DiCristina's. Covington: 810 N. Columbia. 985-875-0160.

Written by Tom Fitzmorris September 13, 2010 15:47 in

3 Fleur
Average check per person $15-$25
 BreakfastNo Breakfast SundayNo Breakfast MondayNo Breakfast TuesdayNo Breakfast WednesdayNo Breakfast ThursdayNo Breakfast FridayNo Breakfast Saturday
LunchNo Lunch SundayNo Lunch MondayLunch TuesdayLunch WednesdayLunch ThursdayLunch FridayLunch Saturday
DinnerNo Dinner SundayNo Dinner MondayDinner TuesdayDinner WednesdayDinner ThursdayDinner FridayDinner Saturday

DiCristina's

Covington: 810 N Columbia. 985-875-0160. Map.
Casual.
AE MC V
Website

WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
DiCristina's is as close as St. Tammany gets to the old-time, Italian-accented, New Orleans neighborhood restaurant. Its main influence comes from the archetypal Chalmette restaurant Rocky & Carlo's, including the massive portions, macaroni and cheese everywhere, heavy applications of New Orleans red gravy, poor boys and seafood platters. But this is a much nicer place with distinctly better food.

WHAT'S GOOD
Fried everything, poor boys and muffulettas, pasta mountains with slopes slippery with tomato and/or cream sauces, and the entire range of local seafood all compete for your appetite. This is a given: there will be too much food. Consider splitting appetizers. Three entrees will easily food four, with leftovers. The macaroni and cheese--with or without red or brown gravy--will grab you even if you don't want to be grabbed.

Onion rings..

BACKSTORY
Frank and Maria Pyburn opened DiCristina's in the right place (across from the new St. Tammany Courthouse) at the right time (2004). The courthouse generates a lot of lunch business for that neighborhood. And after Katrina, the many people who relocated to St. Tammany Parish from the washed-away St. Bernard were happy to find a restaurant with the food of (and a family connection with) Rocky & Carlo's.

DiCristina's dining room..

DINING ROOM
A big, utilitarian space with minimal decoration, DiCristina's fills with lunchers in a hurry and big family groups at night. It's perfect for the latter, especially when kids are involved. There will be many of those in all age groups. Nobody here will notice if someone of any age is laughing loudly or otherwise having too much enjoyment. The dining room staff could not be friendlier or more accommodating.

ONLINE MENU LOCATION

SOft-shell crab and pasta.

Braciolone..

ESSENTIAL DISHES
Appetizers:
»Meat-stuffed fried ravioli, crawfish sauce
Fried eggplant, crawfish sauce
»Onion rings
Fried artichoke hearts, marinara sauce
»Fried eggplant, marinara sauce
Spinach-artichoke dip
Cheese fries, brown gravy
»Italian salad
Chef salad
Caesar salad
Muffaletta salad
Most salads can be had entree-size with chicken, shrimp, or oysters, grilled or fried
Sandwiches:
»Muffaletta
»Oyster, shrimp, or catfish poor boy
Hot roast beef poor boy
Meatball poor boy
»Chicken or veal parmesan poor boy
Hamburger poor boy
Grilled chicken poor boy, grilled onions
»Italian, hot, or smoked sausage poor boy
Ham, turkey or roast beef poor boy
French fry poor boy, brown gravy
Grilled shrimp poor boy
Club sandwich
Entrees:
»Fried catfish, oyster, shrimp, or combo platter
Crab cakes
»Fried soft shell crab
»Spaghetti or baked macaroni with meatballs, veal parmesan, chicken parmesan, or eggplant parmesan
Cheese stuffed ravioli, red gravy
Fettuccine Alfredo
Spaghetti bordelaise
»Fried chicken
»Chicken bordelaise
Grilled chicken
Beef stuffed bell pepper
Veal cutlet
Hamburger steak
Pork chop
Ribeye bordelaise
»Filet mignon bordelaise
Desserts:
Banana cream cheese pudding
»Bread pudding, rum sauce
Chocolate peanut butter pie
Spumoni ice cream pie

FOR BEST RESULTS
Daily specials are very good and should be considered first. (The braciolone, for example, in the last of the four photos) The thin fried onion rings and macaroni and cheese must be included in your order. It gets very busy here around noon; come later if you can.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Really, the portions are too big by a factor of about 52 percent. Taking food home is a negative to me. However, this is St. Tammany, and the hard-working farmer and his appetite are still alive.

FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.

  • Dining Environment
  • Consistency +2
  • Service+1
  • Value +2
  • Attitude +2
  • Wine & Bar -1
  • Hipness -1
  • Local Color +1

 

SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
  • Outdoor tables, drinks only
  • Good for business meetings
  • 25-75
  • Open all afternoon
  • Unusually large servings
  • Quick, good meal
  • Good for children
  • Easy, nearby parking
  • Reservations accepted

ANECDOTES AND ANALYSIS
The opening of the new St. Tammany Parish Courthouse in Covington some years ago triggered the development of a new cluster of restaurants in the area. Most of the action has been in the sandwich-and-salad category at the lunch hour. But many restaurants around there have had good luck at dinner hours, too. And some have become major draws for diners.

DiCristina's is among the most interesting of there. With a pleasant dining room and a large menu of some of the best Creole-Italian neighborhood cafe food anywhere in the area, only the vastly oversize portions keep one from going there often with a clear conscience. Unless you have the discipline to stop halfway through a dish.