Cajun Food Tampa / St Petersburg | Cajun Cuisine
Creative Loafing loves New Digs at Ricky P's Orleans Bistro
Ricky P’s serves affordable New Orleans fare in beautiful digs
Po’ boys plus panache.
by Brian Ries
Maybe there’s something about the building at 1113 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg that gives it a Southern vibe. It’s a beautiful space, with plenty of brick and glass and a wonderful loft that feels like a balcony overlooking the dining room below. The atmosphere fit the low-country Southern cuisine of previous occupant Savannah’s quite well, but it seems tailor-made for the new Ricky P’s Orleans Bistro.
You might know Rick Parsons from his incredible Ricky P’s Po Boy Shop on Fourth Street, a tiny storefront that’s mobbed during the few hours it opens during lunch. That little shop serves some of the biggest flavors in St. Pete, from fried oysters with fresh veggies and mayo on crusty French bread to a serious muffaletta, easily one of the best sandwich recipes in the world, and one of New Orleans’ finest culinary creations.
At the Po' Boy Shop, Parsons has also offered a few blue plate specials featuring some of the Big Easy’s other iconic dishes, like jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp etouffee. For some customers — especially considering the profound dearth of Louisiana-inspired cuisine in the Bay area — those entrees were more of a draw than the eponymous sandwiches.
With the opening of Ricky P’s Orleans Bistro, both Parsons fans and lovers of New Orleans cooking have a more elegant option to fill their Cajun and Creole needs.
Elegant, but not expensive. Few items on the menu top $15, and most of the entrees stay much closer to that $10 sweet spot. That might be because the menu tends to focus on the basics of New Orleans cuisine, the high points, sticking close to classics with little elaboration.
You can see that distinctly in the appetizers: oysters Rockefeller, Bienville and on the half shell; grilled andouille sausage served with Creole mustard; crab cakes seasoned with bright Creole spices. The oysters in the Bienville get lost amidst plenty of garlic, red pepper, salty breadcrumbs and cheese, and the crab cakes are crisp patties of shredded shellfish that seem more a vehicle for the seasonings than a celebration of the main ingredient. But with these flavors that may be the point.
Rarely are onion rings done as well as at Ricky P’s, distinguished by a crisp, salty batter and sides of tangy remoulade and more of that sharp Creole mustard. The boudin balls — deep-fried pork and rice croquettes — can handle serious seasoning in ways oysters and crab can’t.
To read the complete review, click here: http://cltampa.com/tampa/ricky-ps-serves-affordable-new-orleans-fare-in-beautiful-digs/Content?oid=2863732
Po’ boys plus panache.
by Brian Ries
Maybe there’s something about the building at 1113 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg that gives it a Southern vibe. It’s a beautiful space, with plenty of brick and glass and a wonderful loft that feels like a balcony overlooking the dining room below. The atmosphere fit the low-country Southern cuisine of previous occupant Savannah’s quite well, but it seems tailor-made for the new Ricky P’s Orleans Bistro.
You might know Rick Parsons from his incredible Ricky P’s Po Boy Shop on Fourth Street, a tiny storefront that’s mobbed during the few hours it opens during lunch. That little shop serves some of the biggest flavors in St. Pete, from fried oysters with fresh veggies and mayo on crusty French bread to a serious muffaletta, easily one of the best sandwich recipes in the world, and one of New Orleans’ finest culinary creations.
At the Po' Boy Shop, Parsons has also offered a few blue plate specials featuring some of the Big Easy’s other iconic dishes, like jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp etouffee. For some customers — especially considering the profound dearth of Louisiana-inspired cuisine in the Bay area — those entrees were more of a draw than the eponymous sandwiches.
With the opening of Ricky P’s Orleans Bistro, both Parsons fans and lovers of New Orleans cooking have a more elegant option to fill their Cajun and Creole needs.
Elegant, but not expensive. Few items on the menu top $15, and most of the entrees stay much closer to that $10 sweet spot. That might be because the menu tends to focus on the basics of New Orleans cuisine, the high points, sticking close to classics with little elaboration.
