Picca's Got Heart

Picca. Where do I begin? It's situated above Sotto on Pico. In the midst of the most kosher neighborhood, this building beckons to me! I loved the ambiance and decor. It's bright, fun, and full of energy. There's a pretty great cocktail program by Julian Cox and over 50 dishes on the menu. Ricardo Zarate does flavor in a big way. This was my first foray into Peruvian cuisine and if it's consistently this delicious, then sign me up and send me to Peru, because it is amazing! Toward the end of our meal, the chef sent us the anticucho corazon (beef heart), and this isn't something I would normally be inclined to try, but because every other dish blew me away, I figured I'd have to at least try it. I actually finished it. The texture is a little more dense than your average cuts of beef, but because I enjoyed the garnishes so much, I didn't even mind. I don't foresee this becoming a pattern, but if you happen to get send offal at Picca, think twice before passing it up.

A peak at the cocktail menu

Looking down on the main level from the upper bar

Zarate's Tomahawk- a mezcal cocktail with salty cucumber foam.

Mirror positioned so the folks up top can see what's happening at the bar

Peruvian meets sushi/yakatori bar

Causa spicy yellowtail with spicy mayo, green onions, wasabi tobiko

Off menu ceviche, albacore with cucumber in a aji amarillo sauce

Instant favorite: choritos (steamed mussels), pancetta, aji amarillo butter.
Absolutely one of the best mussel broths I have ever had.

(Left) anticucho scallops with aji amarillo aioli, wasabi peas.
(Right) anticucho black cod with miso anticucho, crispy sweet potato

 

Chanfainita: braised oxtail, mote and potato stew

(Left) anticucho tomatoes with burrata, black mint pesto.
(Right) anticucho corazon with beef heart, rocoto walnut sauce.

Churros to end the night on a sweet note with
passion fruit, dulce de leche, and chocolate dipping sauces

Boards at in the back with notes and signatures from chefs who participated
at the space's previous incarnation, The Test Kitchen.