TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Predating the current iteration of Picante is a bragging right not held by many, but Javier Proa was a line cook when Jim took over the restaurant 25 years ago. Javi’s interest and skill in the kitchen earned him the role of kitchen manager several years later. With time brings mastery. His current responsibilities include: ordering the right quantities of all ingredients;, storing the food properly; using those ingredients to cook up our hundreds of recipes every day; hiring, training and over-all supervision of the Picante kitchens. Javi is so fluid in all of the positions—both prep and on the line—that he can pitch in wherever he is needed. Like all good leaders, Javi’s work ethic and professionalism are worthy of imitation. He is clear with his expectations, always inspecting what he expects to insure you have a delicious visit every time. We feel quite lucky to have such a pillar of loyalty and skill in our kitchen and if you see him devouring his favorite dish, chile relleno, please congratulate him.

While the runners at Picante bring your food to the table, it is the position of the expeditor (expo) to make sure what gets brought to you is correct. Irma Ralon began as a busser/runner 3 years ago, and paid close attention to the expos with whom she interacted. While culling dishes together for a particular order, the expo checks what they see in front of them, to the order itself, making sure it’s correct. Irma learned from those who preceded her and learned the job well. She understands that it is her responsibility to make sure your meal is delivered as ordered and her presence, accuracy, enthusiasm and desire to serve the guest make for a job well done. Her sense of urgency when the restaurant is busy is appreciated by staff and guests alike. She communicates quickly and clearly to the runners to assure hot food is delivered hot making sure all diners at a table are receiving their food to eat together. We are delighted Irma chose Picante as her place to work.

Thank you, Irma, for bringing your whole self to your job. We hope to work with you many more years!

Having delivered food to our guests at Picante for 20 years, Leticia Morquecho is well recognized by her customers. What you don't see is that Leticia begins hours before the restaurant opens. Several days a week she is responsible for the setting up of the patios, dining room and bar for our guest's arrival, using measuring tools she developed, to help her keep the rows straight and perfectly spaced. Every Tuesday with Leticia at the helm, she and her team spend hours polishing up everything from floor to ceiling, noticing all the details that an outsourced cleaning team would miss. Her joy is evident when presenting an impeccably clean restaurant—a feat where her sense of organization and leadership of her team simply sparkles.

During business hours, Leticia's responsibility as a Floor Conductor—one who leads the dining room team—is as critical as the chefs who cook the food that her team delivers. Her time management skills are evident as she directs her staff to handle the needs of any given moment, providing calm to very chaotic environment. She makes it so that Picante has the appearance of a well-oiled machine. Picante’s safety committee includes a representative from all seven departments with Leticia being one of the first to join this special task force. Her continuous participation on the committee and her ability to communicate a safety-first sensibility to all employees, keeps us all healthy and happy.

Thanks Leticia. We cannot imagine Picante without you!

Lifelong practice brings mastery. As a child, Gicela “Mama Coco” Castro learned how to make tortillas from her mother and aunties and she has been making them ever since. Seeking her first job after raising her family, Gicela came in for an interview and redefined tortilla perfection. When we asked her to demonstrate her tortilla making skills, she showed a peace of mind that only comes with the confidence of a lifelong daily culinary habit.

When not on stage as a tortillera, Gicela artfully crafts our guacamole, salsa fresca, and rajas with knife skills that are clean, quick and sure. It wasn’t long before she earned her nickname "Mama Coco"—her talent and temperament bear a strong resemblance to the character Coco from the Pixar movie of the same name. Her sense of humor keeps her co-workers laughing as everyone is tasting and chatting about food. Picante is grateful for Gicela’s presence and our guests appreciate her cooking without ever seeing her in action in our back-of-the house preparation kitchen.

Thank you, Mama Coco, for being part of the Picante family. And, yes, we’ll have another tamale! ; )

Our cashiers typically make a first impression with the guest at Picante, so we look for people with a natural smile and warmth, and also an ability to make each guest feel like they are the only one in the restaurant, even when the line is long. Manuel Perez, or Mannie as we call him, is approaching his 1 year anniversary with us, but is already a great role model for the cashier team. Mannie is a rich resource for cashiers in training who have questions, always taking the time to tell them—and show them—how something is done. He makes the guests feel the same level of care and his superpower is that he never panics when there is a long line of hungry folks. His personal service shows up in how he walks a new guest to the water station or the restroom if they ask where it is. His tip jar overflows with cash compliments which are shared with the entire staff of his shift.

