Lately I’ve come to the realization that I’m just not getting enough deviled eggs. At home they’re reserved for Holiday gatherings — I don’t want to wait that long — and not many restaurant have them. So what the hell — must be time for a deviled egg hunt.
I set out to find versions with imagination, and perhaps a bit of daring. There weren’t too many candidates, but I unearthed two restaurants that seemed up to the challenge: Stillwaters Tavern on downtown St. Pete’s toney Beach Drive, and Oaks on 4th, which has brought fine dining to a stretch of 4th Street North known for chains and fast-casual places.
Because ordering just deviled eggs seemed kind of puny, we added another appetizer from each contestant. To keep comparisons as close as possible, we chose bread-based offerings.
STILLWATERS TAVERN
With mid-October cool fronts increasingly rare, it felt good having to zip up my sweater as we walked along Beach Drive toward Stillwaters Tavern at 6:30 Monday. The wind gusted. Three American flags out front flapped and fluttered.
Inside the cozy confines of the tastefully appointed restaurant, business was brisk for an off night. All the chairs along the bar were taken, and several tables and booths were occupied. I asked for a window booth and the host obliged. Our nook was big and cushy. The restaurant’s impeccable sound design muted the ambient noise, making for easy conversation.
We ordered Deviled Eggs ($9.99) and Warm Pretzels ($11.99), which were accompanied by cheddar fondue flecked with mustard seeds.
Appearance
Texture and Taste
Bonnie’s not big on deviled eggs, so only ate one? As my dad used to say: “More for the rest of us” — meaning me.
The silky texture was reminiscent of pretty much every deviled egg I’ve ever had. A good thing. I took my first bite sans toppings. The yellow stuff was mustard-forward — just this side of too much.
The well-done bacon added crackle, and thankfully didn’t dominate. The jalapeños provided crunch but virtually no heat and not much flavor. I polished off my five deviled eggs.
As for the pretzels: They were thickly sliced, resembling bread. I appreciated their softness, but needed to dust off some of the salt so they’d go down more smoothly. The cheese sauce was creamy and decadent — until it got too rich.
All told, the two apps didn’t pare well. Combined, it was simply too much rich food. But that’s mostly on us.
OAKS ON 4TH
The owners of Bascom’s Chop House converted the former Quickies BBQ (and before that Luckie B’s) into this fine-dining spot, which opened late last year.
The layout is the same as before, and the upgrades to the large space are mostly cosmetic: a beige color scheme, new stuff on the walls, some throw pillows. Our window booth had a white tablecloth, but not all the tables did. The smallish bar was curiously unlighted.
At 6:30 Wednesday, the fading sunlight gave the interior a warm glow, but the space grew progressively darker, until it was too dark. The sound system, on medium volume, pumped out Motown hits and lots of James Brown. Now, I love the Godfather of Soul, but “Get on Up,” doesn’t exactly set the mood for an elevated dining experience.
We ordered Deviled Eggs ($11) and Spreads & Breads ($12).
Appearance
As befitting the restaurant’s upscale aims, the presentation was more sophisticated than the competition’s. The deviled eggs (see lead photo at top) came on a round plate, with a bed of arugula, kernels of blistered corn and slices of avocado in the middle.
Most readily noticeable was how dainty these eggs were, much smaller than those at Stillwaters. Likewise, the egg-halves were conservatively stuffed. I was confident that yellow goo would not get all over my fingers, and that I wouldn’t need a knife and fork.
The enticing bread plate featured triangles of grilled bread and four small bowls of colorful spreads.
Texture and Taste
The deviled eggs required two bites, maybe three, and the process was as tidy as I anticipated. Their flavor was not as mustard-forward or mayo-heavy as Stillwaters’s.
Some had the typical olives on top, others had pickled celery, which added a touch of heat and were my preference. Scooping on some corn kernels provided the taste-bonus counterpart to Stillwaters’ bacon. I finished off my five morsels with ease.
The bread — buttered and garlic’d — occasionally crossed the line from chewy to tough, which is all that prevented the plate from being exemplary. The spreads were just that. My fave was the sweetish sun-dried tomato pesto; the olive tapenade provided a tangy contrast. The white-and-creamy whipped truffle burrata was mildly flavored but played taste-enhancer when I paired it with another topping.
The Winner of This Helluva Deviled Eggs Contest Is …
Oaks on 4th.
Some explanation and equivocation is in order. Each of the deviled eggs had its pluses and minuses, and while they were quite different, I can’t declare a clear preference.
I much preferred Oaks on 4th’s bread-and-spreads to Stillwaters’ pretzels and cheese dip, especially considering that they were effectively the same price.
However, I give an emphatic nod to the atmosphere at Stillwaters. It has its vibe down pat, while Oaks on 4th feels kind of patchwork and, during our visit, did not achieve a fine-dining ambience.
So we’ll call this FFF a split decision, a close one.
One final thought: I’m good on deviled eggs until at least Thanksgiving.
