My second stop today and 77th overall, Salt and Smoke in St. Louis found me one state closer to home. Located in the hip-looking-to-me neighborhood of Delmar Loop it was hard to go into it not thinking that I would be eating some hipster, fusion spin on barbecue...not that there'd be anything wrong with that! Once inside it felt to me like a warm welcoming place to eat...no doubt with a hipper vibe.

I sat at the bar and chatted up the bartender about my road trip, so he made some suggestions for menu items that he thought I would appreciate. And I have to say he made some outstanding choices. My "bestie" 3 meat combo consisted of fried jalapeño & cheddar house-made bologna, one of the top Texas style 'cued briskets I've had outside of the state and well…come on now…St. Louis style ribs. Paired it with sides of sweet pepper potato salad, creamed corn and flaky pop over. The food was legit in my book, definitely a bit more upscale on the sides, but the core 'cue was old school good! This is a spot that I'll seek out again next time in St. Louie! #‎chasingbbq