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Short Orders
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[FOOD NEWS]
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Pie Oh My
Pizza Champ will open alongside a new Side Project Brewery location in early 2022
Written by CHERYL BAEHR
Pizza Champ (forthcoming location at 2657 Lyle Avenue, Maplewood) may have been born of pandemic-related necessity, but soon it will become a full fledged part of the t. ouis food and beverage scene. The popular pizza pop-up, courtesy of Elmwood’s (2704 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-2614708) Adam Altnether and Chris elling is set to become a standalone, brick-and-mortar restaurant in Maplewood early next year featuring the pi as salads and sandwiches that have gained it a loyal following over the past year and a half. et to open in early i a Champ will be located just down the street and around the corner from Elmwood, the restaurant where the pizza pop-up was born in response to ’s pandemic induced closures. The s uare foot space will be set up for counter service additionally an ad oining seat patio that can be enclosed and heated in the chillier months will provide seating for guests who wish to stay and enjoy their pies on site. The restaurant will split the building with a new concept from ide ro ect rewing.
Though Altnether and elling have noted that a pizza concept in some form had been in their back pocket for a while, the pair felt compelled to make it a reality sooner than expected when pandemic related closures and changes to the nature of dining forced their hand in uly of . As elling explains the launch of i a hamp during that time had less to do with their desire to pursue their vision for a pizza spot and more to do with simply eeping lmwood’s doors open. ur first intention was survival elling says. In uly of
e forthcoming standalone Pizza Champ will share its space with a new Side Project Brewing location. | RENDERING COURTESY OF PIZZA CHAMP
we reali ed that percent dining room capacity wasn’t going to happen and to go plated dinners had fallen out of fashion. e’d always thought about pi a but this was born out of our need to survive.
Altnether and elling launched i a hamp out of lmwood in uly of and found immediate success. nown for its eighteen inch pizzas cooked in a bricklined oven i a hamp too Altnether’s immense culinary talent and applied it to a more casual form resulting in everything from a best-in-class traditional pepperoni pie to more creative offerings li e a grilled ale and ricotta version. As word of their pi a excellence spread through the community Altnether and elling found themselves able to serve guests who might not have otherwise sat for one of lmwood’s dinner experiences.
Now, the pair are excited to have a permanent spot to build upon that momentum, and they are confident that the synergy with the ad acent ide ro ect rewing that the new location provides will help them in those efforts. Though i a hamp and the new ide ro ect spot will be two separate businesses, they will operate in conjunction with one another guests can order ide ro ect beers as well as wine and cocktails, out of a dedicated window and order i a hamp from its own food counter. The idea is for guests to draw a little bit from each business and either take the food and beverage to go or en oy it on the patio. ventually Altnether and elling plan to wor out an arrangement to have i a hamp delivered to ide ro ect’s brewery down the road. I’ve nown ory and aren ing for years but we’ve gotten to know their team, and every single person at the cellar and the brewery wants you to enjoy their beers elling says. bviously the product stands by itself and is terrific but the team and culture there is really unmatched. It’s a positive environment like the one we try to create every day, and that synergy made it seem li e we could share this very small space together. lus Adam and ory remind me of each other with their commitment to using the best products nowing all the steps and their recognition of what is good. They are two of the hardest wor ing smartest people I have been around.
Until the new location opens, Altnether and elling will continue to offer i a hamp out of Elmwood as they have been for the last year and a half. As for Elmwood, they have temporarily suspended operations to focus on getting i a hamp up and running though elling insists the closure will be short lived. rior to the suspension, the pair were wor ing on twea ing the lmwood concept turning the restaurant into a more formal, pre-paid, coursed experience a slight break from their initial idea of lmwood as a neighborhood gathering place e ually suitable for special occasion dinners as it was for wee night burgers and beers at the bar.
Though elling says he and Altnether are not completely set on their idea about what the path forward looks like for Elmwood, he believes that the success they had in offering an more upscale experience over the past couple of months will likely dictate the restaurant’s future. e ind of leaned into being a fancy place, and the momentum was there elling says. ur last wee end offering the coursed dinners was our busiest wee end since arch of . e’re going to lean into that with the return of lmwood. e will come bac in spring and see what summer holds and what happens with public health and sentiment, and will figure out the evolution from there. e’re happy to thin of i a hamp as a neighborhood place and Elmwood as a special occasion restaurant. n
That’ll Do, Pig
Southampton’s Copper Pig has closed
Written by CHERYL BAEHR
Copper Pig (4611 Macklind Avenue; 314-499-7166), a beloved Southampton gathering place, has served its last guests. The restaurant, which opened six years ago, announced the closure on Facebook after service the evening of December 20, citing simply “Thank you. Copper Pig served its last drink and meal tonight.”
