5 new places you must try this May

1. Weber Grill Restaurant: 1147 Saint Louis Galleria St., Brentwood, 314.930.3838, webergrillrestaurant.com/location/st-louis

Firing up the backyard grill is as sure a sign of spring as Cardinals baseball, but if you’d rather leave the job to professionals, then head to the Saint Louis Galleria, where Weber Grill Restaurant has opened its first St. Louis-area location. Here, almost every item on the extensive menu takes a pass over a ripping hot Weber kettle. If barbecue is your preference, check out the hickory-smoked baby back ribs with a smoky char and a gentle brush of Weber’s sweet hickory barbecue sauce. Order it with a side of creamy blue cheese-pecan coleslaw. For a lighter meal, try the meltingly tender salmon, grilled on a cedar plank and touched with a bourbon sauce for smoky, caramelized edges.

2. Shift, Test Kitchen & Take Out: 313 N. 11th St., St. Louis, 314.932.7443, shifttestkitchen.com

Forgetting your lunch doesn’t mean scrounging for day-old doughnuts in the conference room. Drop that stale tiger tail and head to Shift, Test Kitchen and Take Out, the latest concept from restaurateur Dave Bailey. This carryout-only eatery serves as a test kitchen for forthcoming Bailey concepts. Barbecue is the fare of the moment, as well as grab-and-go snacks. While the menu changes daily, keep an eye out for the tender, smoked brisket served with a sweet Kansas City-style sauce and a side of creamy mac and cheese with a kick of jalapeno. The chopped pork belly sandwich is a fatty, smoky indulgence that comes with spicy firecracker sauce with cherry notes and crunchy purple cabbage slaw. Grab a cup of ice cream on your way out (look for the blueberry pie), write your name on the lid, and hide it in the freezer for an afternoon snack.

3. Farm to You Market: 5025 Old Highway 100, Washington, 844.682.2266, farmtoyoumarket.com

Soup from Wentzville, honey from Fulton, rice from Braggadocio and pork from Washington all get a spot on the shelves at Farm to You Market. Todd Geisert Farms co-owners Todd and Katie Geisert take the idea of a farmers market to another level, stocking seasonal produce, farm-fresh eggs, bacon, ice cream, milk, pasta and more from Missouri farmers and vendors from primarily within a 200-mile radius. After all that shopping, grab a seat in The Barn Yard Cafe for a deli sandwich or reserve your seat for a monthly chef’s dinner.

Don’t miss two food trucks that recently hit the streets, too. Angie Saville rode her winnings from July 2015’s Budweiser Bud & Burgers competition all the way to her own food truck, Angie Burger. Samantha Mitchell left the hallowed kitchens of Annie Gunn’s and now revs the engines – and the flattop – at Farmtruk, offering locally sourced, farm-fresh fare. Find out why Angie Burger and Farmtruk made the Hit List and our rundown of the best St. Louis new food trucks.