Paella
Last week, I commented on "the reality" of tapas in San Francisco. Today I have good news, and there is a possibility for redemption, at Picaro, on 16th St. between Valencia and Guerrero.
The owners should reconsider the decor, which is, shall we say, "interesting", but let's leave that aside for a moment and focus on the food. Almost everything on the menu could be found in any bar or restaurant in Spain: the Spanish tortilla, croquettes, fried shrimp with garlic, etc., and the flavor is overall very good. Of course, the chef must work with ingredients that are pretty different from those found across the pond in Spain, and for my taste there is a bit too much garlic and alioli (I'll always consider it a crime to put alioli on the Spanish tortilla).
The main attraction at Picaro is not a tapa, but rather the paella. The paellas, in any of the three variations- meat, seafood or mixed- that I've tried there have always been perfectly prepared and have had an excellent taste. For $25, you can have a paella for two people, and if neither of us is very hungry, we could both leave very satisfied. I once read on Yelp a comment from someone who complained that the paella at Picaro "took more than 30 minutes to arrive at the table". Of course, some people (myself included) need to learn how a paella is prepared (hint: it takes time).
Lastly, they've justed updated the menu and now offer bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches) for a very reasonable $5.
All in all, this place is a good option if you're in a hurry and are short on cash.
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