Proper Kitchen & Cocktails
3 out of 5 stars
344 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. Appetizers: $9-$18; entrees: $14-$28; desserts: $8; wine on draft: $8-$10; craft cocktails: $12. 727-494-0700; properdtsp.com.
If you're wondering what's trending in the restaurant scene, a trip to downtown St. Pete's new Proper Kitchen & Cocktails, the third member of Stephen Schrutt's Hunger + Thirst Restaurant Group, is a living focus group.
Front entrance that opens wide to blur the line between inside and out — check. Old-fashioned hanging Edison bulbs with glowing golden filaments and plenty of rustic wood finishes — check. Big screens above the bar and pulsing music to remind you to keep your energy level at 10 — check. Small plates to share with craft cocktails — check. Lots of 30-something-ish patrons dressed to kill packed skin-to-skin into booths — check. (In fact, one booth designed for four is jammed with eight giddy friends having the time of their lives.)
Needless to say, the target audience is not families or anyone hoping to find a quiet spot to gloat or despair over the recent elections. We settle in to eat, drink and observe.
There's a inventive list of specialty cocktails all priced at $12. Everyone's not in a cocktail mood, but we land on Grow a Pear, a cheekily titled mix of pear brandy and dry vermouth with orange bitters. It's described as light and refreshing, but it's actually tart and bracing. Don't let the pear fool you.
Up in the Air is Proper's version of an Old Fashioned. It features Buffalo Trace and Gancia aperitivo, plus a hit of blood orange and honey with lots of crushed ice and a huge aromatic slice of orange peel — a twist that shouts. As a fan of dark spirits, I'm all smiles. I force a companion to take swig, assured that the sweet elements will certainly make a convert. Sadly, a wrinkled nose means I've failed in my evangelical duties.
We decide to start with classic fried green tomatoes that surprisingly sit on a bed of creamy crab mornay and a contrasting drizzle of spicy honey. My dining mates seem to have trouble getting the tomatoes to their mouths without losing the breading, but I assign this to user error. With the garnishes, it's delightful.
We also have a good time with a small cast-iron skillet of cornbread loaded with smoked corn, jalapeños, goat cheese and Cheddar. Just for fun, there's a small bowl of liquid warm honey butter for extra decadence.
Shrimp and stone-ground grits is a dense affair with punch from shrimp reduction, bell pepper and some sharp Cheddar. There's an ample supply of juicy, tail-on shellfish that are plump and pink; it's always interesting to see how different kitchens approach this classic and where the grits fall on the continuum from soft to firm, creamy to starchy. Though these are on the firm/starchy side, there's plenty of flavor.
Sadly, that's not the case with the farmhouse fried chicken — it's just boring. The fried breast is covered in a thin breading, which doesn't contribute much added flavor. If anything, it tastes like old oil. Bacon-braised Brussels sprouts and the Yukon gold mash that serves as a base fare better, although the star of the show is disappointing.
The barbecue meats are smoked over a pecan-oak combo, which imparts great flavor without overpowering the individual characteristics of different meats. They're out of ribs, so we try both boneless pork and beef. They each come with house slaw that's a simple affair of shredded red cabbage without much bite. Since it lacks assertive flavor, the slaw primarily adds texture. One of my tasters misses the touch of sweetness you often see with slaws that accompany barbecue.
While the Compart Duroc pulled pork is very good, it's no match for the beef brisket made from Angus cattle; it's unusually tender and luscious. Both go well with the slaw and Proper's classic sauce. The restaurant also offers gold or sweet and spicy sauces, but we don't notice before we order and our server doesn't ask.
There are a range of sides, including the usual suspects of beans, greens, mac and mash. We settle on orange-scented sweet potatoes puréed with butter and cream. Sadly, the orange is a bully that whacks the dish out of balance, and the tuber's seductive southern charm is lost. Much better is smoked cream corn with leeks and light touches of garlic and Parmesan, which add dimension yet let the corn shine. Each are served in small cast-iron loaf pans with handles on the end. It's a nice touch that reinforces the space's casual country feel.
Unfortunately, the restaurant hasn't quite mastered using the same pans for dessert. Our two choices arrive overdone. The seasonal fruit cobbler, which our server announces is apples and berries, is a misnomer. Instead of a soft, sweet mixed-fruit compote topped with a biscuit or some sort of oatmeal crumble, it's a yellow cake topped with sliced dry apples. My table is incensed and reduced to mumbling unkind thoughts under their breath.
The bourbon banana bread pudding enthusiastically recommended by our server is strictly downhill. The charred banana discs on top are like hockey pucks; this should never have escaped the kitchen. The rest of the table demurs, but I dig in — food critic as archaeologist. Once I get through the top rocky layer, the pudding is overly soft and muddled, without much evidence of banana or bourbon.
So you'll have to cut this kitchen some slack as they work out the kinks. But Proper is off to a proper start.
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
