My boss has been recommending Mezzanotte ever since I started working for him in the far-flung reaches of Cypress. In his opinion, it’s the nicest restaurant out here. I regret to say I still haven’t made it there yet, but a recent media dinner brought me to Piqueo Restaurante and Bar. It is the new place started by Mezzanotte owners, Gerry and Adriana Sarmiento.
It’s been a long, strange journey for the Sarmientos, as they both used to work in the information technology field at Hewlett-Packard. They became tired of having to drive all the way into town in order to eat at a nice place, so they decided to start their own.
Gerry took courses from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and took over chef duties, while Adriana ran the front of the house. Both of them are certified by the ISG (International Sommelier Guild), so as you might expect, wine is featured prominently at both Mezzanotte and Piqueo.
“Our wine focus at Mezzanotte is Old World, but here at Piqueo, we’re focusing on New World – Argentina, Peru and the United States – plus one Old World producer, which is Spain,” said Adriana. On the night of our visit, we tried a Torrontes and a Malbec from Argentina, a California Merlot and a very pleasing Parxet Cuvee 21 Brut Cava from Spain.
I was pleasantly surprised to also find a well-stocked bar with a great selection of pisco and at least a dozen tequilas. Pisco sours are available, as is proper for any Peruvian restaurant worth its salt.
Piqueo had a low-key opening in December, but that hasn’t stopped local diners from finding them. There were several tables occupied on the rainy Thursday night of the media dinner.
When food has a story behind it, it is no longer just food. Such is the way I felt as Adriana and Gerry explained some of the stories behind the traditional Peruvian dishes. Think potatoes are boring? Think again. “This is causa de canjgrejo,” said Adriana, as she described a delicate cylinder of creamy potato topped by crab “Causa means ‘cause,’ and Peru has over 3,000 varieties of potatoes. During the war, the armies needed to be fed, so it would be asked if anyone had ‘food for the cause.’”
Peru’s cuisine certainly is not limited to crab and potatoes, though. “We tried to make our menu represent all of the areas of Peru: mountain, sea and jungle,” said Adriana.
My favorite bite was the spicy, meaty texture and flavor of the marinated anticuchos de corazón (photo at top), which are cubes of beef heart, another dish steeped in history. When Spanish conquistadors came to Peru, they brought black slaves with them. Innards were considered offal by the conquistadors and not fit to eat. The slaves used peppers and other readily available spices, such as garlic and vinegar, to make the innards palatable, and anticuchos were born.
As is so often the case, innovation of the poor resulted in a dish that would be loved by generations. In Peru, this is readily available street food that can be found at stalls called anticucheras.
It’s a long slog if you live inside the Loop to make the trek out to Grant and Louetta, but I think it’s a very worthwhile drive. If Piqueo had been built on Westheimer, it would not be out of place amongst the best of the best. I will be glad when the time comes that no one blinks an eye at the idea that there’s great food outside Loop 610 that is worth driving for. Places like Piqueo, Mezzanotte, 1252 Tapas Bar, Drew’s Pastry Place (watch for a report in Friday’s SideDish) and others are making this happen.
Peruvian food is difficult to find even if you live in the middle of Houston. I am gratified to find there is not only unapologetically authentic Peruvian cuisine in my neighborhood, but it’s in a restaurant that is gorgeous, with a lovely bar and walls vibrantly painted in passionate hues of red and orange. I am ecstatic every time I meet people like the Sarmientos who care so deeply about their food that they want people to know why these dishes exist.
So, make the drive as soon as you can, and give me a shout. I might join you.
PIQUEO, 13215 Grant Road at Louetta, Cypress, 281-404-4190, piqueo.com. If you’re coming from Houston, take the Louetta exit off 249 and turn left. Piqueo will be on the right side. They are only open for dinner right now: Monday through Thursday 5 to 9 pm and Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 pm.