The Salted Pig Disappoints in Frontenac

One would expect anything placed on the moneyed corner of Conway Road and Lindbergh Boulevard in Frontenac to do gangbuster business, but the spot has trouble maintaining a tenant. Coco’s Bakery came first, followed by a hair salon. Mike Faille (of Talayna’s fame) transformed the space into the upscale Frontenac Grill, but just one week before opening, Faille passed away. The business proved unsustainable in his absence. Then this past March, St. Louis chef and prolific restaurateur Michael Del Pietro opened the Salted Pig, a barbecue and Southern fare restaurant. It’s quite the departure from his numerous Italian ventures (Sugo’s Spaghetteria, Babbo’s Spaghetteria, Tavolo V, Via Vino Enoteca), but walking into the restaurant, it looks like he had the right idea. A wooden bar and walls give the space a rustic, refurbished-barn feel, while canning jars filled with pickled vegetables line the walls. And yet, at the same time, there was a telling polish to the room — where, I wondered on my visits, was the characteristic aroma of smoke?

Keep reading: Cheryl Baehr's review of The Salted Pig.

Photos by Corey Woodruff for the Riverfront Times.