Picco Pizzeria in Larkspur, Marin County, California. Hit and Miss.

Picco is busy. But the hard times are hitting everyone; even in an eatery that draws from a very well-to-do neighborhood like Larkspur and is located in a hard-to-miss location like the main street of the town. We have been to Picco's at least 12 times over the last 4 months. Pizza is their main attraction and it's a favorite weekend destination. They have a real pizza wood oven that emits heat to the tiny bar they use to serve up their signature pizzas and other Italian-Spanish delights. They utilize the best: homemade cold cuts and sausages, fresh organic veggies, handpicked wines from Italy, Spain, France and USA. They even name their pizzas after bicycle brands: Cannondale, De La Santa, Marin, Specialized, etc. We love to combine the home-roasted peppers with their own sausages and mozzarella cheese. And all the pizzas taste better to us when we ask for a "cripsy" crust. So what's gone wrong? Maybe the crisis has gotten to them, or have they gotten too confident in their pizza success? We had a couple of pizzas that were not up to their usual standard--too much pancetta when we ordered it to be added to a pizza...and another time onions arrived on our pizza pie that were chunky and took over the pizza's flavor. Our analysis: they appear to have reduced their staff and we think it's beginning to show. So, for now, we advise that you don't try to mix and match toppings like we used to. Stick to the toppings set by the chef and you will certainly have a satisfying pizza experience.