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Dine
The poetry continues, and still in short form, as nibbles make up the menu at Appeteasers, formerly the site of Haiku, in downtown St. Petersburg.
By CHRIS SHERMAN, Times Restaurant Critic
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 24, 2003
We will just have to forgive the silliness of the name. This little stretch of Central Avenue in still struggling downtown St. Petersburg is full of so many ideas and so much imagination, we'll just have to cut Appeteasers some slack on brand-concocting.
I'm more impressed by the culinary innovation. The format is straightforward: all appetizers, as you might have guessed, or what the menu calls "little dishes from around the world." They include sushi and sashimi, which this space introduced to downtown in its first incarnation, Haiku; they then go globe-trotting to collect some tapas of Spain, hints of a Middle Eastern mezze, a few cheeses and more.
Some are extremely simple, like a small plate of thinly sliced fennel and almonds in a light vinaigrette. It's hard to imagine a salad with more refreshment, taste and fun, although scallops and oranges on greens sounds almost as good. From the Scandinavian smorgasbord there's gravlax, dill-cured salmon that is not sashimi but would satisfy fish appetites along any sea.
The idea is munchable fare -- call it tapas, sushi or bar food -- for under $10 that has more global flavor than chicken wings. It's also one more effort by Emmanuel Roux and Franck Bouvard, who have tried endlessly to create business both hip and profitable on this block with varying success: Their efforts have included Redwoods, the Garden, the Lobby Bar, a bakery and Haiku.
Appeteasers' menu of three dozen small items plus sushi can serve as an education in the wide world of starters for anyone who has had one too many fried calamari.
Some of the appetizers look like canapes (a French word out of favor) but have a more Italian flavor, such as pureed chicken liver in Marsala on crostini, and capriata, a lush mousse of fava beans, with greens.
There is cheese, too, cut fresh and in composed plates such as a creamed goat cheese with a "cracker" of quick-fried shredded Asiago.
And there are more munchies: small cups of hot Moroccan olives, tempura fried bananas, sliced dry salami and half a small chicken roasted with a hoisin glaze, all small dishes and at relatively small prices.
These can be paired with a smart variety of modest wines, among them robust pinotage from South Africa, sleek Spanish reds and a light-hearted viognier from the south of France. For a wider range of labels, patrons at the wine bar upstairs can order from the same menu. (The starters are also available to diners in Redwoods.)
This is tasty enough nibbling and tippling to make an upscale tasting bar, but ideally this should not be a secret hideaway for quiet, snooty enjoyment by connoisseurs. It should be a lively gathering spot.
That's the trend elsewhere. The world does love eating and drinking casually, in small bites and at modest prices, and modern Americans do, too, as a way to socialize.
Can clever appetizers and a cheese plate jump-start the street two long blocks south of BayWalk? It's a challenge, but as downtown St. Petersburg is learning, everything tastes better when you add people. This would be a good place to start.
247 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 896-5118 Hours: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5:30 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
Reservations: No.
Details: Credit cards accepted; beer, wine; no smoking.
Prices: $2 to $10.