After much anticipation, Little Fox will officially open to the public in the former Purple Martin corner space in Fox Park on December 10. It marks the first restaurant from chefs Craig and Mowgli Rivard, who moved to Craig’s native St. Louis after a long stint in New York City. Between them, the Rivards have cooked in a series of highly rated Brooklyn restaurants including Diner, Marlow & Sons, and Clover Club.
Mowgli Rivard says the restaurant’s design was the culmination of “a lot of ideas I’d had, things I’d collected on Pinterest.” She and Craig recruited SPACE Architecture + Design to realize her vision, and the result is a stunning, sleek design, where block colors meet exposed brick and light wood textures. Wooden beams overhead, geometric lighting fixtures, and tiles contribute to a lively, modern energy.
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The main dining room is divided into two long spaces seating a total of 54 diners. On one side, there’s an open kitchen with a curved countertop; on the other, a long banquette and room for 11 diners at the bar. By spring, the Rivards plan to seat additional customers on the patio. There’s also a space for private events and dining, which can host up to 26. (Mowgli, who will serve as general manager at Little Fox, has years of experience as a private chef and will offer that expertise to help clients shape their events.)
Earlier this year, the Rivards said Little Fox would offer diners flexibility: A patron could enjoy a small plate or two with a glass of wine, a variety of dishes to share with a group, or a hearty entrée. Some of the small plates work as sides or standalone dishes, such as the crispy fingerling potatoes with red sweet peppers and tonnato sauce.
A bowl of littleneck clams, served in a sherry sauce with house-baked sourdough, might be paired with a glass of white wine. To that end, beverage director Kelly Nyikes (formerly of Sardella) can recommend something from Little Fox’s selection of natural wines. Nyikes is a champion of the emerging category and wants St. Louis to be a go-to destination for these wines, characterized by “low intervention” in the growth and production process.
Among the larger dishes, a standout is the tomahawk bone-in pork chop Milanese, topped with a gribiche dressing and served with grilled greens, roasted turnips, and pickled mustard seeds. The restaurant will also offer such staples as a whole grilled trout and flat iron steak, while the sides will change.
Another must-try: delicata squash served with scallions, whole fried slices of lemon, and aleppo peppers, finished with a drizzle of Hawthorne Honey, produced by local beekeeper Scott Holifield.
Among the desserts, the olive oil cake is covered in a cranberry caramel sauce, with candied marcona almonds and whipped crème fraiche.
Another sweet, the buttermilk panna cotta, is served with crumbled ginger financiers, milk meringue pieces, and fresh oranges.
To create the cocktail menu, the Rivards enlisted the help of bartender Shannon Ponche, who’s based at pan-Latin cocktail bar Leyenda in Brooklyn. The drink menu’s “Originals” selection of seven house cocktails includes the Little Fox Martini (gin, blanc vermouth, fino sherry, Tom olive, and lemon oils), an excellent take on the classic. The Brooklyn Inn is a twist on the pisco sour (with mezcal espadin and ground pink peppercorns), and the Reynard is a tiki-style drink (founded on a base of aged Barbadian rum with pineapple, passion fruit, cinnamon, vanilla, and lime). Consider ordering the cocktails during “social hour,” from 3–6 p.m., when they’re available at a discounted $8 (rather than the regular $12).
After the initial opening phase, the Rivards plan to offer an espresso counter and house-made pastries for breakfast in February. They also hope to serve brunch beginning that same month, followed by lunch in the spring. And they plan to host special themed dinners starting in January and February.
For now, though, two years after moving to St. Louis with the hope of opening their own restaurant, the Rivards are happy to be on the cusp of introducing the neighborhood to Little Fox.