You can see that distinctly in the appetizers: oysters Rockefeller, Bienville and on the half shell; grilled andouille sausage served with Creole mustard; crab cakes seasoned with bright Creole spices. The oysters in the Bienville get lost amidst plenty of garlic, red pepper, salty breadcrumbs and cheese, and the crab cakes are crisp patties of shredded shellfish that seem more a vehicle for the seasonings than a celebration of the main ingredient. But with these flavors that may be the point.
Rarely are onion rings done as well as at Ricky P’s, distinguished by a crisp, salty batter and sides of tangy remoulade and more of that sharp Creole mustard. The boudin balls — deep-fried pork and rice croquettes — can handle serious seasoning in ways oysters and crab can’t.
To read the complete review, click here: http://cltampa.com/tampa/ricky-ps-serves-affordable-new-orleans-fare-in-beautiful-digs/Content?oid=2863732
Virginia Johnson from BayNews9 Learns How to Make Creole Jambalaya.
Just in time for Mardi Gras, Fellow LSU alum, Virginia Johnson received a private cooking lesson from Ricky P. From chopping the holy trinity (which consists of onions, celery and green bell pepper) adding the tomatoes to make it creole and adding lots of chicken and andouille sausage to make it extra tasty - it was fun all around. Thanks Virginia!
Ricky P's featured on WTSP Flavors of Tampa Bay!
St. Petersburg, Florida - Spicy shrimp gumbo, delicious crab Cakes or how about an oversized Shrimp Po Boy? You can have it all at Ricky P's Po Boys. Owner Rick Parsons was raised in New Orleans and learned everything from his Cajun mama.
Po Boy eateries are some of the original fast food restaurants. They are usually small and serve great tasting, fast, home cooking. There is always some New Orleans-style music playing as you sit down to eat.
Make sure you get there before noon so you don't have to wait. Ricky P's has a loyal following who craves the spicy treats. They are open for lunch and stay 'til 7 p.m. on Fridays.
Here are a few of Ricky P's dishes...
To read the rest and view video, please click link below!
http://www.wtsp.com/flavorsoftampabay/article/217207/169/Flavors-of-Tampa-Bay-Ricky-Ps-Po-Boys
Po Boy eateries are some of the original fast food restaurants. They are usually small and serve great tasting, fast, home cooking. There is always some New Orleans-style music playing as you sit down to eat.
Make sure you get there before noon so you don't have to wait. Ricky P's has a loyal following who craves the spicy treats. They are open for lunch and stay 'til 7 p.m. on Fridays.
Here are a few of Ricky P's dishes...
To read the rest and view video, please click link below!
http://www.wtsp.com/flavorsoftampabay/article/217207/169/Flavors-of-Tampa-Bay-Ricky-Ps-Po-Boys
Sweet Home Louisiana
from Nikki Deveraux, NewRootsNews:
I’m just going to come right out and say it – Ricky P.’s serves up the best shrimp po’ boy I’ve ever tasted. The shrimp is cooked perfectly. You know how shrimp can often be soggy and limp if it's not prepared properly? None of that here.
This shrimp is breaded and fried in such a way that it is still firm, almost crunchy. The breading is light and not at all greasy. Someone took care to cultivate the perfect oil temperature for this frying. The sandwich has a light coating of mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, and is served on toasted French bread. No fancy sauces, no fancy types of breads or toppings. It’s simple and honest. All the focus is on the perfectly cooked shrimp, which is exactly where it should be.
It is no surprise, then, that the Cajun corn and crab bisque is probably the best I’ve ever tasted, too. It is loaded with crab, almost like a stew; no skimping on the important stuff here. And though many bisques tend to be heavy with cream and a certain unidentifiable, mysterious layer of oil skimming the top of the soup, this bisque is just the right amount of creamy balanced with fresh vegetables, no grease at all, with the subtle sweetness of the crab accentuated by the perfect amount of spice.
There is something to be said for a dish that is perfectly spicy. This is a rare accomplishment, an art in itself. I like super spicy foods, but have you ever noticed that spiciness detracts from the flavor of the food? So that while you are enjoying the intense burning sensation on your lips, you are simultaneously missing the most important part of food in general – the flavor!
Do yourself a favor and try the Cajun corn and crab bisque, if for no other reason than to experience the glory of heat perfection.
