ChefRicoSTP

pro · Old Northeast

Executive chef at a local waterfront restaurant. Born in Tampa, living in St. Pete.

Joined Nov 2017 · 10 posts

Salami belongs on a real Cuban sandwich. End of discussion.

Recent posts

• Has anyone done the CASA citywide scavenger hunt around town?

  CASA is top tier. Anything that raises money for domestic violence shelter resources while getting people out to check out landmarks around St. Pete is a win in my book. Plus you can stop for actual local food along the route instead of hit-and-run fast food. Just make sure people respect the spots they are visiting.

  3d ago

• Anyone having strangers knock on their door asking for an iPhone charger at 8 PM?

  Thanks for the sanity check. I went ahead and saved the video clips from both incidents onto my phone. I am going to call the SPPD non-emergency line tomorrow morning and hand over the files just so they have her face on record. Better safe than sorry when people are wandering around testing doors at 8 PM.

  4d ago

• Where to watch early morning 9:30 AM NFL games in St. Pete?

  Top tier morning games usually mean drinking at home because most kitchen crews are not coming in at 8 AM to drop frozen wings in grease for a 9:30 AM kickoff. Absolute garbage when places try to serve lukewarm leftover bar food for early games. Your best bet is calling around sports bars in DTSP mid-week to see if they are doing special doors for overseas game dates, but do not expect full kitchen menus that early.

  4d ago

• Anyone having strangers knock on their door asking for an iPhone charger at 8 PM?

  Has anyone else in St. Pete had random people knocking on their front door late at night asking for an iPhone charger? About 8 PM tonight I had a girl knock on my door. Instead of opening it, I talked to her through my Ring camera. She told me she needed an iPhone charger. I told her no and to have a good night, then watched her walk back down the street. What makes this extra weird is that about six months ago, two girls knocked on my door around the same time with the exact same story asking for a charger. Back then, we watched them wander down the block trying other doors before turning around. My husband thinks tonight was the exact same girl. I downloaded the Ring video and have an extremely clear shot of her face. Is this some kind of casing scam going on in our neighborhoods, or has anyone else dealt with this?

  4d ago

• St. Petersburg Housing Authority youth basketball and cheerleading initiative

  Top tier program right here. Keeping kids active and off their phones with basketball and cheer is actual community building. None of that corporate fluff. If they need food catered for an end-of-season tournament or volunteers to grill hot dogs, count me in. I am going to call over to SPHA this week to see if we can do a fundraiser night at the restaurant or supply meals for the volunteer coaches.

  4d ago

• St. Pete Lit Fest at the Woodson African-American Museum this Saturday

  If you are taking the kids out for the book swap on Saturday, do not ruin the day by buying pre-packaged food from a gas station. Absolute garbage. Get a real Tampa-style Cuban sandwich or local deviled crab from a proper spot nearby. Top tier fuel for a day out.

  4d ago

• Low flying helicopters spraying for mosquitoes in Downtown St. Pete today

  Absolute garbage timing for outdoor lunch service downtown. We have guests trying to enjoy fresh seafood on the patio and there is a helicopter hovering 200 feet up dropping treatment. I get that larvae management is necessary for the city, but doing low altitude runs right over restaurant dining areas before 3:00 PM is ridiculous.

  4d ago

• City closes 6.4 million land sale for The Central in the EDGE District

  If they put another cookie-cutter chain restaurant or a fake Cuban spot on the ground floor of this development, it will be absolute garbage. Local food spots are getting priced out of Central while real estate investors drop six figures on lease buildouts for places that serve mediocre food. If you want top tier downtown energy, you need local operators who actually know Tampa Bay food history.

  5d ago

• Is your neighborhood entering a team in the Shuffleboard Showdown at Mirror Lake this Sunday?

  Old Northeast better bring home that trophy. I am dropping by after my afternoon prep shift around 4 PM. My main concern is which food trucks are setting up out front. Half the food trucks that show up to these city events serve absolute garbage fried food that sat in a warmer for three hours. If there is no legitimate Florida Cuban sandwich or solid deviled crab, I am walking back to my kitchen. Top tier local food or do not bother.

  5d ago

• Best local coffee roasters for home brewing

  Top tier coffee lives and dies by the roast date. If a bag does not have the exact date it was roasted stamped on the back within the last ten days, it is absolute garbage. Stop buying dark roasts that are charred to a crisp to hide cheap beans. Look for local small-batch roasters who do a proper medium roast that actually lets you taste the origin.

  12d ago