What kind of shifty gear-head doesn’t like a pizza named for a bicycle? Not me. When Picco Pizzeria opened it’s doors in the space that used to be Roxanne's to Go in Larkspur, I wheeled in.

Service:
Upbeat and welcoming. They make you feel right at home. During my visit, there were a lot of people dropping by to take a peek and had their questions were answered cheerfully.

Atmosphere:
Casual, but not funky. You would feel comfortable parking your bike out front and ducking in for a pizza, or dropping by to get an ice cream cone to take away. There’s an L shaped wood/Formica counter with 10 stools. Wine bottles are on display for sale along the wall. The space is light and airy with a warmth from the wood tones.

Outside there is a gorgeous wooden bench fashioned from railroad ties.

Specialized Pizza ($12.50):
Pepperoni, tomato, basil, mozzarella, parmesan and sausage. This sounds heavy, but it's not. The thin, crisp, beautifully fire blistered disc is dotted with ingredients to flavor and not saturate. The flavors of the meats permeate this pizza, showing off top quality ingredients. It would have been even better if they gave the crust a little brush of olive oil after it left the oven (but hey, what doesn't taste even better with a little more olive oil?)

Kona Piadine ($11.50):
This was my fave. The sweetness of the thyme laced, caramelized onions and figs were roped in by the tang of the creamy goat cheese and the crunch of the pristine frisee. A perfect balance of flavors and textures.

Soft serve choco-dipped cone ($2.75):
This ain't no Dairy Queen cone. No sir, this is what a soft serve cone should be. Strauss Dairy ice cream (you know, the same dairy that Cowgirl Creamery uses.) is swirled onto a cake style cone (good nostalgia factor) and dipped in an El Rey chocolate shell - not that chemical effluent that I had resigned myself to in the past. Some of the chocolate runs down the side when they dip giving the cone a little choco-noculation. Once you bite past the brittle, dark, chocolate to the smooth, vanilla interior, you will be sold. It's the perfect combo: everyone's childhood favorite but made of grown-up ingredients.

Vanilla cone with evo and sea salt ($2.50):
What kind of mind came up with this combo? It takes two soft serve operators to assemble this cone - one to swirl the ice cream and one to incorporate the extra virgin olive oil and Maldon salt. Maldon is the perfect salt for this purpose due to it's thin pyramid shape that surrenders to the ice cream while bringing out the fruity flavor of the evo. I thought this was absolutely delish and will come back to work my way through all of the extra virgin olive oils they plan to put into rotation in this dessert.

Drinks: (not pictured)

Iced tea ($2.50): this nicely steeped black tea was just fine.

2002 Patassy vineyard Pinot Noir ($6.50/glass): Light and peppery with good fruit. I liked this with the fig pizza especially.

Snacks and a show:
The wood burning pizza oven is the focal point of this tiny pizzeria. You get a front row seat to the preparation of your meal.

Half of good cooking is good shopping and the folks at Picco Pizzeria shop right. They purchases are local, seasonal and organic whenever possible and they prepare the food simply to showcase these fresh, high quality ingredients.

They do takeaway too if you want to grab a 'za to go. They also sell bottles of wine from small and lesser known producers. You can also get espresso drinks, the fruit galette of the day, salads, or soup.

If you’re not in the mood for pizza, check out their small plates restaurant next door. Their mini burgers are mighty tasty and it’s a fun place to pop in for a drink at the bar or to grab a snack in the lounge in back.