Openings

Picca’s Official Opening Set for June 25th

Zarate's chicken <i>anticucho</i>
Zarate’s chicken anticucho Photo: Tatiana Arbogast

You’ve seen the menu, you’ve sampled the skewers, and starting Saturday June 25th, you may actually, finally be sitting at Ricardo Zarate’s Picca. Yesterday at Taste of the Nation, Stephane Bombet, managing partner of Picca, told Grub Street that the restaurant should be opening “in a week,” while reps for the restaurant put the official opening on June 25th, which might mean a whole host of lucky VIPs are getting in here before the public. This follow-up to Mo-Chica, with Julian Cox on cocktails, should be one of the summer’s biggest sequels either way.

Even before revealing this follow-up, chef Ricardo Zarate has had one hell of a year, being named one of Food & Wine’s “People’s Best New Chefs,” popping up on Peruvian billboards, and even acing a grilled cheese challenge. But expansion from his Downtown ceviche stronghold has been on his mind for some time now.

Roughly a year ago, the chef announced plans to double his holdings by branching out to a more upscale restaurant named Moche, which quickly turned into plans for an anticucho restaurant, but later solidified as Picca in Beverly Hills (the other projects, we’re told, might only be on hold).

With Picca, Zarate is bringing his considerable talents into a completely new territory; a townhouse in 90210 that contrasts sharply with his breakout stand in a South L.A. mini-mall. With a solid and thrilling menu of Peruvian fine-dining, let’s hope this part of town is as receptive to the chef as the rest of the region has been so far.

Picca, 9575 West Pico Blvd. Beverly Hills. 310-277-0133.

Picca’s Official Opening Set for June 25th