To read the full review from New Roots News, please visit:
http://newrootsnews.org/new-roots/2011/8/25/sweet-home-louisiana.html
I’m just going to come right out and say it – Ricky P.’s serves up the best shrimp po’ boy I’ve ever tasted. The shrimp is cooked perfectly. You know how shrimp can often be soggy and limp if it's not prepared properly? None of that here.
This shrimp is breaded and fried in such a way that it is still firm, almost crunchy. The breading is light and not at all greasy. Someone took care to cultivate the perfect oil temperature for this frying. The sandwich has a light coating of mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, and is served on toasted French bread. No fancy sauces, no fancy types of breads or toppings. It’s simple and honest. All the focus is on the perfectly cooked shrimp, which is exactly where it should be.
It is no surprise, then, that the Cajun corn and crab bisque is probably the best I’ve ever tasted, too. It is loaded with crab, almost like a stew; no skimping on the important stuff here. And though many bisques tend to be heavy with cream and a certain unidentifiable, mysterious layer of oil skimming the top of the soup, this bisque is just the right amount of creamy balanced with fresh vegetables, no grease at all, with the subtle sweetness of the crab accentuated by the perfect amount of spice.
There is something to be said for a dish that is perfectly spicy. This is a rare accomplishment, an art in itself. I like super spicy foods, but have you ever noticed that spiciness detracts from the flavor of the food? So that while you are enjoying the intense burning sensation on your lips, you are simultaneously missing the most important part of food in general – the flavor!
Do yourself a favor and try the Cajun corn and crab bisque, if for no other reason than to experience the glory of heat perfection.
To read the full review from New Roots News, please visit:
http://newrootsnews.org/new-roots/2011/8/25/sweet-home-louisiana.html
St. Petersburg Times Food Critic Loves Ricky P's!
Laura Reily, St. Petersburg Times Food Critic, had this to say about Ricky P's: "Indulge in the delicious, authentic flavors of New Orleans at Ricky P's. New Orleans native Rick Parsons serves up the flavors of his hometown at his namesake sandwich shop, Ricky P’s. The po’boys, muffulettas and red beans and rice are among the staples that shine."
ST. PETERSBURG — Wandering the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg early this year I was drawn up short by a beguiling jambalaya, as frustrated folks pushed past my rooted form. It was good. I zipped back over to the Ricky P's booth and asked if they had a restaurant. "Nope, we're resisting that instinct." • Ah, but Rick Parsons couldn't hold out. A New Orleans native with a radio man's itinerant soul, he shored up in Pinellas County some years back and did a little of this, a little of that (broadcasting, print ad sales). A Cajun mother's culinary mojo runs deep and intoxicating, hard to shake if you're an ardent son. In Your Belly Deli became Ricky P's in February. I admit it, it's not my find. A friend of a friend, a New Orleans transplant always on the prowl for a worthy po'boy, led the way.
It's a sandwich joint, not likely to launch a thousand ships, but very likely to provide a doozie of a fried shrimp po'boy ($6.99, top that lovely with a good shake of Crystal "extra hot" — a new product on my horizon).
You can tell that some of the customers are Belly holdovers: turkey sandwich, tuna salad sandwich (all sandwiches $4.99 regular, $6.99 large). Those are fine, but it's the NoLa staples that shine. One day it was a gut-busting trio of that po'boy, a muffuletta (not on the classic round bread, but a nice pillowy hoagie roll) and a third sandwich that was a drippy cochon de lait. This last is a much fabled "pig in milk" dish, usually the results of a party in which a whole suckling pig is roasted and those standing around make it an opportunity for storytelling and merriment. The results: a pulled pork sandwich without the barbecue sauce but with a scoop of sweet-crunchy cole slaw on top.
Another day I hastened back for a simple cup of red beans and rice ($3.99). It had been a long week of eating froufrou meals, so slow-cooked kidney beans shot through with andouille bits and sitting atop fluffy rice seemed like nurturance. And this may sound kooks, but Ricky P's has a great ice machine that yields perfect air-filled curls that, despite all dentists' admonitions, make you chew the cubes along with your icy soda or tea.
No booze, essentially lunch only and the kind of service that's part do-it-yourself and part sass — Ricky P's feels like a delicious little piece of what built the Big Easy's reputation as a culinary treasure trove.
