Food And Drink

A Taste of Pico Taco

Dec 13 2024

DELICIOUS, FAST, AND AFFORDABLE, SPRUCE PEAK’S NEW TAQUERIA IS A SLOPESIDE MUST-STOP.

By Lucy Clark

In the heart of Spruce Peak Village, tiny dancing tacos adorn the windows of Spruce Peak’s latest restaurant, Pico Taco. Pull open the door and your eyes are immediately drawn to the high ceilings decorated in colorful Mexican-inspired wallpaper where bright flowers and birds flutter.

Maybe you order a quick bite to go, fueling a ski day with a hand-warming breakfast burrito—perfect for eating on the gondola or chairlift without interrupting your stride. Eggs, hash browns, chorizo, cheese, and salsa roja are stuffed in a New York-made hand-pressed tortilla that passed the staff’s high standards.

“We taste-tested tortillas from all over the country,” says executive chef Sean Blomgren, who crafted the menu. “Grabbing a hot breakfast burrito and getting out the door in under five minutes is a game changer.” (The Over Easy Gondola is conveniently steps away.) Oh, and don’t forget the side of hot sauce; Vermont’s Butterfly Bakery developed a custom label condiment just for Pico Taco.

Or perhaps you kick back and linger with friends, warming up between runs with a snack of fresh corn tortilla chips dipped in house queso sauce or cream cheese churros with spiced chocolate. Ample seating both inside and out makes it an appealing option for a casual sit-down lunch or dinner. Inside, big picture windows are perfect for people-watching skaters coast around Spruce Peak’s Ice Rink and visitors stroll along the plaza promenade; outside, a crackling outdoor fireplace keeps customers cozy.

Open daily from 11am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends, Pico Taco is one of the most walletfriendly options on the mountain, yet the thoughtful menu is a notch above what you'd expect of typical fast casual cuisine. In the midst of snow flurries and ice skating, “I hope guests are mentally transported to the beaches of Playa del Carmen,” Blomgren says.

Blomgren, who travels frequently to the Yucatán Peninsula, is excited to introduce a fleet of unique tacos, some of which are directly inspired by the region. “There is a great place in Playa del Carmen that is open late into the night and only serves varieties of cochinita pibil, or roasted pork,” says Blomgrem. “The word pibil comes from the Mayan term pib, meaning buried. The traditional A Taste of Pico Taco DELICIOUS, FAST, AND AFFORDABLE, SPRUCE PEAK’S NEW TAQUERIA IS A SLOPESIDE MUST-STOP. By Lucy Clark 55 cooking method has the food wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked in an underground pit oven called a pib."

At Pico Taco, Blomgren channeled his culinary travel adventures into his own version of Yucatán-style roasted pork tacos: a marriage of rich, fatty pork shoulder and bright citrus juices. The pork is first braised down in orange juice, grapefruit juice, and warming spices (allspice, cumin, cinnamon and clove). Next, it’s wrapped in charred banana leaves and roasted for six hours until deeply flavorful, and then slathered in special house-made pickled onions.

While the pork tacos are the chef’s top pick, you can’t go wrong with classic carne asada tacos, perfectly tender and juicy, drizzled with velvety crema. Chicken al pastor tacos—a twist on pork al pastor—are smoky with a touch of heat and burst of caramelized pineapple.

Savory and rich, garlic butter shrimp tacos are topped with bright chipotle-mezcal aioli. “The aioli was inspired by traditional mezcal, which is served neat, with a side of orange slices sprinkled with chili salt,” Blomgren says.

Vegetarian adobo squash tacos with crispy cheese round out the offerings: “We put shredded cheese on the griddle first and then warm up the tortilla on top of the cheese,” says Blomgren. “After a minute, the cheese crisps up and sticks to the tortilla—picture the edges of a quesadilla where some cheese spills out and caramelizes.”

To suit all tastes, guests have the option to order any of the taco proteins in a burrito, quesadilla or bowl. For kids, a designated ‘niños’ section of the menu includes no-fuss mini cheese or black bean quesadillas and plain chicken or steak tacos. Drinks include wine, both Mexican and Vermont beers, and canned cocktails. One to try: The Buena Gave margarita, canned in New Hampshire, features Tequila Blanco with lemon and lime juices, agave nectar, and a touch of sea salt.

Melding Latin vibes with the ski scene required a creative design vision. “We wanted a taqueria that was also very Vermont: cheeky, fun, casual, and grounded in the mountain culture,” says Justin Colombik, partner and design director at San Francisco-based RoseBernard Studio. Exhibit A: the name, Pico Taco. The Spanish word pico has multiple meanings, among them summit or peak

Colombik and his team also brought together the worlds of Stowe and Mexico through thoughtful finishings. Terracotta tiles for the flooring, colorful ceiling wallpaper, and Mexican-inspired pottery intermingle with alderwood wainscoting and rustic wooden beams. Over the heavy granite fireplace, a playful art piece showcases illuminated metal cactuses.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished,” Blomgren says. “Pico Taco delivers delicious authentic Mexican flavors in a taqueria that’s family-friendly, quick to order, and affordable.” Now, you’ll just have to block off your calendar for your next Spruce Peak visit, so you can try out that breakfast burrito or the chef’s pork tacos for yourself!

A Taste of Pico Taco

DELICIOUS, FAST, AND AFFORDABLE, SPRUCE PEAK’S NEW TAQUERIA IS A SLOPESIDE MUST-STOP.

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