None of the Above, a speakeasy by Niche Food Group, opens today in City Foundry STL (2024)

After years of speculation – and years of work – None of the Above, the speakeasy concept from Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group, opens today underneath City Foundry STL. The sophisticated co*cktail lounge is accessible via a nondescript door marked by a single red light. Guests are met with an industrial door original to the space, which opens to reveal a series of tunnels lined with graffiti cut and repurposed from areas all over the campus. The twists and plunges to reach the final destination disorient in the best way, infusing heightened anticipation into the big reveal. A final door unveils a room that shimmers even in the dimmest of lights.

The space, a passion project meticulously designed by Lawrence Group, is enveloped with the deep navy tones of the curved booths and walls against warm wood tables, flecked gunmetal velvet chairs, and lush rugs lining polished concrete floors. A multitude of textures reveal themselves in glints of light from brass table lamps, and wall sconces create a balanced glow within the space, resulting in a hushed environment that’s cozy and welcoming. A gallery wall of curated photos lines the space opposite the door; look closely, and you’ll see an original Niche menu and historical photos of the Foundry interspersed with images of those who brought the concept to life. It’s a blend of Niche history and Lawrence Group CEO Steve Smith’s personal history; there’s even a photograph of his mom in the mix. “There’s pieces of St. Louis history and our history all thrown in,” Kate Woolverton, COO of Niche Food Group, says. “Preserving the history of the Foundry and really showcasing it is super vital and important to Steve [Smith] and to the project as a whole.”

None of the Above is situated in a space Smith and his son, New + Found President Will Smith, unearthed while development on City Foundry STL was underway. Upon its discovery, the duo knew exactly who to call: Gerard Craft, CEO of Niche. “I think it was the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020; I came over here with Will and he showed me this,” Craft says. “We had to kind of jump down here, and he’s like ‘I don’t know if this can happen, but we really like the idea of a speakeasy-type place down here.’” Craft immediately jumped on board and dedicated his team to the massive task of bringing the Smiths’ vision to life. “The idea that you get tucked away into this windowless basem*nt immediately transports you. There’s no real sense of time in here,” Craft explains. “These days, I find it more and more important in our lives to be able to escape just a little bit, and I think this really provides it.”

What was once a bare concrete box filled with water is now a luxe destination designed for a pre-dinner co*cktail or a last sip of the night. The space favors intimacy over flash, hushed conversations over selfies, with an air of old-world mystery that’s increasingly difficult to find. The 80 seats are split between bar seating, a mix of booths and tables in the main room and a hidden mirrored doorway off the bar that leads guests into a private library. There, a handful of oversized chairs and abbreviated sofas sit under a winding series of exposed pipes. The room is available for private events serving up to 20 guests, but when not in use, it gives guests a choice in how they experience the speakeasy. “It’s a bit quieter, a bit more intimate, and set apart from the action,” Woolverton says. “You still get the same feeling, but more contained. And pretty sexy, quite frankly.”

For the Niche team, it’s a natural iteration of the iconic Taste Bar, which closed in late 2021 to make way for Brass Bar, an extension of the Brasserie concept. Craft notes that the library room at the speakeasy recalls the feel of the upstairs couches at Taste, where guests could tuck themselves for the evening over drinks and conversation. Fans of Taste will notice elements of one of St. Louis’ most missed concepts alive and well in None of the Above’s details, most notably the co*cktail menu. “We started this process before we closed Taste,” Craft says. “[The closure] definitely left a void in my heart and in many hearts as a place to get really fun, inventive co*cktails with no pretension, and also be able to get really well-executed classic co*cktails.” Enter Fionna Gemzon, a Taste alum and natural fit to carry Taste’s co*cktail philosophy into the future. Gemzon crafted None of the Above’s generous luxury-driven co*cktail menu with new techniques that build on Taste’s foundation. The menu funnels guests down two paths: The house co*cktail menu features flawlessly layered flavor profiles with unexpected twists and turns, while the contrasting classic co*cktail menu boasts a hit list of mainstays and more obscure classics guests may not find elsewhere.

House co*cktails include The Downpour, with sumac vodka, allspice, saffron, grapefruit cordial and lemon; Fallen Angels, a mix of chile-crisp fat-washed tequila, Cynar, cassis, lime and ginger beer; After Curfew, with Balvenie Rum cask, macadamia orgeat, tiki syrup and Peychaud’s bitters; and Gemzon’s favorite, the In the Mood for Love, with black sesame rye, pimento dram, lemon, cumin and coriander. Classics include go-to co*cktails like the French 75 and the Old Fashioned alongside selections like the Widow’s Kiss (apple brandy, Strega, Benedictine liqueur and Angostura bitters) and the Jungle Bird (Hamilton Jamaican Pot Still black rum, Campari, pineapple and lime.) An abbreviated menu of snacks is available as well, including chilled smoked mussels with sofrito, lemon, and wakame rye crackers; charred scallion dip served with kettle chips and an optional caviar add-on, candied ham and white cheddar popcorn, and citrus-marinated olives with fennel and fresh herbs.

In the future, Gemzon says she plans to spin out the classics a little more and expand the house co*cktails to further develop the concept’s identity in the space. For now, her goal is to get comfortable and encourage guests who are hesitant to dive into unfamiliar flavor profiles. “I’m training our staff to get comfortable with the drinks because it can be scary for some people,” Gemzon says. “Our service has to be comfortable enough to explain the co*cktails in a way that takes the intimidation out of it.” To that end, the speakeasy has a questionnaire designed like old-school Scantron answer sheets with thoughtful prompts that help determine what guests are in the mood for, even if they can’t quite put a finger on it themselves.

The opening of None of the Above reinforces a reemerging trend: a return to late-night dining and drinking, and by extension, a potential return to guests being present in the experience. “Late night [dining] is really coming back, and people are looking for it,” Woolverton says. “It’s a big deal to go out to eat and drink; it’s expensive. So we should be providing exceptional experiences that live on their own outside of just providing food and beverage.” To reinforce the idea that overall experience is paramount, there are house rules – cheeky ones inspired by now-shuttered Milk & Honey, a favorite New York City haunt of Craft’s – which serve as a lighthearted reminder to guests that the experience is a shared one. “I like the idea of setting the tone,” Craft says. “I think in a bar where everybody is drinking, it’s nice to have a little list of things we can fall back on. It’s not a pickup bar; it’s a place to sit, have a drink and escape.”

None of the Above is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. to midnight, with a last call at 12:30 a.m. Guests can walk in or join the waitlist on Resy. Follow it on Instagram for updates and more information. Guests interested in booking The Library for private parties of up to 20 guests can email info@notastl.com.

None of the Above, 3730 Foundry Way, Midtown, St. Louis, Missouri,notastl.com