Picco
When your job is to make pizza and ice cream all day, it’s hard not to be happy.
“I've always focused on happiness. My partner, Rachel's always focused on happiness. We're in the happiness business and we'd like to see people walk out with smiles.”
And with one bite, you too will be smiling at Picco.
For over twenty years, Picco has been serving the hungry diners of Boston's South End pizza perfection and absolutely indulgent ice cream. And now chef/owner Tony Lawrence, and his partner Rachel Cando, have brought the brand west to Tony’s hometown of Marlborough, Massachusetts and opened up shop in a venue that dates back to 1926.
“The space for standing in today was built in 1926. It’s was the People's National Bank. It is on the National Historic registry. The front of the building is made out of sandstone. We have the original vault behind us that we still use for liquor storage today. There was an office that we converted into an ice cream shop.
It's built in Italian Renaissance Revival architecture style. People walk in, they look straight ahead, and then after a second, they look up and they're like, holy cow. Everyone feels welcome. It's place for everyone. That's the vibe.”
The name Picco stands for Pizza and Ice Cream Company. Which gives the kitchen lots of space to get inventive.
“There's endless creative opportunity making pizza and ice cream. And you know, it's tough sometimes, because your mind is like, let's make this, and let's make that.”
And for the pizza, it’s all about the dough.
“What we're looking for in a Picco pizza is a crispy exterior, tall cornichon which is the outside edge of the dough, and nice light crunch when you bite into it. We cook all our pizzas well done. We get that nice caramelization, which is the char on the outside. That's how our pizzas are best served for us. But it's always an option to order a lightly cooked if you'd like.”
And when it comes to toppings, there are many ways to go. From classic cheese to the creative Alsatian pie; a flavor bomb in your mouth.
“It's what we call Alsatian onions. We add North Country Applewood, smoked bacon, creme fresh and gruyere cheese and it's popular, and has been very popular for the last 20 years and will never come off our menu.”
You can get your veggies in by ordering the Broccoli, Garlic and Roma Tomato. But meatlovers will want to try the Sausage, Fennel and Ricotta made with a basil pesto base.
“There's a lot going on. You've got that char on the dough. You've got the light, sweet ricotta on there. You've got the acid from the pickled fennel. It's well balanced. It is very rich because of the sausage. We use an aged provolone, so it is quite sharp. It's delicious.”
The pizza dough is also used for customizable calzones.
“My favorite calzone is pepperoni, ricotta cheese and mozzarella. Everything melds really well together. When you cut it open, you get that nice crunch and steam coming out. We serve our fresh tomato sauce on the side, and it's very nice.”
Beyond pizza, Picco offers a variety of shareables like their downright delicious meatballs- made with a not so common ingredient.
“We use a combination of pork and beef. After we roll and roast the meatballs in our pizza oven. We braise them for a couple of hours in tomato sauce, and so they get nice and tender. One of the surprise ingredients in our meatballs is preserved lemon, and most people find it to be a welcome addition to their meatballs. They taste like your typical grandma's meatball with a little pizzazz, and that's the lemon. Gives them a little pizzazz.”
There are addictive wings, roasted til crispy on the outside yet juicy inside. And for some Mexican in your mouth, try the Carnitas Taco.
“The first thing I think you notice is the smell of the fresh local tortilla, and then you've got the spicy carnitas,the fresh avocado is creamy, and the cilantro crema is nice and creamy, and there's a nice harmonious balance of flavors and textures going on in that taco.”
Picco also offers some Italian options like an open faced Chicken Parm Sandwich - pan fried to order and topped with fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce and pesto and a comforting Tagliatelle Bolognese.
“Our bolognese is braised for about two and a half to three hours in the oven. It's a combination of beef, pork, chicken livers and bacon. And it's very rich. It's very satisfying on a cold day.”
When he’s not perfecting his pizza game, Chef Tony is busy churning out small-batch, house-made ice cream with flavors that change depending upon the season.
“All of our ice cream is made in house. We have a Italian style ice cream machine and it's got a low overrun, which means the overrun is how much air you're putting into the ice cream so it's very dense and rich, as opposed to light and fluffy, which really concentrates the flavor.”
And there’s no better way to enjoy Picco’s ice cream than with a sampler.
“The sampler is fantastic. You can pick three flavors. Everyone gets to try their favorite. And then if you want to go back and get a bigger scoop or a cone or take a pint home, that's a great way to sample everything.”
And whether it’s for a slice or a scoop. There are so many reasons to visit Picco.
“I think you should come to Pico. Say hi to me. Say hi to my staff. We would love to see you. We would love to have you try our unique pizzas and house made ice creams.”
