6 new restaurants you must try this month

1. Frankly Sausages: 11841 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, franklysausages.com

Frankly Sausages hit the road this fall and promptly parked it Thursday through Saturday at Six Mile Bridge Beer in Maryland Heights. Owners Bill and Jamie Cawthon serve hand-made sausages to brewery-goers, and there’s no waiting in line. Just grab a table in the tasting room, place your order and artisan sausages and fries are delivered inside. Don’t miss the Six Mile Bridge Session IPA brat, topped with sauerkraut and coarse ground mustard, or the rotating special: chile verde pork sausage with avocado and tomatillo relish, queso fresco, cilantro and lime. All the sausages come nestled in LaBonne Bouchee baguettes. Share (if you must) a side of the hand-cut fries: russet potatoes brined and double-fried with a house-made dipping sauce like the creamy buttermilk ranch.

2. Melo's Pizzeria: 2438 McNair Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.4489, Facebook: Melo’s Pizzeria

Vince Valenza opened Melo’s Pizzeria in a renovated garage behind his Blues City Deli in Benton Park with the help of his son, self-taught pizzaiolo Joe Valenza. Joe did Dad proud with a tight menu of 12-inch Americanized Neapolitan-style pizzas and named the spicy Veets pizza (which features fontina, sausage and pepperoni) after his father. And don’t miss the salty, fragrant Angelina pizza (named for Joe Valenza’s great-grandmother) which includes green onion, Grana Padano and Romano cheese and optional whole anchovy filets. All pies are baked in a wood-fired oven, resulting in crisp, chewy house-made crust. Order at the counter, then dig in at the standing bar or grab your pizza and take a seat inside Blues City’s dining room.

3. Copper Pig: 4611 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, 314.499.7166, copperpigstl.com

Copper Pig is serving up gastropub fair with Asian influences on Macklind Avenue in Southampton. Grab a seat at the copper-topped bar and order a refreshing, gin-based Socialite cocktail. Start your meal with Copper Pig’s duck confit poutine featuring crispy fries, piping hot gravy and cheese curds. Then check out the Three Little Pigs sandwich, which features bacon, ham and a panko-breaded pork cutlet, stacked high with brie, hot pepper jelly and an egg on lapinja, a chewy Bosnian bread. Larger plates include a bibimbap bowl of tender bulgogi beef, sweet Chinese sausage, pickled carrot and daikon, kimchi, bean sprouts and a sunny egg rest atop a bed of garlic rice.

4. Sheesh Restaurant: 3226 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.833.4321, sheeshrestaurant.com

Kebabs are king at Sheesh on South Grand Boulevard. Don’t miss the Adana kebab (heavily spiced, tender ground lamb served over fragrant rice) or the Iskender kebab (thinly shaved lamb served atop bite-sized pieces of pita and covered with tomato sauce). Start with a bowl of spicy, tomato-based Ezogelin Soup or a sharable side of kibeh, two football-shaped balls of bulgur stuffed with ground beef and walnuts and fried. And be sure to save room for dessert: The flaky pistachio baklava pairs well with a strong cup of Turkish coffee.

5. Gus's World-Famous Fried Chicken: 7434 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9899, gusfriedchicken.com  

The newest (and busiest, judging from the lines that form around 10:30 a.m.) fried chicken shack in the St. Louis-area came to Maplewood via Memphis. Order two- or three-piece plates of crisp, slightly spicy chicken or half a bird. All plates come with sides of baked beans, creamy cole slaw and a slice of white bread. While you wait for your bird, start with tangy fried green tomatoes or poppable fried okra. For dessert, indulge in the sweet satisfaction of chocolate chess pie.

6. Yo! Salsa: 2 W. Pearce Blvd., Wentzville, 636.856.8444, yolosmex.com

Firmly planted in downtown Wentzville, the brick-and-mortar expansion of Yo! Salsa food truck welcomes diners craving big flavor at truck prices. Build your own tacos or salad and choose from 10 proteins such as chorizo and fried sweet potato or the achiote-grilled mahimahi, which is well spiced without searing your taste buds. Larger entrees are amply portioned dishes developed and honed on the truck. Try the shrimp and creamy poblano grits featuring large Gulf shrimp, bell peppers and spicy chorizo. While you nosh, sip a top-shelf, house-made margarita at a pocket-pleasing $7.