| Pico 320 Magnolia Ave. Larkspur (415) 924-0300 www.restaurantpicco.com
California Tapas |
Located in downtown Larkspur, Picco sits in a one-story building with picture windows. The earth-toned interior has a full bar just inside the entrance and the main dining area further on. The walls feature art from a couple local galleries (yes, it’s for sale). There are a few rounded booths along the sides of the room, but mostly tables with white linens and tall-backed wicker chairs.
The extensive wine list has categories like “Wine Geeks” (wine that industry professionals would theoretically seek out); “Wacky Wines” (organic and biodynamic selections); “Future Cult Wines” and “Secret Stars” (wines for less than $40). Somehow, I was able to choose just one, and went for a glass of the David Noyes 2005 Sonoma Pinot Noir (dark cherry flavor, nicely balanced).
Picco’s menu says “designed to share” at the top, and the dishes are placed into categories, with larger, more entrée-style choices toward the bottom.
From “Raw from the Sea,” I tried the Hog Island oysters on the half shell, served with chile-cilantro mignonette. Pure and fresh with a peppery kick from the sauce, they were an excellent start.
After that, I couldn’t resist the chilled sweet pea soup. It came in a single-serve sipping cup with a dash of Da Vero olive oil. Bright green and smooth, it was a fun twist on traditional pea soup.
The “fin and shellfish” category was one of my favorites. First came the sautéed dayboat scallops with house smoked bacon, morel mushrooms and blue lake beans. They came with a generous amount of mushrooms and the scallops were perfectly prepared. The earthy, brothy sauce brought it all together swimmingly.
The fish of the day was a seared tombo tuna with green garlic sauce, slow roasted fennel and Sicilian arancini. The mild-flavored tuna had a peppered exterior and went great with the sauce. The tasty, buttery aroncini (kind of a risotto ball that’s fried on the exterior but moist inside) was a delightful first for me.
Picco has a daily risotto special. The night I was there, it was a saucy, dreamy asparagus risotto. The ingredient of love is certainly involved in that dish.
Next came the duck leg confit, served on a farro, fava bean and duck prosciutto salad with mint pesto. The meat was moist and well done with a crispy skin. Duck prosciutto was another new experience for me (thin sliced and dark red in color).
For a vegetable, I ordered the honey-glazed turnips with hazelnuts—and the dish went beyond my expectations. The turnips were wonderful with the sweet honey and crunchy nuts. Oh, you don’t like turnips? I didn’t think I did either. I was wrong.
For dessert, first came the panna cotta with strawberries and strawberry sorbet. I’m starting to find a special love for panna cotta, it’s sweet, creamy and absolutely great with fresh fruit. Second was the soft-centered chocolate madeleine cookies with a peanut butter milkshake. The cookies were served hot, with a crisp exterior and soft interior and the milkshake was so enjoyable I was wishing it was much, much larger. And I bet I’m not the first, and won’t be the last, to say so.