Opened by veteran bartender Nhat Nguyen in 2015, Copper Pig was known for its fusion of Asian and Latin dishes and Americanstyle comfort food, a unique marriage based on Nguyen’s experiences growing up as a first generation American with immigrant parents. Drawing upon the food that he ate as a kid in a Southeast Asian household in the Midwest, as well as the Latin American food he fell in love with while living in Miami, Copper Pig gained fans for its eclectic dishes, good cocktails and warm atmosphere.
Though he is happy with what he created and the restaurant continued to be profitable guyen simply felt that it was time to step away.
“It’s kind of been swirling in my mind for a while,” Nguyen says. “I’m not dead and I wasn’t forced out. I’m just tired of something. Like any relationship, sometimes you just grow tired and want something new. Call it an amicable divorce. I have no ill will toward anyone, even the detractors. Sometimes, you just want to walk away with a good taste in your mouth rather than a bad one.”
As Nguyen explains, his decision to close Copper Pig is based on his desire to leave the hospitality industry indefinitely rather than any issues with the restaurant. Having worked in the business for many years, he explains he grew tired of the long hours and six to seven day work weeks — something he readily accepted as part of the gig but now feels a need to step back from. I definitely will not resurface in the hospitality industry for a while,” Nguyen says. “I don’t hate it. It’s served me well, but I just want to get away from it for a while.”
Nguyen notes he is fortunate to own the building where Copper Pig was located, and he is open to having a tenant take over the space, even as he states he is in no rush to find one. If that prospective person wanted to reopen as Copper Pig, he would entertain the idea, though he thinks a new and unique concept would better serve everyone involved.
“I don’t see why they would want to keep the name Copper Pig, because I think that would ruin their thing,” Nguyen says. “The identity of Copper Pig is what I did, so I’d think they would want to do their own thing.”
As for the loyal guests he’s gained over the years and the Southampton neighborhood that has supported him, Nguyen is thankful, and sees the area as a prime spot for a prospective business owner.
“Six years isn’t forever, but it’s a decent enough time, especially in that neighborhood,” Nguyen says. “The local residents there really supported me. I didn’t know that the food would go over when I turned on the lights six years ago. I didn’t tell anyone I was open; I just turned on the lights and they came out. That’s just how the neighborhood is.” n
Copper Pig, a popular Southampton gathering place, has closed. | MABEL SUEN
[FOOD NEWS]
Toast of the Town
City Foundry to open toasted ravioli eatery
Written by JENNA JONES
Alove of toasted ravioli arguably runs in the blood of every St. Louisan and now, t-ravs will be honored with an eatery at City Foundry (3730 Foundry Way) dedicated to nothing but the unofficial official food of the Lou.
STL Toasted is the latest addition to the City Foundry’s bustling lineup, and it will feature a range of “artisan toasted ravioli with creative fillings,” according to a press release announcing the forthcoming concept. Boasting flavors like a Lemon Blackberry Gooey Butter Cake dessert filling and a savory buffalo chicken bite, the restaurant will make its debut some time this year.
“We chose to open our concept at City Foundry STL because we believe it represents everything we love about St. Louis,” founder Matthew Fuller says in the press release. “A collaborative space that celebrates diversity and small businesses is exactly the type of place we want to be.”
STL Toasted came to fruition after Fuller got into a life-altering car accident. Unable to work for a year, Fuller and his wife Brittany Abernathy remembered an idea they kicked around in 2014 about artisan toasted ravioli and began the eatery. The two started hosting pop-ups at St. Louis spots like Bella’s Frozen Yogurt and have another slated for this month at the Drawing Board.
Director of operations Susie Bonwich says in the press release that the City Foundry is “delighted to welcome a kitchen that pays homage to a well-known St. Louis dish that approaches it in a new and different way.”
STL Toasted joins three other concepts in the Food Hall slated for 2022, Will Smith of New + Found adds in a press release. The most recent addition to the Food Hall was Intergalactic, a smashburger and fries spot. Eager diners looking to see what else the Foundry has in store are encouraged to check cityfoundrystl.com regularly for updates about what is coming. n
