4 Hens Creole Kitchen opens at City Foundry STL today

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Photo by Zach Gzehoviak

Brittani Gardner-Evans, Brandi Artis

You can now get a taste of New Orleans at City Foundry STL’s Food Hall. 4 Hens Creole Kitchen, a kitchen serving Creole cuisine with a twist, opens there today. The new restaurant is the 15th concept to open inside the Midtown development’s food hall, which has space for up to 20 offerings.

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Photo by Zach Gzehoviak

4 Hens’ four owners include executive chef Brandi Artis and Brittany Artis, Ebony Evans, and business manager Brittani Gardner-Evans. When the two couples and friends moved to St. Louis together last year, they decided to realize their collective vision of opening a restaurant. Brandi, a Kansas City native who spent the past six years as the owner/operator of Simply Delicious Bartending and Catering in Chicago, serves as the executive chef.

The menu consists of three parts: Starters, Mains, and Little Chicks Meals, with all categories featuring signature spins on classic Creole flavors and dishes. 

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Photo by Zach Gzehoviak

Chicken Dawlins  - fried chicken breast bites with housemade dirty mustard and creole ranch for dipping

Starters include Chicken Dawlins (pictured above); Creole Toast, topped with creole cream sauce, crawfish tails, and baked mozzarella; and Slapp’n Shrimp sautéed in Creole spices and drizzled with remoulade.

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Photo by Zach Gzehoviak

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Courtesy 4 Hens

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Noteworthy entrées include Shrimp n’ Grits (pictured above), with smoked gouda grits and Creole cream sauce; the Swamp Thang, a succotash soup with crawfish tails and sautéed shrimp; and the Big Easy, fries topped with mozzarella, Creole cream sauce, and a choice of protein. There's also a classic po’ boy with a choice of chicken, andouille sausage, fried green tomatoes, or shrimp.

N’awlins Bread Pudding, with sweet cream sauce, caramel, and pralines is the sole dessert on the menu.

For the kids, 4 Hens offers Little Cheesies (fried cheese bites), Little Dawlins (fried chicken bites), and Little Shrimpers (sauteed shrimp bites). All of 4 Hens’ homemade dipping sauces are available a la carte.

Photo by Zach Gzehoviak

Creole Toast and a lemonade from Little Chicks Lemonade. The sister company that supplies the beverages is operated by the owners' children.

Asked about the decision to open a Creole-style restaurant, Brandi explained the cuisine was already part of certain staples in her kitchen, including a Creole cream sauce, salmon croquettes, and fried green tomatoes. Her decision, though, was ultimately inspired by St. Louis’ roots to Creole food and New Orleans' influence.

“I love to cook any style of food,” Brandi says. “It’s just what makes people happy, what brings people joy.”

Since moving into City Foundry STL, Brandi says the restaurant's four owners have found a culinary community of support, with one restaurant’s staff willing to help meet another restaurant’s needs.

“It’s a great space to be in, especially for my very first restaurant. I could not be more excited about being in a place like this.”