fresh meat: Piccino

So when a chef pal says, “Hey, you wanna go check this place out for lunch with me next week? The food is really good, I’ve eaten there like five times already,” you tend to say yes. And when that chef is Nate Appleman of A16 (who was just nominated for Rising Star Chef for James Beard, holla!) and he’s stoked on a place, well, you say, “What time, dude?!”

Admittedly, I’ve been fired up on ~PICCINO~ before I even had a chance to eat there. It has one hell of a pedigree: one of the partners is Sheryl Rogat, formerly of pizza temple Pizzetta 211 and the other is the talented Margherita Stewart, whose husband is Loring Sagan, the owner of the building that houses the Blue Bottle kiosk on Linden, and is a partner in said kiosk. So let’s do the math: primo pizza, check. Killer coffee, check. (This is how I do math.)

So, to understand the concept, you have to understand the name: Piccino is an endearing Italian diminutive of the word "little," picco. (Nothing you would ever say to a man.) Aww, how cute, the partners are kind of small. And the 700-square-foot space is seriously small (there’s only room for 11 inside, and with some new stools soon, eventually 18), plus some outdoor seating that’s dreamy on a sunny day (good thing Dogpatch has nice weather). It’s in an historical building that used to be a corner market in the ‘40s. The vibe is cheerful, and arty, and intimate.

And the menu is small too, just as it should be. We started with some antipasti ($7.50), a plate that had a duo sampling of some Fatted Calf charcuterie (their kitchen is just around the corner, can you get any more local than that?), plus a tangy chickpea spread, some mixed herby olives, fresh radishes and zingy carrots a la giardiniera.

Salads were bright: crispy romaine hearts with thin slivers of kumquats and almonds ($6.50), and my fave, a springtime salad with sliced asparagus, fatty little chunks of pancetta, and a soft-boiled bright yellow yolk farm-fresh egg on top ($6.50) (it had a perfect white—I notice these things). All the ingredients tasted and looked fresh out of the farmers’ market, or someone’s garden.

Of course, Ms. Pizza had to partake. I opted for the Napoletana ($9.75) with tomato sauce, black olives, and anchovies. It was a lovely little crispy crunchy thin-crust pizza, excellent sauce, like, spot-on, and my kind of toppings. Total hearts. Other options included a Margherita, and there was a special with pea shoots and Umbrian salami that totally caught my eye.

But truth be told, after Gialina’s pizza (the killer crust), I’m a little ruined at the moment. So while this isn’t my faaaaaaavorite pizza this very second, it’s one tasty pie that I’d be happy to eat again (and again). And, pizza dough recipes and ovens take time to get all hooked up. It’s like a good relationship. I am confident this pizza will evolve into a total fave soon enough.

The panino of ham, Beehive cheddar (an artisanal cheese from Utah), and sliced apple ($8.75) totally rocked and ruled. These are the kinds of panini that are right up there with grilled cheese night in LA at Campanile. Good stuff, Maynard. And the thoughtful side salad of fregola with chunks of tuna confit (yes, you read that right—it’s tuna slow-cooked in oil, meow) was Mediterranean bliss.

So when you’re eating simple food that’s clean and balanced like this, something palpable happens. You get in the zone. It’s like good s*x (the asterisk is for all the SPAM filters out there), or when you’re totally jamming down a hill on skis, or writing, or making bread, or dancing. Smoking a spliff. Whatever gets your groove on. It’s like all your synapses get a full bath of pleasure. I was totally rollin’.

Everything tasted fresh, and thoughtful, and just right. Personal. All the ingredients fall into the organic/local/sustainable pyramid, and check this: the gorg pottery the food comes out on was made by Margherita’s husband, Loring. Nice touch. I know, some folks will be like, “Oh, it’s all so precious.” And to them, I say, “Get a heart!” This place touched mine.

I can’t wait to return for dinner, which is only served Thu-Sat. They add a few more substantial dishes, like involtini made with Prather Ranch beef ($12/$16), or a cold rice salad of scallops with asparagus ($12/$16). Dinner will also be a great time to sample off their wine list, which is in progress at the moment. They have some selections from Kermit Lynch with a European slant (think French and Italian), with most bottles ranging from $20-28, or $5-8 by the glass. Piccino is also open early for breakfast, so neighbors are lucky dog(patchers) to wake up to this little gem of a place.

You can finish up with whatever your heart desires from the espresso machine. And Blue Bottle hedz, you’ll like to know Jamie is working here (Brian too). Ristrettos in effecty wecty. Gibraltar away. (Although I’m a macchiato girl through and through.) They are playing around with some espresso-oriented desserts, like a cappuccino brûlée. And yes, there is latte/foam art. We also tried a tasty dark chocolate and black pepper cake ($5.50) with a nice dollop of cream on top. There are cute cookies too.

One last note: are you scratching your head when someone says “Dogpatch?” Yup, it’s a little bit off the beaten path—out where other spiff little businesses are opening up on the 3rd Street corridor, like Yield Wine Bar, which is just around the corner. Find a reason, like, “Oh, I am hungry,” and just make the fieldtrip. It’s a little slice of Chez Panisse heaven out there. (And yes, the three littles in this paragraph are entirely intentional. I’m trying to brainwash you.)

Piccino
801 22nd St.
Cross: Tennessee St.
San Francisco, CA 94107

415-824-4224
website

Mon-Wed 7am-3pm
Thu-Sat 7am-8:30pm
Sun 8am-1pm

Lunch only
Salads $6.50-$7.50
Pizza $8.25-$10.75
Panini $6.50-$8.75
Desserts $4-$5.50

CASH ONLY
(for now)