Mannie has been quick to assimilate protocol, always integrating feedback into upgrading his moves. He never makes the same mistake twice! His attention to detail was never more evident than when he asked that we delay his photo shoot until after his haircut. We obliged.

Mannie also works as a trainer at 24-hour fitness and enjoys our chicken plate along with plenty of water, His healthy habits are admirable. Yet when he is feeling indulgent you might spot him with a comforting quesadilla.

Thank you, Mannie, for all you are and all you do for us!

Guadalupe or “Lupita” started at Picante as a busser in 2000. By 2005 we created the expediter position which has been perfected with her input. The expediter—or expo—inspects each dish for accuracy against the order ticket, and culls all the dishes on one ticket for runners to bring to your table.

Lupita’s sense of urgency means that you receive your chips and dips before anything else arrives at the table. Extraordinary focus and presence means Lupita avoids mistakes and has an uncanny recall for the several hundred orders she handles each day. Armed with the understanding that you eat with your eyes first Lupita create a group of tools that she uses to align everything on your plate so it looks picture-perfect.

There was a time when Picante needed a baker for our housemade cakes and cookies. Lupita surprised us with her baking skills and baked them for our guests for more than two years.

Congratulate Lupita on still standing out after so many years with Picante.

Our lead prep cook, Francisca Diaz, was originally hired as a tortillera. Her peace of mind and the beauty of her hand movements makes for some of the most delicious tortillas north of the border. However, making tortillas is not her only area of mastery.

From deft knife skills to understanding how to taste and when to taste, her expertise is being passed along to newer staff members who assist in the preparation of all of our recipes. Her excellent ability to communicate serves her well in the role of teacher and Francisca has trained many cooks that have come into her kitchen. And while any kitchen has people moving swiftly Francisca’s pace and focus is apparent: while she is speaking to colleagues she is busily taking the seeds out of chiles for the next recipe.

Francisca's polite nature does not stop her from expressing strong opinions about her cookery and how the kitchen operates. From how to best schedule her team to which equipment will yield the desired results, Francisca’s knowledge and confidence sets the bar high. It was easy to decide that this month’s spotlight should be on her!

Thank you Francisca, for your delicious leadership in the kitchen!

The ability to make burritos may sound easy, but when the tickets start flying out of the printer and they all read BURRITO it can become overwhelming for the line cook handling burritos. This month’s team member spotlight is on a guy who retains legendary focus, even under intense pressure. Samuel Tunches Perez, or Sam, is not easily shaken.

Sam is a skilled line cook who has mastered all of the stations that plate your food, even though he has only been with us for one year. This is an unusual talent as most line cooks settle into and master one location, not moving from station to station. Whether sautéeing fish or grilling steak, Sam gives his coworkers the fillings they request to complete their order quickly, always looking relaxed and having fun.

Sam’s execution of assembling a plate or bowl of food is meticulous. Defined by the way he presents the salads in an artistic and appetizing way, Sam’s plating of dishes always has correct and consistent portions.

He has an amazing ability to be as present with the food as he is with his co-workers, with an uncanny flair for clear communication under fire. Paired with a commitment to making sure you get your order in a timely and correct fashion has elevated him to the the trusted expo position where he accurately matches order tickets to the plated food so you receive exactly what you are expecting.

We appreciate the role Sam plays in helping us make sure every guest leaves happy.

One has to do more than just serve memorable food to bring guests back. This month’s spotlight shines brightly on one cashier who can make you feel as if this is your home away from home. Rubi Alvarado has been with Picante just 2 years but this is her second time in the spotlight. Making eye contact with each and every member of a large group or family, Rubi puts the guest at ease, always taking time to retrieve samples, discuss menu items and ask probing questions to insure she gets the order and the quantity right for the guest. It’s not uncommon, when the order is complete, that she has locked the guest’s name into memory for their next visit.