Laura Reiley can be reached at lreiley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2293. Her blog, the Mouth of Tampa Bay, is at blogs. tampabay.com/dining. Reiley dines anonymously and unannounced. The Times pays all expenses. Advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment.
The Full Page Restaurant Review was published August 13 in St. Pete Times Weekender section. To view the full article, you can visit the website: http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/article1026730.ece
ST. PETERSBURG — Wandering the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg early this year I was drawn up short by a beguiling jambalaya, as frustrated folks pushed past my rooted form. It was good. I zipped back over to the Ricky P's booth and asked if they had a restaurant. "Nope, we're resisting that instinct." • Ah, but Rick Parsons couldn't hold out. A New Orleans native with a radio man's itinerant soul, he shored up in Pinellas County some years back and did a little of this, a little of that (broadcasting, print ad sales). A Cajun mother's culinary mojo runs deep and intoxicating, hard to shake if you're an ardent son. In Your Belly Deli became Ricky P's in February. I admit it, it's not my find. A friend of a friend, a New Orleans transplant always on the prowl for a worthy po'boy, led the way.
It's a sandwich joint, not likely to launch a thousand ships, but very likely to provide a doozie of a fried shrimp po'boy ($6.99, top that lovely with a good shake of Crystal "extra hot" — a new product on my horizon).
You can tell that some of the customers are Belly holdovers: turkey sandwich, tuna salad sandwich (all sandwiches $4.99 regular, $6.99 large). Those are fine, but it's the NoLa staples that shine. One day it was a gut-busting trio of that po'boy, a muffuletta (not on the classic round bread, but a nice pillowy hoagie roll) and a third sandwich that was a drippy cochon de lait. This last is a much fabled "pig in milk" dish, usually the results of a party in which a whole suckling pig is roasted and those standing around make it an opportunity for storytelling and merriment. The results: a pulled pork sandwich without the barbecue sauce but with a scoop of sweet-crunchy cole slaw on top.
Another day I hastened back for a simple cup of red beans and rice ($3.99). It had been a long week of eating froufrou meals, so slow-cooked kidney beans shot through with andouille bits and sitting atop fluffy rice seemed like nurturance. And this may sound kooks, but Ricky P's has a great ice machine that yields perfect air-filled curls that, despite all dentists' admonitions, make you chew the cubes along with your icy soda or tea.
No booze, essentially lunch only and the kind of service that's part do-it-yourself and part sass — Ricky P's feels like a delicious little piece of what built the Big Easy's reputation as a culinary treasure trove.
Laura Reiley can be reached at lreiley@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2293. Her blog, the Mouth of Tampa Bay, is at blogs. tampabay.com/dining. Reiley dines anonymously and unannounced. The Times pays all expenses. Advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment.
The Full Page Restaurant Review was published August 13 in St. Pete Times Weekender section. To view the full article, you can visit the website: http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/article1026730.ece
duPont Registry - Allstar Guide to Tampa Bay
The Sloppy Roast Beef was highlighted in the August 2009 Issue of the duPont Registry Tampa Bay. It was name one of the best sandwiches of Tampa Bay. The Seafood Gumbo, Jambalaya, CrabCakes and Bread Pudding were honorably mentioned. We love being a part of an Allstar Team! And to have Evan Longoria on the cover sure doesn't hurt!
To see the full issue, visit:
http://www.dupontregistry.com/TampaBay/TampaBayVMViewer.aspx
To see the full issue, visit:
http://www.dupontregistry.com/TampaBay/TampaBayVMViewer.aspx
Creative Loafing - 3.5 Stars
Ricky P’s Po Boys
3.5 stars
6521 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-2023 or rickyps.com
Damn, if Ricky P’s Po’ Boys ($5.99-8.99) doesn’t just look the part. The tiny storefront on N. Fourth Street in St. Pete has barely enough parking to accommodate a lunch rush, a counter that’s so close to the front door you’ll likely be lining up outside, and just enough tables to tease you into thinking you’ll be able to eat your sandwich in comfort. It feels exquisitely cheap.
