I’d driven past it a thousand times and always made note to visit. Quaint and colorful, it always caught my eye as I headed down South Street on my way to some other destination. Finally, I made Pico de Gallo, a Mexican eatery on the corner of 15th and South, my destination.
Owner Michael Ortega lives above the place and takes a hands-on approach to its operation. Each morning, he goes to the market and buys the goods for that day’s meals: Nothing is kept overnight. A San Antonian, Ortega brings a combination of Southwestern Tex-Mex and the authentic foods of his Mexican ancestors.
It was a lovely May day, so I sat outside where I, as a leftie, had more elbow room. The inside of Pico de Gallo is an explosion of colors, kind of like a toy vending machine blew up inside the room. If you like to be visually stimulated — and who doesn’t — this is the place for you. There’s something in every nook and cranny, and most things have a story to go with them. As I was perusing the room, one of the servers pointed out the large golden sun hanging on the north wall. “Michael had that shipped here and, during the voyage, it broke into a thousand pieces,” he said. “I put it back together for him myself, piece by piece like a giant puzzle.” Now that’s a dedicated employee!
To get the ball rolling, we ordered an Arnold Palmer ($3.25), a combination of fresh-brewed iced tea and lemonade. It came in a pitcher large enough to water plants with. The server explained the size of the drink was the reason for the “high price tag.” Jeez, I must be getting jaded by Center City prices, because I hadn’t even blinked at the $3-plus for tea.
For an appetizer, we ordered the crispy taquitos ($3.95), a cute little platter consisting of three flat, round taquitos topped with turkey, shredded lettuce, salsa and a dollop of guacamole. My dining companion ordered the Baja fish taco ($7.30) — and it was hard to believe this was an appetizer. It was a huge portion of fish — tender, flaky and perfectly done — on an open-faced soft taco topped with mango and dressed with lemon twists. And it came with a side salad.
For the main meal, he ordered the roasted pork, plantain and black bean burrito ($9.65). (Did I mention quaint? Where else do you see $9.65 or $7.30 on a menu anymore?) The burrito was large enough to feed a small family. We’re talking bargain eating here, folks. My companion loved the combination of the salty pulled pork tempered by the sweet plantain. I ordered the Mexican dinner ($10.95), a combo platter consisting of two cheese enchiladas in a mole poblano sauce (a recipe from Ortega’s mother), a chalupa (a corn tortilla topped with melted cheese, pinto beans and lettuce), red rice, pinto beans and a beef taco. It was tasty and enough for me to enjoy again as I write this.
The day was so leisurely that we decided to indulge in the signature sangria ($13 for a half-pitcher), made with fresh-squeezed juices on the premises. Though it came with a trio of citrus fruits on the side of each glass instead of the more traditional cut fruit in the wine, which I prefer, it was very good — a nice balance of sweet and tart. We followed with dessert, including the tres leches layer cake ($6). This was probably the best three-milk cake I’ve had. It was rich without being dense, a light and not-too-sweet treat layered with sponge cake, caramel, chocolate and cookies soaked in coffee and topped with a dusting of cinnamon. We also tried the sopapillas ($6), fried tortillas covered in honey. This, too, was delicate and flavorful without being overly sweet, and came in a fancy star configuration of tortillas, topped with homemade whipped cream.
A note for you plastic people: Pico only accepts cash, so make sure to bring the green or be ready to run to the closest ATM.