The Larkspur Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce

Restaurant Picco as our April Business of the Month! 

Congratulations on your 20th Anniversary in 2026!

One of Marin’s premier restaurants has turned 20 and continues to surprise and delight guests with its consistently high-caliber and

always inventive Italian-inspired cuisine. From the minute it opened its doors under the capable leadership of chef/owner Bruce Hill and restaurateur Bill Higgins, Picco has steadfastly remained at the top of a short list of exceptional Marin restaurants.

For the last six years, Michael Reyes has quietly been at the helm, continuing the legacy that Bruce Hill started a full two decades ago. “I look forward to being here every single day,” says Reyes who has high praise for his staff who he says will ‘walk through walls and fire for me’.

Reyes grew up on the Central Coast in Oxnard and went on to hone his craft in some of the country’s most prestigious kitchens. His résumé includes celebrated restaurants such as New York City’s Gotham Bar and Grill, The French Laundry, Commis, Lazy Bear, Aqua, and Mourad. He has also led the kitchens at Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, as well as Gitane and Gaspar Brasserie in San Francisco. Yet it was closer to home, in San Luis Obispo at the highly regarded Northern Italian restaurant Café Roma, where he truly cut his teeth.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Reyes eventually returned to the Bay Area after standout stints in San

Francisco and wine country, landing at Larkspur’s Picco in 2020.

Chef Reye’s mastery of seasonal ingredients is abundantly evident in a recent risotto (the classic dish is prepared daily every 30 minutes) that includes artichoke hearts grilled over mesquite, arborio rice cooked in a flavor-packed broth he makes with umami-rich Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rinds. He then folds in a mascarpone and Grana Padano cheese combination that’s been infused with Meyer lemon zest.  The Italian favorite is topped off with an aromatic orange oil. Goodbye winter,

hello spring!

Along with Picco’s popular risottos, regulars have also been enjoying the

restaurant’s signature and always consistent Ahi tuna tartare, broccoli di ciccio and gnocchi. The Kennebec fries with garlic toum is also a fan favorite. And while popular dishes remain on the menu, chef Reyes is always looking to the region's incredible bounty to ensure his creations remain seasonal, fresh and innovative. “It’s been heartening to watch the evolution of both the dining room and the pizzeria blend together into a more cohesive neighborhood restaurant,” says Managing Partner Ryan He is, who has been the welcoming face in the dining room at Picco for the last 16 years. He cites Reyes’ arrival for this blending and also

notes that guests appreciate the mainstays that both offer, but also welcome the creative expertise the chef brings to all the offerings.

Keeping the emphasis on seasonality, the restaurant’s engaging and shareable menu offers a handful of starters including an avocado bruschetta, seasonal burrata (that is shipped in from Italy) and a mezze plate of lamb kofta, fava bean falafel and a piquillo pepper spread. Four house made pastas rotate with the seasons and entrees

include pan seared salmon, chicken parmesan, a pork chop and beef option. Even a true vegan curry features kabocha and butternut squash in a rich coconut sauce served over jasmine rice and is far from just an afterthought.

The cocktail program offers whimsically named drinks like the Grandaddy

Purple—a gin, huckleberry yuzu liquor and lemon concoction. Another

sophisticated and alluring cocktail, Canned Heat boasts reposado tequila, ancho chile, passionfruit and a firewater tincture. Picco’s robust wine list highlights an impressive selection of California and European wines by the glass—and on Mondays, every bottle on the list is offered at half price.

Picco continues to be a beacon of the elevated hospitality experience with seasoned professionals running both the front and back of the house—it’s a safe bet that Picco will continue pleasing loyal guests and delighting new ones for another 20

years to come.

320 Magnolia Ave | Larkspur, CA || (415) 924-0300

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