Pica at Picco UPDATE – Boston

There are only two places in Boston where I’ll go just for the pie. Because I’ve never been a huge fan of pie. There’s something about gooey fruit that proves too stingingly sweet-n-sour, and my threshold caps at apple. But Fireplace has a strawberry-rhubarb that’s to die for, and then there’s the pie at Picco. Not a drop of gooey fruit here, just the ever-changing, always-evolving pizza special, and there’s no saying how far I’d go for a piece of that pie.

Picco changes with the seasons, and you’ll always find something you want in any weather. The fall-themed Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash & Fontina had greens as bitter as the cold of a New England fall. And look no further for the leaves to change as you gape at the greens, tomato reds, and orange squash that adorn this amazing piece.

In the dead of a February winter, what better way to break the ice than with steaming slabs of Pork Belly & Spiced Alioli? Pork belly tastes good on everything, and this pie was no exception. Alioli makes the world taste better, and it can only improve on the dreaded pasty marinaras carried by all the chains. Sorry Domino’s, there’s no place for you here.

For dessert, you get a massive free scoop of ice cream if you check in on Yelp. The caramel swirl is pure spun strands of sugar in a scoop of milk and more sugar. The ice cream is too sweet for my liking, but nothing is sweeter than ice cream for free.

At $14 for a small pizza plus a free scoop of ice cream, Picco easily feeds two for $10 each, including tax and tip. And the service was impeccable. I originally gave Picco 4 stars, and to this day, I can’t say why. At the end of the day, I’d pay any amount for a pizza this good, but these perfect, practically cheap-eat pizzas get five stars all the way.