Niche Restaurant‘s Gerard Craft is expanding his brand into the Central West End with Brasserie by Niche, a casual restaurant that will serve traditional French bistro fare. The Brasserie is set to open its doors at 4580 Laclede Ave., home to Chez Léon, as early as mid-October. Craft (pictured) has hired friend Perry Hendrix, who most recently worked at Gabrielle’s at the Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville, N.C., as executive chef. Hendrix also has done stints at Gramercy Tavern and Prune in New York and The French Laundry in Napa.
“I felt that if there was anybody who understood what the true Parisian brasserie is and shared my love for it, it was Perry,” Craft said.
Craft started scouting locations for a second restaurant in the spring of 2008. For the last several months, his attention has been focused on 4580 Laclede Ave. “I love the storefront facade that opens up in spring and summer,” he said. As the place where Craft proposed to his wife, Suzie, and held his rehearsal dinner, the restaurant has some layers of personal history.
Expect tweaks to the menu and décor, not an overhaul. “At first we’re just going to go in as-is, and then we’re going to work from there,” Craft said. Look for classic French desserts by Niche executive pastry chef Mathew Rice and a thoughtful beer list.
Leon Bierbaum, owner of Chez Léon, has his eye on a new restaurant space in Clayton. Watch this space for updates.
Photo by Brian Fagnani
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2009.