Actually Pretty Awesome

Actually Pretty Awesome: Crispy Chicken and Yuca Fries at Pica Pica Castro

The crispy chicken plato.
The crispy chicken plato. Photo: J. Barmann/Grub Street

What’s not to love, really. Combine well-fried, cornmeal-battered nuggets of dark-meat chicken with perfectly seasoned black beans, slightly spicy cabbage slaw flecked with pickled mustard seeds, and flake-crispy yuca fries, and you have a winning platter at the just-opened Pica Pica Castro (3970 17th Street, near Castro Street). The dish has also been added to the menu at the Valencia location, along with a few other things, like large, dinner-sized salads that can be topped with grilled chicken, steak, or tofu, and a dish of Venezuelan-style nachos, with taro chips, black beans, and pulled pork.

Also great with those crispy chicken nuggets is the house-made vinegar hot sauce, which sits on every table.

And lest you think we’re obsessed with battered and fried poultry over here, the other food is pretty solid too. We’re especially fond of the yellow corn, pork pernil arepas with a creamy habanero dipping sauce.

One charming touch worth noting: Checks are delivered sticking out vintage Venezuelan paperback books.

The Castro should be pretty happy with their new lunch and dinner spot, with both healthy and less than healthy options on the menu.


Earlier on Actually Pretty Awesome:
Dungeness Crab Soup at Canteen
The Trick Dog at Trick Dog
The Fried Chicken Sandwich at Hi Tops
The Dungeness Crab Salad at Haven
Chicken Drums at Rickybobby
The Doc Hopper at Absinthe
The Burger at KronnerBurger
Bang Bang Chicken Wings at M.Y. China
’Fruit Loops’ at Chambers Eat + Drink
Smoked Pulled Goat at Southpaw
Manti Dumplings at Troya Fillmore
Flaming Sea Bass Roll at Elephant Sushi
Black Risotto With Uni and Egg at Prospect
Seared Salmon and Mussel Mashed Potatoes at Bisou
The Meatloaf at Jamber
Carrots at Commonwealth
Turducken at Honor Bar
Beggar’s Chicken at Betelnut
Lobster Bread Pudding and Smoked Cod at Maverick
Green Farro-Sausage Risotto at RN74
Vegan Charctuerie at Gather
Pickled Eggs at St. Vincent
Beef Tongue at Namu Gaji
Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken at Brasa
Green Garlic Bread at State Bird Provisions
A Dinner of Small Plates and the Duck Confit Salad at Frances
Duck Fat Chex Mix at Truck Stop Café
The Lamb Tongue Salad at Txoko
The Branzino and the Cucumber and Scallops at AQ
Dinner at Local Mission Eatery
Suckling Pig Sandwich at Sweet Woodruff
Crudités at Saison
The Roasted Broccoli Sandwich at Split Pea Seduction
The Buffalo Burger at Double Decker
Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas
The Cocktails at Outerlands
The Meatball Gigante and the Honey Pie at Tony’s Pizza
Three New Gins from St. George Spirits
The Fried-Chicken Sliders at The Lookout
The Tripe and the Pickles at Bar Tartine
Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Doughnuts at Beast & the Hare

Actually Pretty Awesome: Crispy Chicken and Yuca Fries at Pica Pica Castro