For a po’ boy joint, Ricky P’s has a fairly expansive selection of non-po’ sandwiches and hot dishes, including better than average gumbo based on a seriously expressive roux, beans and rice spiced by a prodigious amount of cayenne-infused andouille sausage, and the best jambalaya I’ve had in the Bay area. Maybe that’s not saying much, considering the lack of Big Easy eateries around town, but this moist, tomatoey rice would likely compete on equal footing with non-cheap options.
Ricky P’s sloppy roast beef is loaded with salty gravy that’ll soak the bun by the time you get your take-out home, like a Chicago beef dip that’s soaked from the inside out. Get it “ferdi”-style — with added ham and melted cheese — because, well, why not? The muffuletta is slathered in a damn fine spicy olive salad, the Cuban is typical and the cochon de lait — pulled pork topped by “cajun” slaw — is a backyard barbecue treat with almost enough juice to compete with the drippy beef sandwich.
Ricky P’s eponymous traditional po’ boys, although tasty, are actually the least exciting items on the menu. Stacked with lettuce and tomato and slathered in dressing, the fried shrimp or oysters are often cooked a little earlier to be ready for the lunch rush. When the seafood is fresh, hot and crunchy, the sandwiches are excellent. After a short rest in a steam tray, however, the sandwiches are merely good. Still cheap, though.
3.5 stars
6521 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-2023 or rickyps.com
Damn, if Ricky P’s Po’ Boys ($5.99-8.99) doesn’t just look the part. The tiny storefront on N. Fourth Street in St. Pete has barely enough parking to accommodate a lunch rush, a counter that’s so close to the front door you’ll likely be lining up outside, and just enough tables to tease you into thinking you’ll be able to eat your sandwich in comfort. It feels exquisitely cheap.
For a po’ boy joint, Ricky P’s has a fairly expansive selection of non-po’ sandwiches and hot dishes, including better than average gumbo based on a seriously expressive roux, beans and rice spiced by a prodigious amount of cayenne-infused andouille sausage, and the best jambalaya I’ve had in the Bay area. Maybe that’s not saying much, considering the lack of Big Easy eateries around town, but this moist, tomatoey rice would likely compete on equal footing with non-cheap options.
Ricky P’s sloppy roast beef is loaded with salty gravy that’ll soak the bun by the time you get your take-out home, like a Chicago beef dip that’s soaked from the inside out. Get it “ferdi”-style — with added ham and melted cheese — because, well, why not? The muffuletta is slathered in a damn fine spicy olive salad, the Cuban is typical and the cochon de lait — pulled pork topped by “cajun” slaw — is a backyard barbecue treat with almost enough juice to compete with the drippy beef sandwich.
Ricky P’s eponymous traditional po’ boys, although tasty, are actually the least exciting items on the menu. Stacked with lettuce and tomato and slathered in dressing, the fried shrimp or oysters are often cooked a little earlier to be ready for the lunch rush. When the seafood is fresh, hot and crunchy, the sandwiches are excellent. After a short rest in a steam tray, however, the sandwiches are merely good. Still cheap, though.
Best of the Bay
In 2010 Ricky P's was named the best Po Boy Shop in Tampa Bay by the readers of Tampa Bay Magazine. Readers had to send in a ballot - so thank you very much!
In 2012 Ricky P's Orleans Bistro was named Best Cajun Restaurant in Tampa Bay!
In 2012 Ricky P's Orleans Bistro was named Best Cajun Restaurant in Tampa Bay!
Ricky P's on Good Morning Tampa Bay
Fox 13 came out to promote the kick off of the 2009 Crawfish Festival in downtown St. Petersburg. It sure was an early gig, but Ricky P had fun serving up some good food for Charley Belcher, Dave Osterberg, Russell Rhodes and Mayor Rick Baker. There was even a crawfish eating contest that Rick won, as he has for many years at the crawfish eating contest at the festival. Check out the video link: http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/good_day/fox_block_crawfish_festival_031309
Ricky P. on Channel 44
Ricky P. and Benny & Edwina from the Cajun Connection were featured on CW 44 Bayside News to promote the 2009 Crawfish Festival. Benny & Edwina promoted the festival and music and Ricky P. cooked up some crabcakes for the crew to promote Ricky P's!
