The vendor at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market offers smash burgers, sides and more
Blue Jay Brewing Co. is set to open in late 2023 at 2710 Locust St. in Midtown as part of the emerging JCMidtown project. Earlier this year, Boatright’s BBQ joined the brewery as a food partner, but now it’s been announced that Farm Spirit will take over the helm of the kitchen starting today, Wednesday, August 28.
Farm Spirit, a popular supplier at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, has already provided food for events at Such and Such Farm with Home Hospitality and also runs a busy catering operation. After several pop-ups at Blue Jay, they decided to do this more regularly. This is the first permanent brick-and-mortar venture for Farm Spirit, owned by husband and wife team Ryan McDonald and Ashley Batiste.
“We are so excited to welcome Farm Spirit to the Blue Jay family,” said Nicole Thompson, co-owner of Blue Jay. “We are continually blown away by their attention to detail, focus on freshness and seasonality, not to mention the food is amazing and the people are great to be around. Ryan and the group at Farm Spirit are just as dedicated to providing their guests with the highest quality products and the best possible experience as we are at Blue Jay. This is the start of something special.”
The fast-casual offerings were designed to pair well with Blue Jay beers. The menu includes sandwiches like a double patty smash burger with Price Family Farm beef, a vegetarian mushroom and Swiss melt on Union Loafers sourdough bread, a schnitzel sandwich with fresh lemon juice and Dijonaise, sides like crispy potatoes with chive salsa verde, a Bibb salad with buttermilk dressing, a rotating seasonal vegetable selection and snacks like tempura veggies, charcuterie platters and Union Loafers Bavarian pretzels served with Blue Jay beer mustard.
“It was immediately easy to find trust and affection with Jay and Nicole,” said Ryan McDonald, chef and owner of Farm Spirit. “There are a lot of personal and professional parallels between all of us, which sped up the process. The beer is incredible, the space is great, and they honestly care about their product and their customers. Midtown is such a cool part of our city and is definitely on the rise. With CityPark and many other local businesses locating in this neighborhood, it feels like there are a lot of opportunities to be part of a growing center for entertainment, nightlife and sports in St. Louis.”
Guests can dine in or take out. Farm Spirit is open at Blue Jay Brewing Wednesday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. Hours will likely expand based on demand.
