Yeast.

That’s the fundamental difference between pizza and flatbread. Pizza has it, flatbread doesn’t. Further, pizza is generally round. Flatbread comes in an array of forms — oval, rectangular, misshapen.

This week we focus on pizza’s unleavened cousin. I selected two places in St. Pete a half-mile apart: The Tap Room at the Hollander Hotel, just north of downtown, and The Lure, on the 600 block of Central Avenue. I chose a tomato-y one as a baseline, and then picked an enticing specialty flatbread from each.

THE TAP ROOM AT THE HOLLANDER HOTEL

The temps had crept into the 90s on Monday, but at 7 p.m. it had dropped into the high 70s, so we sat out on the porch overlooking 4th Avenue North. With ceiling fans gently swirling the air, we were perfectly comfortable at a round two-top. The vibe was rather Hemingway-esque.

Along with the Margherita Flatbread ($13), we ordered the Boursin Spinach Flatbread ($14). Our attentive server, Alexander, suggested we add blackened chicken ($6). We bit.

Appearance

I’d call these two flatbreads torpedo-shaped. Importantly, the crust did not look crackery; it had some bulk. The Boursin Spinach, in particular, was loaded with inviting stuff.

Texture and Taste

The crust was not doughy, but neither was it crispy. It wasn’t too thick, wasn’t too thin. In other words — just right.

The specialty flatbread stood out. The savory Boursin, which is a French brand of soft cheese, blanketed the generous chunks of chicken and the spinach, the latter playing a bit role. The blackening could’ve used a touch of spicy heat, but that’s a niggling point.

The red sauce on the Margherita had an agreeable sweetness. This flatbread could’ve used more mozzarella, but overall it lived up to expectations.

THE LURE

As we approached The Lure at 2 p.m. Thursday, a young couple was having a tender moment out front. I didn’t realize I’d photographed them until I looked at the pic later. They definitely add to the tableau.

It was around 90 degrees, so a little too warm for outdoor dining. The Lure was big and fairly dark inside. The space is fun — a U-shaped bar on the far end, a couple of large fish murals painted on the brick walls, original art (presumably by locals) hanging.

We sat at the booth closest to the window looking out on Central Avenue. We ordered the Wake Up Maggie (an apparent homage to Rod Stewart, $16), which paralleled the Margherita at The Tap Room. For our specialty, we chose The Fig and the Pig ($16.50).

Appearance

If you used your imagination, and squinted, you could see these flatbreads as fish-shaped. They were slightly smaller than those at The Tap Room, but not by much.

Texture and Taste

The crust was thinner than the competition’s, but it was not overly crispy — and that’s good, because too-crispy is a deal-breaker for me.

The Fig and the Pig had an interesting confluence of flavors: sweetness from the figs (the best part), sharpness (a tad too much) from the “truffle four cheese blend,” and a touch of saltiness from the prosciutto (of which there was not enough).

The Wake Up Maggie was more cheese-forward than the Margherita down the street, and it was topped with diced tomatoes, which added brightness to the bites.

And the Winner of the Feudin’ Flatbreads Is …

The Tap Room at the Hollander.

A tough call. I preferred The Lure’s Maggie over The Tap Room’s Margherita, but the latter’s Boursin Spinach with blackened chicken won the week.

All told, I liked ’em all. I would gladly sit down to any of these flatbreads again.