St. Louis Eats and Drinks: The River's Edge

As the town of Hermann has become more of a weekend destination rather than just a Sunday drive, we get more questions about where to eat dinner. For a number of years, our answer has been the River’s Edge, in residence long enough for Joe to have written about for the Post-Dispatch in 1994. A pleasant drive west from Hermann on country-but properly paved-roads, and a ride on a funny little ferry that uses a cable to keep it straight across the languid Gasconade River, the River’s Edge offers its take on Creole-Cajun food in a 19th century mill that overlooks the river and the small ferry.

Definitely very casual, there’s an outdoor deck and two rooms for dining, one of which shares space with the bar. Parking is...well, "rural" is the best way to describe it. Watch out if the ground is really wet, and get there early if you want to take the five-minute, four-dollar ferry ride because it shuts down at 7 p.m., forcing drivers to go the longer way (directions below).

It draws many diners who are quite familiar with the space, and there are frequent family groups, ranging from in-arms infants to grown up children with their young spouses. The aura is friendly and relaxed, and the owners also operate Simon’s in Hermann.

We began with a cup of gumbo, very thick and tasty, if not quite traditional, made with what seemed to be ground meat. The house salad was rather standard, but fresh and crisp. Lots of folks order the house "flower pot bread," white bread that’s indeed baked and served in flower pots, as shown by the distinctive shape. Very yeasty and light, and quite hot, it was accompanied with honey butter, something that Joe finds absolutely irresistible.

Shrimp Three Ways offered a dozen and a half large shrimp, prepared to prove the title. Cold boiled ones weren’t overcooked, and had a lemony cocktail sauce with a good kick of horseradish. Those from the grill also were cooked with considerable respect, slightly smoky and a little chewy from the direct heat, but nice. And the butterflied-and-fried provided the biggest surprise. Fried shrimp aren’t something we’re usually we’re very crazy about. But these were lightly breaded with what may have been panko, those crunchy Japanese bread crumbs, quickly cooked and perfectly drained. Not at all greasy, they retained a lot of shrimpy flavor, something that deep-frying tends to obliterate. A side of the house coleslaw, full of poppy and celery seeds provided contrast.

The house features a Cajun barbecue sauce that’s tomato-based, mild-to-moderately spicy, with a note of orange in it, and it went nicely on a half-slab of ribs, particularly large and meaty ones, very tender, too. Alas, the baked potato alongside seemed to have been steamed because its skin was so soft and its flavor practically non-existent.

Fried ice cream for dessert turned out to be what was essentially a sopapilla, a fried piece of dough topped with ice cream, cinnamon and caramel, a good contrast of temperatures, textures and flavors. But it was the strawberry surprise that tickled us. Two squares of puff pastry were sandwiched around a cream cheese filling, topped with whipped cream and diced fresh strawberries, yummy and all the more fun for being something new.

This is mostly a beer and iced tea house, but refills kept coming fast, and the service was as zippy and friendly as you’d expect in a popular small-town spot.

If you plan on taking the ferry, phone the restaurant and make sure it’s running. (By the way, if you’re looking for a hobby, it’s for sale.) To get to the ferry, leave Hermann on Highway 100 heading east. After six miles the highway makes an abrupt right turn and County Route J keeps going straight ahead. (There’s also a sign aiming you toward the Fredericksburg Ferry.) Follow J until it runs right into the ferry landing. The restaurant is across the river on the left. If the ferry’s not working, continue west on 100 until County Road N intersects. Left on N, follow it to J, and follow J to the little town of Fredericksburg, the ferry and the restaurant.

The River’s Edge

1720 Ferry Rd., Fredericksburg, MO, though the website says Morrison, MO

573-294-7207

www.simonswaterfrontrestaurants.com/riversedgeresta.html

Lunch Sat.-Sun, Dinner Fri.-Sun. (closes 7:30 p.m. Sun.)

Credit cards: Yes

Wheelchair access: No

Smoking: Yes