First Look: Gerard Craft Releases Menu for Cinder House at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

In partnership with Gerard Craft, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis announces menu details for the upcoming wood-fired fare at Cinder House. Located on the iconic 8th floor of Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, Cinder House showcases sweeping views of the Gateway Arch, Mississippi River and downtown skyline.

The restaurant design and menu both draw inspiration from South America for a very personal reason close to Gerard Craft’s heart. His childhood nanny, Dia, who he considers a second mother, first ignited Craft’s love of food through her traditional South American cuisine. Many of the dishes on Cinder House’s menu are an ode to Dia.

“I was a very picky eater when I was a kid, but I loved Dia’s cooking," says Craft. "I called coxinha “chicken nuggies,” which drove her crazy. As an adult, I now recognise how much care she put into everything that she made. Dia had the ability to evoke a sense of comfort from simple, fresh ingredients. It is something that I hope to translate on the Cinder House menu.”

Destined to become St. Louis’ premier restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu at Cinder House centres around dishes from the custom, wood-burning hearth. Wood-fired dishes of locally sourced vegetables to seafood are highlighted throughout the dinner menu from the “shared plates” of grilled lamb ribs with lime, soy, garlic and honey to four steak selections from an 8-ounce filet to 32-ounce dry-aged porterhouse. For nods to Dia, the “snacks” menu features grilled chicken croquettes (coxinha) with Catupiry cheese and aji amarillo sauce, and Dia’s cheese bread (pao de queijo) with prosciutto and lardo. A take on one of Craft’s favourites as a kid, Cinder House serves a feijoada with Calabrese sausage, braised beef, smoked pork belly, braised pork cheek, black beans cooked in ham hock, collard greens, oranges and farofa, topped with chimichurri. Her influence also permeates the dessert menu with dishes such as flan polvorones and rice pudding, served hot or cold.

Cinder House’s breakfast menu lends to more traditional American breakfast fare with the occasional eclectic dish. Hotel guests and locals alike can enjoy brown butter scrambled eggs with housemade toast and arugula or opt for the kimchi farro bowl with kale, swiss chard and a fried egg. Other highlights include a breakfast-version of the feijoada, feijao tropeiro with black beans, duck sausage, kale and farofa; and brioche French toast PB&J with nut butter, housemade jam and maple syrup.

Additionally, guests can enjoy a mix of appetisers, tacos, “on bread” options, salads and desserts for lunch or soak in the view on the stylish new Sky Terrace outdoor bar and lounge with the same menu. Parlaying the ease of a backyard barbecue, Chef Craft invites all to grab a Caipirinha and relax in a comfortable and sophisticated environment. Insider tip: start with shareable appetiser of crème fraiche and onion dip with potato chips. Larger “on bread” items feature dishes such as piri piri chicken sandwich with bread and butter pickles and smoked mozzarella; and seafood roll with celery, brown butter mayo, green apple, Aleppo chili, tarragon on brioche bread. A small taco menu features a pulled pork taco with Alabama white sauce and bread & butter pickles.

Alper Oztok, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, states, "Cinder House is the perfect gathering place. We can't wait to open our doors and welcome travellers and residents alike to experience Chef Craft's new menu." Brian Marsh, Vice President and General Manager of Lumière Place Casino & Hotels explains further, “The menu isn’t the only enhancement. We’ve increased seating as well, allowing even more people to enjoy Craft’s newest creation - more than 35 percent indoors and almost 110 percent outside!”

Visit Cinder House for a complete listing of menu items, hours of operation and upcoming events. Reservations can be made beginning on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 and beyond, here.