region’s first mass timber office building.

So the first thing you should know when visiting City Foundry is that one visit isn’t going to be enough. With that in mind, here are some highlights for the first of your many return trips.

Dining and drinking

Because it was the first part of City Foundry to open to the public—right as pandemic restrictions were loosening—the Food Hall captured hungry St. Louisans’ attention. It’s centrally located on the ground floor of the complex, making it easy to access from any direction.

The hard part starts once you’re inside, because you’ll have some decisions to make among the local independent eateries.

Here’s a taste:

• Chez Ali shares Afro-Carribean flavors like Senegalese rice and fish, jerk chicken, jollof rice and peanut butter beef stew. The lunchtime buffet is very popular, so expect a wait—but it’s worth it for dishes you won’t find anywhere else.

• If you’re planning to order Neapolitan pizza from Fordo’s Killer Pizza, consider ordering online and picking it up, because you don’t want to miss out on a wood-fired pie from revered chef Gerard Craft and his Niche Food Group.

• The Mexican-Asian fusion at Kalbi Taco Shack includes dishes like a sweet and spicy jackfruit burrito and a buffalo zing chicken bowl, with sides of chips and salsa or Asian slaw, all using house-made, secret-recipe marinades and sauces.

• STL Toasted makes both sweet and savory artisan toasted ravioli in flavors like loaded potato and lemon-blackberry gooey butter cake.

• Sur Este steps up to the challenge of creating authentic Yucatan cuisine using locally sourced ingredients alongside the bounty of southeastern Mexico (avocados, seafood and citrus).

• Turmeric Street Style builds on the reputation established by its pan-Indian restaurant in the Delmar Loop. This stall offers a microcosm of street foods, with build-your-own rice bowls and katti or dosa rolls (two popular wrap options).

There are plenty of tables scattered around the Food Hall (and more outside during nice weather), so the decision of where to eat is pretty easy. But perhaps the biggest challenge is whether to save room for dessert … and where to get it. Some stalls, like Press Waffle Co., offer both entrees and desserts. Others, like Patty’s Cheesecakes and Poptimism, focus on making the world a sweeter place.

Beyond the Food Hall, there’s sit-down dining at City Winery, offering both the national chain’s mainstay dishes plus regionally inspired options from the local kitchen team. The restaurant is designed so the dining space—called The Barrel Room—and the wine bar can be separated from the event venue, so even if you don’t have tickets for the performance, you can still enjoy the food and drinks.

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema also has two options for food and drinks: the dine-in service brought to your seats by their “ninja-trained wait staff” or the theater bar, where you can choose among 48 beers on tap, with a focus on local craft brews.

Even the Fresh Thyme at the eastern edge of the complex has an in-house eatery, the Iron Drop Café. The name is a nod to City Foundry’s history. More than 100 years ago, the Century Electric company bought the property and set up manufacturing operations for small motors and generators. The factory operated until 2007.

Shopping

Having a grocery store anchor a complex like City Foundry might seem a little strange at first glance. But the area has seen a huge construction boom in recent years, and there are now about 6,000 year-round residents in Midtown, plus nearly 30,000 college students and hundreds of staff at more than 60 arts and culture organizations. That’s a lot of people who might need a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread, perhaps from one of the grocery chain’s local partners like Bridge Bread.

In the heart of the complex, City Foundry’s small retail shops have a common denominator: they’re local lifestyle brands with a progressive approach. Two of the newest stores are Profield Reserve, the fast-growing apparel company that started with a Cherokee Street storefront in 2020, and Urban Shark, an outpost of the Big Shark Bicycle Co. that needs no introduction for cycling enthusiasts.

Some of the shops—including May’s Place, Golden Gems, Sanctioned Sneaker Collective and Mix & Match Women’s Boutique—already had an established retail presence and loyal fans. Others are relying on their City Foundry location to generate buzz. For example, Vacancy Gallery showcases street art from St. Louis- and Chicago-based artists in a range of mediums, and Procure by The Women’s Creative sells more than 25 local women-owned brands, with an emphasis on wellness and self-care.

Keep an eye out too for the many seasonal pop-up shopping events hosted in City Foundry’s main pedestrian area as well as retail spaces alongside the food and entertainment venues. City Winery, for example, sells bottles of its own wines and other wine-related goods at a little shop adjacent to the Food Hall.

Activities and entertainment

When it first opened, City Foundry had tons of empty parking spots in its surface lots and multi-story garage. They’re filling up now, especially evenings and weekends, thanks to the wealth of things to do. In particular, Puttshack for tech-infused mini golf and Sandbox VR for an immersive virtual reality experience have become destinations during the cold winter days.

St. Louisans who have visited Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas in other cities told me how excited they were about the chain setting up its first location here, on the second level of the complex. For one thing, they said, the food and drinks are a step above the usual theater fare. (And they were right about that.) They also love the zero-tolerance for noise and distractions during screenings and the policy of not allowing late arrivals to enter. Instead, they can exchange their tickets for another showtime.

I was impressed by the staff, who are both friendly and extremely efficient. I was amused at the description of their training as “ninja-like,” but I have to admit there were times that our huge stainless steel bowl of bottomless popcorn was swapped out for a full one and I totally did not see it happen.

They’ll ask for a credit card upfront before the movie starts, so payment is a smooth experience, and they’ll take your order then if you’re ready. If not, the contactless ordering system during the movie was very convenient and unobtrusive.

City Winery is still ramping up operations, but based on its track record in other cities, St. Louisans can expect a well-oiled machine for both dining and shows. During the media preview in mid-March, several staff members took the time to explain the company chose to expand its network to St. Louis. For one, because it books acts to tour all its venues, it wanted a location between Chicago and Nashville. As of now, City Winery is focused mostly on the East Coast; St. Louis is its most western location. For another, with our region’s long history of winemaking, they’re excited to add possibilities for new wines—but currently, most of what’s consumed here will be made at other locations.

The bottom line: City Foundry is a creative redevelopment of a property that could have become a permanent eyesore in the heart of the city. Instead, it’s a vibrant and welcoming place where you are guaranteed to find something you’ll enjoy.

For more coverage of local food and drink destinations—including Armory STL, just across the highway from City Foundry—visit our archive.

Photo courtesy of City Winery.