Crispy Edge sits unassumingly at the corner of Juniata and Bent avenues in the midst of a quiet residential street. In a way, the Tower Grove South eatery is simply another home — a tight, cozy spot where young and old gather over cute comfort food best eaten with the hands.
Owner David Dresner opened the potsticker-themed restaurant in April 2018 with Executive Chef Tori Foster leading the kitchen. Far from one-note, the menu offers more than the standard meat-and-cabbage dumpling and goes beyond cramming soft paste inside a dough round. Every element is fresh: freshly made doughs and fillings in a variety of flavors daily, delivered via two-bite-sized crescents of goodness. While traditional potsticker dough is a never-fail option, one might just as easily encounter pops of turmeric, chia seeds, chives or lemon pepper at first bite — before the tongue ever hits the filling. Even vegan diets are accommodated, with David promising no difference in taste and quality between meat and meatless versions.
“Every single day someone comes up with a new concept,” says Tori. “The ability to be creative, innovative and come up with weird new things is important to what we do. One of the first things I brought to the table was our Mexican Chilaquiles, which has garlic dough, chili verde-roasted chicken filling, cotija cheese, avocado crema and cilantro microgreens.” CityFarm supplies the diners’ microgreens, which pack tons of taste and nutrition into 1-inch sprouts.
Another savory dish, Mediterranean lamb potstickers, starts with a parsley-and-fennel dough stuffed with spiced lamb and finished with cucumber tzatziki and dill microgreens. Desserts might include an “apple pie” dumpling with cinnamon dough, apple filling and bourbon caramel, or the Cherry Blossom, which is made with mascarpone cheese and cherry inside almond dough and finished with white tea citrus glaze and toasted pistachios.
“We take a very medium-specific approach; we’re exploring our medium on a hyper-myopic level,” David explains. “There’s something comforting about a hand-held vehicle for your food. It’s like when a kid eats food with his hands; the hand creates that trust.”
“It makes it very intimate,” Tori adds. She and David hope to carry that intimacy into a holiday potsticker that incorporates all the beloved foods of Thanksgiving, and they have already expanded the menu with satisfying breakfast items.
Not even the crispy edge from which the establishment takes its name is the same across the board. Differences in crimping mean changes in texture on the tongue and nuances in how the flavors of the doughs and sauces are perceived. For example, the crew is working on a potsticker with a dramatic, dark squid-ink dough and stuffed with pecorino-lemon filling, crusted with breadcrumbs at the edge.
Restaurant hours are still limited — Crispy Edge is open 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday — but finger-food fans can get events catered or pick up bags of fresh-frozen potstickers at local supermarkets to indulge a Crispy Edge craving any time.
Cooking School with Crispy Edge
Learn the art of Potstickers from executive Chef Tori Foster at the Cooking School on Tuesday, November 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at ATUCOhome.
When: Tuesday, November 6, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $35 per person
***Where: AUTCOhome
1694 Larkin Williams Rd. Fenton, MO 63026
RSVP by calling 636-230-9640, ext. 27 or email [email protected]
Reserve your seat online: stlouishomesmag.com/events
*Seating is limited.
Cooking School Menu:
Buffalo Chicken: Chef Tori adores the garlic herb dough, which tastes like garlic pretzel knots. Here, it’s wrapped around a creamy buffalo chicken filling, glazed with spicy sauce and sprinkled with celery microgreens.
From the Coop: This hearty dish is anchored with a jerk-seasoned chicken thigh with a chorizo-date potsticker balanced on top and a generous serving of sofrito rice beneath. Grilled pineapple relish and lemon pepper cream finish the presentation.
Apple Pie: This isn’t your granny’s apple pie! We’re certain Nana never rolled out cinnamon potsticker dough as the base for her pie. The only thing traditional is the scoop of accompanying vanilla ice cream, which Tori drenches in bourbon caramel and dusts with fresh nutmeg.
