Cheeky’s, one of the most recent restaurant additions to the Grand Central District of St. Pete, is creating a splash with its fresh and playful take on seafood and familiar raw bar delights. From an array of oyster varietals and inventive crudos, to familiar seafood classics, Cheeky’s celebrates the bountiful waters of Florida and the […]

Perry’s Porch, one of the newest additions to the St Pete food scene, opened in mid-February to a splash. Since it’s opening, it’s been hard to get a highly coveted seat. It is highly recommended to have a reservation. Perry’s Porch is brought to you by the team that owns Mandarin Hide, Trophy Fish and […]

Since its debut just over two months ago, Olivia, a modern Italian restaurant by chef Chris Ponte, has quickly become a local sensation. This restaurant is Olivia’s second location. The original Olivia on Swann Ave. in Tampa has upheld an outstanding reputation for over five years now. Olivia, named after Ponte’s daughter, is located on […]

In this recipe, we are transforming simple ingredients into an elevated flatbread that is ideal for enjoying on these cooler December evenings. All of the elements involved in this sausage, pesto & peperonata flatbread are not only complementary together, but they are equally as delicious when used in different applications. The pesto can be tossed with your favorite pasta or served alongside arancini (we actually did this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit). Peperonata can serve as an easy appetizer spooned onto crusty slices of bread, or as a tangy topper for sandwiches, crispy cutlets or even with a steak. You can use any type of flatbread for this recipe. On a busy weeknight when time is of the essence, I suggest grabbing a flatbread option that is already baked in the package – naan could even work well here. Rollin’ Oats Natural Food Market sells a few different variations like O’Doughs flatbread, which happens to be gluten free and vegan. If you’d rather bake a homemade or store-bought dough and have the time, I recommend going for it. This way, you can control the thickness of your flatbread. The bake time is only about ten extra minutes, if you opt for this route. The ground Italian sausage brings the the whole flatbread together with its subtle touch of savory spice. Ground Italian sausage is my preference, but if you’d rather a fully-cooked version, you can’t go wrong. Simply slice it into rounds and arrange before baking the flatbread in the oven. Sausage, Pesto & Peperonata Flatbread Recipe In this recipe, sweet and sour peperonata, pesto and sausage are combined to create an elevated take on flatbread. You don't have to make your flatbread dough from scratch in order to get the most out of this recipe – there are plenty of suitable store-bought options available. Pesto5 cups basil (5 packed cups, fresh)3/4 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)1/2 cup pine nuts3 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)3/4 cup olive oil1 tsp salt (plus more, to taste)1 tbsp lemon juice (from 1/2 of a small lemon (optional))Peperonata3 bell peppers (about 3 cups, mix of colors of choice, thinly sliced)1/2 cup olive oil1/2 white onion (medium in size, sliced thin)4 garlic cloves (peeled, smashed and sliced very thin)5 sprigs fresh thyme2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegarsalt (to taste)Flatbread Assembly1 flatbread (homemade or a mix like Bob's Redmill or an already prepared flatbread of choice (naan would work great too))1 lb cooked ground sausage1/2 cup parmesan cheese (grated )basil or parsley (chopped (optional)) PestoHeat your oven to 325F and spread your pine nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet. Toast for 6 minutes. Add pine nuts and all pesto recipe ingredients, except the oil, (including lemon, if using – this will add a touch of brightness) to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend or process on high while slowly streaming in the oil until the pesto is smooth. Add more salt as needed. Set pesto aside until you're ready to assemble the flatbread.PeperonataHeat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in peppers, onion, garlic and thyme and cook for 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low to cook the mixture slowly until peppers and onions soften, about 25 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs, stir in red wine vinegar and season with salt to taste. Set aside.Flatbread AssemblyHeat oven to 400F. If using a homemade or store bought dough, roll it out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to your desired thickness. Top with a few spoon fulls of pesto (evenly dispersed), cooked ground sausage and half of the grated parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. If using an already baked flatbread or other bread like naan, repeat steps with pesto, sausage and parmesan and bake for only 10 minutes.Remove flatbread from the oven and increase oven heat to 425F. Top flatbread with peperonata and remaining grated parmesan. Bake for another 6-8 minutes.Carefully remove the flatbread from the oven, drizzle with more pesto and garnish with chopped basil or parsley.Slice flatbread as desired and serve. Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Main DishAmerican, Cajun, ItalianSausage, Pesto & Peperonata Flatbread

