If you find yourself in the Mission district of San Francisco, a trip to Pica Pica Maize Kitchen at 401 Valencia Street will be worth it. Not only are the ingredients fresh, flavorful and natural, yes, you guessed it, they all are gluten-free, by design. Adriana López Vermut (one of the owners) also describes the food by saying it's ethnic, fusion and fun.
When she opened Pica Pica in the Oxbox Market in Napa almost 3 years ago (read about that here), she and her partners did not initially plan to open a gluten-free restaurant. However, with the growing demand of gluten-free and the fact that almost everything was gluten-free (GF) already, they made the decision to go 100% GF. Adriana was personally very connected to this since her maternal grandmother had Celiac disease and she understood how important it is to avoid any cross contamination.
Some people may go in there just for the delicious food while others are in awe of the fact that (if they are eating a GF diet), they can eat anything they want. Regardless of which category you are in, you are bound to find something you will like. Here are some of the highlights of the menu:
- Arepa with a creamy avocado and chicken salad
- Cachapas with shredded beef, black beans and plantains
- Maize'wich with pulled pork, tomatoes, avocado and aioli
- Black bean empanadas
- Pasapalos (yucca fries or sweet plantains)
- Coconut lemonade (sounds crazy but it's delicious)
- Sangria
Look for something new on the menu as well. They will start rotating special née fillings, such as the traditional Asado Negro (blackened beef), Atun (citrusy tuna salad with avocado and greens) or Bollos Pelones (yuca buns filled with pork stew over a tomato sauce). These are all traditional recipes that will further allow people to experience this South American cuisine.
They even have a kids menu so you can bring the family to this quaint, neighborhood eatery that will make you feel like you just took a trip to Venezuela!
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