Edge Eatery — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

A Culinary Identity Crisis

As a proud Peruvian food lover, I was hyped to try Alpa. The concept sounded bold - Peruvian, Mediterranean, Cuban, Mexican/Japanese all under one roof? I thought, “Okay fusion, let’s see what you got.”

We walked in, and the server waved us to sit wherever. Cool. Casual. Then came four menus dropped on the table like a deck of Uno cards. No “Welcome,” no “Here’s how this works,” just vibes and confusion. I stared at the menus wondering if I was supposed to pick a cuisine, a country, or a personality trait. One waiter, then another waiter from different corners - so confusing.

Started with a Chicha (because duh) and a fresh juice. The chicha? Let’s just say my eyebrows hit the ceiling. That drink was so sweet I’m convinced the sugar content tried to file taxes. Not fresh definitely a powder packet pretending to be traditional. Then falafel as a shareable app. When it hit the table… no share plates arrived. Just silverware that came in slow-mo, unwrapped, and dirty. Like visibly dirty. I asked for a clean set. And that one? Yup, still dirty. I had to open the next one in front of the waitress like we were playing a high-stakes round of “Will This Fork Be Sanitary?” (Spoiler: barely.) So we ate it like cavewomen with our hands. Which, you know what, that’s fine. Connection to our primal selves.

At this point we’ve entered “just go with it” territory.

For our main dishes I got ceviche, my mom got the Seco. Chef came out (which I appreciated!) and explained the seco would take longer, ceviche would come first. I asked for them to come out together.

When my $26 ceviche arrived, I stared at it like… “Is this a sample?”. The fish wasn’t properly marinated - raw texture, no citrus cure. The leche de tigre had potential, but the fish felt like it missed the whole marination memo. It was basically “Just Keep Swimming” energy.

Mom’s seco? The meat was a tad tough. Like chew-and-reflect-on-your-life-decisions tough. Flavor did have potential but the type of beans used with the tougher meat didn’t quite balance.

Towards the end, I had to ask for the check… twice. Then I got one bill. Then I noticed items were missing. Then came another bill. In the end, I paid two separate checks, totaling $82, for chaos, confusion, and a ceviche the size of a toddler’s fist.

The food had moments. The falafel? Yes. It was the best out of this experience. The concept? Cool on paper. But the service? A circus. The execution? All over the place. I wanted to love this spot. I still do. But they need serious help dialing in the basics, like clean forks and consistent service before the fusion dream can...

“The Edge of Flavor, the Center of My Heart”

If Epcot had a baby with an upscale airport lounge and raised it on wagyu and yuzu, you'd get The Edge Eatery. It’s three restaurants in one sexy Euro-style food court and frankly, I’m not emotionally prepared to ever eat anywhere else again.

Walk in and BOOM—on the left, Casa Nori: Japanese-Mexican fusion magic. In the middle? Alpa: Peruvian cuisine with sauce game so strong, I proposed to my chimichurri. And in the middle? A sleek, moody bar whispering, “come sit and pretend you’re mysterious.”

Let's start with Casa Nori. I ordered the Papasito Roll, and my taste buds left my body and floated up yelling “¡Arriba!” like they were starring in a culinary telenovela. The tuna poke bowl was so fresh I thought it might flop off the table and swim back to the Pacific. I washed it down with the Matcha Verde cocktail—basically a spa day in a glass with a tropical sidekick and a liquor license.

Now on to Alpa, the Peruvian spot that casually changed my religion to Chef’s Pickism. The Lomo Saltado was so tender I hugged the plate. I don’t know what they do to the onions in Peru, but mine came caramelized in unicorn tears and possibly magic. Also, Leche de Tigre in a martini glass? Bold. Iconic. I now want all my citrus-marinated seafood served like a James Bond drink. Shaken, not stirred, and tangy as hell.

The vibes are immaculate. It’s a food court, but like… if IKEA and Nobu had a baby and that baby had amazing lighting and table service. There's not a food coma, there’s a food pilgrimage. I saw people eating and whispering things like “This is the best night of my life” and “I’m texting my ex just to brag.”

Final thoughts: Come hungry. Come humble. And don’t be surprised if you leave writing poetry...

Nice vibe, drinks were tasty and crafted with care. However, I've given a low rating for the following reason. Your tab has a hidden "service fee" that's auto included, separately stated from the menu prices (which are relatively high compared to comparable locations). the auto fee is similar to Miami where automatic gratuity is common. However, I was unhappy with, the bar manager who served our drinks explaining the 18% fee goes to the "house" and that additional tips are very appreciated. (Implying he doesn't receive the 18% as a tip). Similarly, when my wife ordered desert from the Carne D'Vino counter, the server (when I went to pay) presented the point of sale to me with a total and no itemization. When paying, it still suggested a tip starting at 20% following payment. The sever didn't mention the auto surcharge, I only knew about it thanks to our previous order. (Two craft cocktails totaling $40.00) When I asked her if there was auto gratuity already included, she looked slightly embarrassed affirming it was, I asked her if the fee was a 'tip' and she said it was. I'm confused by this ambiguous 18% "house fee", it's not apparent to me if this is actually gratuity or not? The staff seem to try and avoid it being discussed or understood. I'm not cheap, I always tip 20%+ unless something is seriously wrong, but, I despise sneaky fees and practices. Advice to management, adjust your prices if needed, don't sneak in fees without clarification, it's a bad practice and will sour people on your location. Lots of potential for this place, just be clear about your prices, fees and gratuity. I may update this review if this issue is resolved going forward. Best...