The temperature here in Florida may still be quite warm, but it is in fact fall and I can’t help but shift into comfort-cooking mode. For me, that means that lots of pasta dishes and comforting soups are frequently in the dinner rotation. A few months ago, I made stuffed rigatoni for the first time and fell in love with both the process of making it and the end result. The rigatoni was filled with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheese and minced mortadella and was served in a spicy tomato sauce. While enjoying this dish, a number of alternative filling possibilities entered my mind and a simple mixture of ricotta and mushroom was one of the first. I’ve been making marinara at least once (sometimes twice) per month, usually on Sundays, for at least ten years now. Over the course of these ten years, tweaks and changes have been made to the recipe and a few years ago, I landed on what works best for my taste. The ingredient list is simple, but depends heavily on quality ingredients – like premium whole peeled tomatoes, 24 month parmigiano reggiono rinds and some good red wine. Luckily, Rollin’ Oats is a mecca for premium ingredients. For the sauce, they have a few canned tomato offerings that I recommend, like Cento and also organic variations from Muir Glen and Bionature. And we all know that they have a wonderful selection of great wines to choose from and a few experts on their staff to help you make a selection. You’re only using 1/4 cup in this recipe, but I always recommend using a wine that you would drink when cooking. You could undoubtedly assemble this recipe on a weekday, however, I think it is best enjoyed on a slow Saturday or Sunday. In the recipe, I suggest cooking the sauce for at least an hour, but you can definitely allow it to simmer for up to a few hours. The smell of marinara flowing through the home is one of my favorite scents ever. You can use this sauce in many other recipes like meatballs, chicken parmesan or other pastas of course like spaghetti. Ricotta & Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni Recipe This comforting pasta dish is comprised of rigatoni that is stuffed with a mix of creamy ricotta cheese and savory mushrooms that is then baked in a simple marinara sauce. ovensafe skillet or large dutch ovenBlender Marinara1 tbsp olive oil1/2 white onion (medium in size, roughly chopped)3 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)1 tsp dried oregano2 tbsp tomato paste1/4 cup red wine (pick a red that you would drink)2 bay leaves1 28oz can crushed or whole peeled tomatoesparmesan rind (optional)1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)Ricotta & Mushroom Filling1 tbsp olive oiltsp tsp salt (divided)8 oz mushrooms (diced into very small pieces – shiitake, baby bella, or most any other mushroom will work)10 oz ricotta cheese1 eggRigatoni & Assembly16 oz rigatoni (you may have leftover rigatoni – save them for another use)1 tbsp olive oil1/4 cup parmesan (grated)1/4 cup fresh basil (roughly chopped or torn) Ricotta & Mushroom FillingHeat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid from mushrooms has evaporated completely – about 10-12 minutes.Add cooked mushrooms to a bowl with ricotta, beaten egg and remaining 1 tsp salt. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator while you prepare the marinara.After filling has cooled for an hour, add filling to a sandwich-sized ziplock bag. Cut a very small opening into one corner of the bag (smaller than the size of the opening of the rigatoni).MarinaraHeat a dutch oven or pot that is medium in size over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and chopped onion. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until it softens (6-8 minutes). Season with 1/2 tsp salt.Add in crushed garlic cloves and dried oregano and cook for one minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant – about one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it takes on a brick red color. Pour in wine, deglaze pan, and allow the wine to reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add bay leaves, tomatoes, parmesan rinds (if using) and another 1/2 tsp salt to the pot and stir to combine.Bring marinara to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and allow sauce to simmer gently for about one hour. Season with more salt as needed. After an hour, discard bay leaves and parmesan rinds and blend sauce with an immersion blender or in a high powered blender until smooth. Add sauce to a large oven-safe skillet (like cast iron) or a large dutch oven and set aside until ready to fill rigatoni.Rigatoni & AssemblyHeat oven to 350 F. Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package instructions (you want an al dente texture to keep the rigatoni from ripping – they will cook further in the final steps of the recipe in the oven). Strain and rinse with cold water, add to a large bowl and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil to keep the rigatoni from sticking together.One at a time, pipe filling mixture into each piece of rigatoni and arrange in a single layer in prepared skillet/dutch oven with pureed marinara until you run out of room (you want to nestle them into the sauce so they are mostly covered).Repeat with remaining pieces of rigatoni. Distribute half of grated parmesan over the stuffed rigatoni in marinara.Place skillet into the oven until cheese melts and begins to take on a light golden color- 20-25 minutes. Top with remaining grated parmesan and basil and serve immediately. Dinner, Main Course, Main DishAmerican, ItalianRicotta & Mushroom Stuffed Rigatoni

