Gerard Craft discusses Expat BBQ, slated to open in St. Louis this summer

Gerard Craft, head of St. Louis-based Niche Food Group, is planning to open a new restaurant, Expat BBQ, this summer.

It’s a unique concept, incorporating global flavors into American barbecue.

The kitchen will be led by St. Louis native Sam Nawrocki, former chef de cuisine of Oak Steakhouse and 404 Kitchen in Nashville, who moved home to head up the new restaurant.

“For the last 15 years of her career, she has worked in kitchens with a focus on Southern cuisine with global influences, so the opportunity at Expat BBQ was a natural fit,” Craft said.

The Niche group’s director of beverage and bar operations, Melinda Cooper, will oversee the bar program, which will include a strong international beer program and cocktails that reflect the global flavors of the food menu. The anticipated per-person average check without drinks is $50 on the first floor and $25 on the mire casual third level.

Niche already operates eight restaurant in St. Louis and one, Pastaria, in Nashville.

Craft is a highly decorated chef, with accolades including one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in 2008 and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef in the Midwest in 2015, and has long been a culinary leader in the St. Louis community.

He recently discussed his new project.

Barbecue means so many things to so many people. What does it mean to Expat?

The Expat menu features classic American barbecue techniques utilizing a global pantry, so guests will get to experience what it would taste like if an American chef cooked barbecue in different countries, adapting their recipes to utilize local spices and ingredients.  

Barbecue is ubiquitous around the world, found in every country and culture, and Expat celebrates that. There is so much great barbecue culture already in the United States., from Memphis to the Carolinas, and especially here in St. Louis, so this will be unlike anything currently offered here. While we’ll be using techniques from U.S. barbecue, the ingredients and flavors we’re working with are inspired by Brazil, Thailand, Africa, Australia, and beyond. Expat BBQ allows our team to explore what excites us when traveling and introduces guests to new flavors through the familiar vehicle of barbecue. Yes, we will still have brisket and St. Louis-style ribs, but they will feature flavors not typically found in traditional U.S. barbecue. We want this to be a fun and inclusive concept that has plenty of options for plant-based eaters too, so there will be a strong focus on vegetables as well.

What drives the creative aspects of this concept?

Creative influences are drawn from various cuisines and cultures throughout the world, which is apparent in every aspect at Expat from design of the space to the food and beverage program. “Expat” is short for “expatriate,” which means a person who lives outside their native country, and the concept gives a nod to the joy of learning about different cultures through food while traveling. Coming from a background in fine dining and getting the experience to travel the world, I’ve always been influenced by flavors and ingredients used in other places and somewhat obsessed with how food migrates from one place to another. If you think of Italian food and its migration to America, people here had to recreate Italian recipes with all new ingredients, which resulted in the Italian-American food we're all familiar with today. We're essentially doing the reverse of that and playing with a whole new spice cabinet. At Expat, we are recreating American barbecue staples by looking at them through a new lens. Throughout the creative and planning process, we asked questions like: ‘‘What would this meal look like if we made it in South America? What beer would we be drinking in Spain? What would the dessert be in Japan?

Are there any signature dishes you feel fully represent the vibe of the space?

Our St. Louis Style Ribs really encapsulate what we’re trying to do here. They taste similar to one of our city’s most famous dishes but are prepared using traditional Chinese ingredients like a house-made five spice rub and baijiu barbecue sauce.

Can you tell me about the space?

It’s our third restaurant at the food hall City Foundry STL, joining Fordo’s Killer Pizza and Kitchen Bar. We believe City Foundry STL has created a much-needed space for the community, and it’s been really amazing to see both locals and visitors alike come together there.

What are some of the key features of the design of the space, and how will they impact guest experience?

Expat BBQ spans 16,000 square feet across multiple stories, offering a variety of dining experiences. There’s a full-service dining room on the ground floor, a first-floor mezzanine for private events, and a more casual experience on the second level. The second level provides a relaxed atmosphere with kiosk and app-based ordering, complemented by a spacious bar, a terrace patio accommodating more than 70 guests, a live music stage, and more. Adding an interactive touch, a 220-foot conveyor belt transports freshly prepared dishes from the kitchen to the upper levels, so diners get to see a variety of dishes on display.  Overall, it’s a really bright and colorful space. The walls are adorned with posters representing different countries, infusing the restaurant with a sense of travel and adventure. Since we’re having fun with the food and not taking it too seriously, we designed a super fun space too. Just like the food, the vibe will be vibrant, unique, and unlike anything guests have experienced before.