Can a dish—or two—define a restaurant? At Restaurant Picco, the answer might just be yes. For more than 20 years on Larkspur’s main drag, standout renditions of aguachile, rigatoni, and ribollita have helped fuel the restaurant’s enduring success.
A pinnacle of California cuisine, Picco is celebrated for its ingredient-driven, Italian-ish menu layered with global influences. Still, there’s a strong case to be made that pizza is the true beating heart of the operation. Since 2005, when chef-inventor Chef-Inventor Bruce Hill (Fog City, Bix, Zero Zero) first fired up the ovens, the approach has remained unwavering: Italian “00” flour, dough cold-fermented for 48 hours, then shaped and left to rise for another 48.
“Slower rise, better flavor, easier digestion,” says Chef Michael Reyes (Blue Stem Brasserie, The French Laundry, Commis), who has led the kitchen since 2020. His team—many of whom have been with Picco for more than 15 years—still hand-stretch locally sourced mozzarella from Roberto Ferrante for each pie. The pizzas are fired in the same wood-burning Mugnaini oven, fueled by almond wood from Bare Bottom Farms in Richmond. Ninety seconds later, out comes a Neapolitan-style pizza with a leopard-spotted crust and tender, airy center—one that firmly earns its place among the Bay Area’s most iconic pies.
Restaurant Picco—whose name translates to “peak” or “summit” (and, cheekily, “Hill”)—was an instant hit. From day one, the dining room and adjoining pizzeria drew crowds that spilled onto the sidewalk, where guests happily waited for a table, a glass from the deep wine list, or a Barrel-Aged Manhattan in hand. Before long, a fence was installed to gracefully corral the buzz.
There’s also a bit of delicious lore, Hill tells us: Picco was the first restaurant anywhere to serve Straus Organic soft-serve ice cream—on the menu from the very beginning. (Today, it’s made with Jersey milk from Sonoma’s Double 8 Dairy/Valley Ford Creamery.) Finished with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt, it’s one of those deceptively simple pleasures that regulars never stop ordering.
That ingredient-driven, farmers’ market ethos is quintessentially Californian. The consistency, however, is pure Picco. With a steady hand, Chef Michael Reyes knows better than to tinker with Hill’s enduring classics. Dishes like Ahi Tuna Tartare, Avocado Bruschetta, double-fried Kennebec fries, and risotto are sacrosanct—so deeply tied to the restaurant’s identity that they’re simply known in-house as “the staples.”
Community support—and the occasional spirited feedback—forms the third pillar of Picco’s enduring success. After all, no restaurant thrives without guests walking through its doors each evening. In Larkspur, that connection runs deeper. In the immediate aftermath of Covid, a block-long queue regularly formed outside, as diners eagerly returned for a taste of Picco’s cuisine. “Our community was so generous with our team,” Reyes adds. “They’re a huge part of the story here."
Like the seasons, restaurants are ever evolving. Years after chefs Chris Whalley, Jared Rogers, and others left their imprint on the menu, Reyes continues to introduce ingredient-driven touches that surprise and delight—even longtime regulars who know their way around the Rigatoni alla Norma and the ever-changing seasonal salad.
Case in point: the brioche-croissant loaf. Inspired by Reyes’ at-home experiments with kouign amann, the laminated dough reveals delicate, flaky layers when sliced, then toasted and topped with Sicilian burrata, housemade fermented kumquat jam, Urfa chile, and purple radish tops. Reyes calls it “a kick-ass bread and butter.”
That same spirit of creativity is baked into Picco’s DNA and runs throughout the menu. Chef Reyes’ latest concoctions include:
— Smoked kampachi aguachile with avocado and crispy garlic
— Mesquite-grilled pork chop with kimchi pancake and ssamjang
— English pea and ricotta ravioli with ’nduja butter
— BBQ-smoked beef ribs
— Pappardelle with 26-month-aged Gouda fondue, housemade furikake
Reyes notes that there are always six vegan dishes on the menu each day—and they’re far from an afterthought. A current standout is a vegan curry featuring kabocha and butternut squash in a rich coconut sauce, served over jasmine rice.
The commitment to creativity and flavor carries well beyond the kitchen.
Picco's cocktail program leans playful and inventive, with whimsically named standouts like the Grandaddy Purple—a vibrant blend of gin, huckleberry yuzu liqueur, and lemon—and Canned Heat, a sultry mix of reposado tequila, ancho chile, passionfruit, and firewater tincture.
The wine list holds its own, too—thoughtfully curated with standout selections from California and Europe, and made all the more irresistible with half-priced bottles every Monday.
Though Hill is no longer involved in the day-to-day, he still takes pride in what Picco has become. ‘It’s a magical little spot,’ he says—and that magic endures, sustained by a community that cares deeply about the restaurant’s success.
Still, nostalgia has its place. Guests often clamor for beloved dishes from years past—none more so than the madeleine cookies with mini boozy milkshakes, a fan favorite since 2018.
To mark their anniversary, Reyes is bringing them back for a limited run from April through May, alongside a lineup of returning standouts:
— Lemon Madeleines paired with Strawberry Milkshakes ($16)
— Roasted Lamb Loin with rosemary panisse, fava bean pistou, and red wine jus ($45)
— Picco’s Asparagus Risotto (1/2 order-$17; full order-$28)
With a seasoned team guiding both the front and back of house, Picco remains a beacon of elevated hospitality—well positioned to delight loyal guests and welcome new ones for years to come.
Picco's 20th Anniversary Menu is running April thru May.
-- View Photo Gallery (courtesy of Prismic Photography)
-- Reservations
-- Follow on Instagram