Elevate your appetizer game with these beef kofta skewers that are laced with irresistible spices and baked to juicy perfection. A drizzle of zesty toum sauce adds a garlicky kick, while a cucumber and tomato salad brings a refreshing crunch that complements the meat beautifully. Serve this all with some warm naan bread to round out the dish. Kofta is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is typically made from ground beef, lamb or chicken that is mixed with spices, herbs and often garlic and onion. The mixture is then formed onto skewers and usually grilled or sometimes baked. Kofta is often served with rice, flatbreads, vibrant salads and a sauce like tahini or toum. There are many different variations and it is a beloved dish across many different cultures. I like to serve kofta as an appetizer for a group and often as an entree for my husband and I. My sauce of preference with kofta is usually a homemade toum sauce. Toum sauce is a recent discovery of mine that I had while dining with friends and after one taste, I knew that I loved it and needed to recreate it. It’s a creamy and flavor-packed condiment that is made from a few simple ingredients – a head of garlic, neutral oil, lemon juice and salt. The mixture is formed in a food processor until a creamy sauce forms (similar to the consistency of yogurt). We use ground beef in this kofta variation – a very high quality organic and grass-fed ground beef that can be found at Rollin’ Oats. They have a few different options, but I prefer the Simply Balanced 90/10 selection. Quality is always of the utmost importance to me when it comes to sourcing any ingredient that I use and I can always trust Rollin’ Oats to have the absolute best. Beef Kofta with Toum Sauce Recipe Savor the spiced flavors of juicy beef kofta paired with a garlicky, creamy toum sauce that elevates this Middle Eastern dish to a whole new level. skewers Beef Kofta1 lb ground beef1/4 cup white onion (minced)2 tsp garlic (minced)1/4 cup parsley and mint (finely chopped)1 tbsp olive oil2 tsp all spice2 tsp paprika1 tsp cumin1 tsp coriander 1 tsp salt1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp black pepperToum Sauce1 cup garlic cloves (peeled)3 cups neutral oil (grape seed, sunflower, vegetable or canola)1/2 cup lemon juice2 tsps Kosher saltCucumber & Tomato Salad1 tomato (ripe, medium in size & diced)1/2 cup cucumber (diced)1/4 cup basil (finely chopped)1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste)To Servenaan breadlemon wedges Toum SauceSlice the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove any green sprouts. Transfer the sliced garlic cloves into a food processor and add the kosher salt to the garlic cloves. Process for a minute until the garlic becomes finely minced. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor afterwards. While the food processor is running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue adding another tablespoon or two until the garlic starts looking creamy.Once the garlic looks emulsified by the few tablespoons of oil, increase the speed of pouring the oil and alternate with the ½ cup of lemon juice until all the oil and lemon juice is incorporated. This will take about 15 minutes to complete.Transfer the sauce into a glass container and cover with a paper towel in the fridge overnight. Makes about 4 cups. The next day, replace the paper towel with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.Cucumber & Tomato SaladCombine all ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and refrigerate until the kofta is finished.KoftaIf you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes. This will prevent burning. Combine all kofta ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with your hands until everything is mixed well. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 450F. Place a wire rack onto a baking sheet and brush it with olive oil. After the mixture has been in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, divide it into four even-sized portions. Form each portion into a snake-like shape around each skewer.Bake the kofta for 13-15 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and beginning to brown on top.To ServeServe kofta on a platter with naan, cucumber and tomato salad, toum and lemon wedges. Appetizer, Dinner, Main DishMiddle EasternKofta, Toum Sauce, Baked Kofta

There are a TON of places offering chicken wings in St. Pete, and this year our list has 15. They are not ranked, but are listed in random order. First, A Little “Wingstory” I’ve been bingeing on food history, and gorging myself on culinary education for the past several years, and the more I learn […]

Must Eat Mexican Treats in St. Pete If you search this site for “Mexican”, you may notice that I do all of the Mexican restaurant reviews. Why? It’s because I love Mexican food so much that I could literally eat it every day for a week straight. (I actually have done that before.) Two and […]

As I sat down to write this, the first thoughts that popped into my head were 1) Everybody loves tacos, 2) There sure are a lot of different types of tacos these days, and 3) what is the actual origin of the taco—is it really Mexican, and how close to the original are they to […]

Happy Hour Food & Drink List for Downtown, The Edge District and The Grand Central District *Please note for purposes of this list we consider Downtown up to 22nd Ave N and to 22nd Ave S out to The Edge District at 9th St (MLK Jr. St). The Edge District is also included in this […]

Happy Hour List for Tierra Verde, St Pete & Pass-a-Grille Beach  **Please note that while we try to keep this alphabetical list up to date, some items may have changed. You can help us keep this list correct by letting us know of any changes to by contacting us here. Thank you so much in advance!** Click here […]

Happy Hour List for Gulfport, Pasadena, Tyrone and South St. Pete **Please note that while we try to keep this list up to date, some items may have changed. You can help us keep this list correct by letting us know of any changes by contacting us here. Thank you so much in advance!** Click here for our […]