Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
Salt + Smoke
Salt + Smoke will add a second location this year in St. Louis Hills. (As of this writing, owner Tom Schmidt has targeted a June opening.) This is welcome news for those who have waited for a table at the always packed University City original, and it lessens the sting somewhat from last year’s closure of Schmidt’s brilliant French restaurant, Franco. And it’s certainly no surprise that the demand for Salt + Smoke’s barbecue would require another restaurant. From the best-in-town beef brisket to original creations like the fried jalapeño-cheddar bologna and the toasted ravioli stuffed with shredded burnt-ends meat, Salt + Smoke is one of the highlights of the ongoing St. Louis barbecue boom.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Opened: 2014
Must order: Beef brisket plate ($15, includes two sides)