Photo by Spencer Pernikoff
Nate Hereford
A new rotisserie chicken concept from chef Nate Hereford is opening later this year at City Foundry STL.
Chicken Scratch, tagged "seasonal eats and rotisserie meats," will serve rotisserie chicken and seasonally inspired sides with house-made sauces and other specials. Slated to open in the food hall early this fall, the eatery will use a French Rotisol rotisserie oven to roast half and whole birds.
"I became acquainted with the brand when I was doing some R&D last winter," says Hereford. "It's gas-powered, fast, easy to operate, and produces a consistent product"—a key factor, especially when planning multiple units.
The chickens receive relatively simple treatment before going on the spit. "We experimented with wet brines, dry brines, marinades, basted sauces," says Hereford, but he found that a dry brine and and a house spice rub of garlic, paprika, rosemary, and thyme—among other "warm poultry seasonings," as he describes it—would produce the most the consistent (and consistently available) product. "When you get into days-long brines and marinades, you can get into trouble with a concept like this," he says.
The menu will also include six to eight seasonal sides, salads, bowls, and rotating specials. Hereford is “in an R&D” phase, he says. Current ideas for sides include a roasted carrots with coriander, hot honey, toasted pecans, and herbs; cauliflower with Thai basil and creamy yogurt sauce; roasted potatoes with chicken drippings; and French fries, a classic French-bistro pairing with roast chicken.
Sauces will include a tangy yogurt sauce, a salsa verde-inspired herb sauce, a sweet and spicy red sauce, and au jus for “a little down home” flavor, Hereford says. Guests can order items a la carte to enjoy at City Foundry or for carryout. He adds that Chicken Scratch is also conceptually set up for delivery.
“People enjoy simple food prepared well," Hereford says. "They can pick up a warm, comforting meal and take it home to their family. It’s healthy, vibrant, and delicious.”
Chicken Scratch marks a new chapter for Hereford, who once worked as executive chef at Gerard Craft’s now-shuttered Niche restaurant. In 2016, he moved to California to work on research and development projects. He returned to St. Louis and continued consulting and doing pop-up events while fleshing out the Chicken Scratch concept with his wife and business partner, Christine.
Rotisserie has already taken off elsewhere in the U.S., and now Hereford aims to bring the concept to St. Louis. He drew inspiration from the multi-unit Chook in Denver. "I thought, There’s nothing like that in St. Louis and everyone loves rotisserie, so why not build an idea around it?” Hereford says. “Rotisserie chicken is simple and craveable.”
Chicken Scratch will be one of many local eateries at City Foundry. Located in the former Federal-Mogul foundry site, the food hall was originally slated to open in 2019, but the opening was pushed back following changes in the anticipated tenants and the pandemic. Still, City Foundry is steadily moving closer to opening. In May 2020, James Beard Award–winning chef Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group took the reins at the food hall, planning to offer input on tenants and manage some concepts within the space.
Other food hall tenants to date include Buenos Aires Café (Argentinian fare from Oscar and Ainara Farina of O’Fallon, Illinois–based Los Gauchos), Good Day (a crêpe and breakfast sandwich concept from the owners of Polite Society and The Bellwether), Hello Poke, Patty’s Cheesecakes; Press Waffle Co., Turmeric (an Indian food concept based on the Delmar Loop restaurant), and Poptimism (from Whisk Bakery owner Kaylen Wissinger).
Also on board is Kalbi Taco Shack, owned and operated by Sue and Mark Shackelford, who will be moving their operation from Cherokee Street to Foundry STL in late summer. "We love our location but what we do is very specific and labor-intensive. We can't be in two places at once and keep the quality consistent," says Sue Shackelford of the move that will provide "more seating, more hours, and more parking."
And last week, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the latest vendor is tentatively named Sureste, a concept from former Cleveland-Heath executive chef Alex Henry. It will feature dishes from Mexico’s Yucatán region, including several kinds of ceviche.
According to the latest information, City Foundry food hall vendors are set to open in two phases, later this summer and in early fall. Chicken Scratch will be in the second wave along with 11 other vendors. Hereford also plans to host one or two pop-ups this summer, prior to opening.