Even during a lull, Rubi is always busy preparing for the next crush of guests so she can keep the line moving. But when it’s your turn, she’ll make you feel as if you are the only guest in the restaurant. Rubi had a wonderful teacher in her entrepreneurial mother, who has owned a beauty salon for 20 years—called Rubi’s—so she knows what it takes to make sure customers always leave happy. If you spot Rubi during her regular evening shift, or on Sunday morning for brunch, introduce yourself and say congratulations!

In the early morning hours, the restaurant sounds like a television show: Picante’s Got Talent. With perfect pitch, our team member in the spotlight, Sabrina Gomez, serenades your food while the rest of the staff turns off the usual boom boxes, to listen. Though Sabrina has only worked at Picante for 1-1/2 years, she is already in charge of opening the entire hot-line in the morning which is a complicated, 4-hour task.

As a line cook, she is a master of the salad station, expertly rolls burritos and artfully and accurately plates every item that is on our menu—over 100! Being evenly skilled on the cook line makes her the perfect master trainer— responsible for new team members learning excellent technique at the salad, grill, burrito and sauté areas.

Another invaluable skill Sabrina shares is an awareness of condiment levels. A perfectly timed trip to the walk-in refrigerator for more guacamole keeps the line moving while communicating a pending shortage of salsa to the kitchen manager prevents a catastrophe. We appreciate all she brings to the table and to the guests.

The position of expediter or “expo” at Picante is at the center of all the food served to our guests. The job is pivotal in that the plates of food from the kitchen must be accurately matched with the guest’s order check with all dishes on the ticket consolidated before being brought to the guest’s table. The expo insures that guests get what they ordered and everyone at your table has their food at the same time.

During her short time as a busser/runner, Erika Calderon trained herself in recognizing what every plate was supposed to look like, learning the 100+ items on our menu. She was quickly promoted to the expo position because of her exhaustive menu knowledge, but her cheerful attitude and remarkable memory of guests names has her in training to become a cashier.

Whether she is interfacing between the kitchen and the guest as an expo, or the guest and the kitchen as a cashier, her communication is always clear and concise, preventing or solving problems as necessary. Erika’s professionalism extends to her co-workers, always listening, encouraging and congratulating them. Managers can count on her to speak up on behalf of guests or colleagues to keep Picante running smoothly.

You’ll see her soon in her new role as cashier, if not on her break eating pozole. Either way, raise a glass to this month’s team member in the spotlight.

Anyone who dines at the bar knows our team member spotlight should shine brightly this month on Nick Romero. Nick shakes up the best margaritas in Berkeley. Always organized with how he sets up his station, he keeps it in perfect order to hand off to any team member taking over the bar.

His position, close to the door, offers him the opportunity to dazzle with his superpower: recognizing guests who have never been to Picante. Recently Nick impressed a new guest with his patience and perseverance. The guest asked for a recommendation. Nick made one and retrieved the guest a sample. The guest did not like what he tasted so Nick continued to suggest and sample until the guest was absolutely delighted.

His customer service as a cashier is also exemplary. A guest arrived whose take-out food was not yet packaged. Nick kept the guest company until the order was in their hands. The guest told the manager on duty how impressed they were with the amazing service experience Nick provided.

Nick is accurate and through in his cash handling skills, always finishing his shift with the correct paper work and cash in his drawer. Along with everything else about his performance his time management, punctuality, and perfect attendance makes him an obvious choice for this month’s team member spotlight. Tell him congratulations if you catch him on break with his favorite dish: chile relleno.

Because women tend to possess the food knowledge of their homeland, our prep kitchen is entirely female. A prep cook at Picante requires multiple skills—the most important of which is her ability to make our signature handmade tortillas. The spotlight for October is on Deyanira Campos. Her undistracted zen-like peace of mind when laying a floppy disc of masa on the very hot sheet of steel is amazing to watch. Deyanira’s tortillas are perfectly round with a speckle of brownness.

Dicing, cutting and chopping all that is needed for each of our 100+ recipes is a never ending task in our kitchen. Her knife skills are extraordinarily fast and uniform. If we had a speedometer to measure her, she may be the fastest with a knife, but as we emphasize safety over speed, there is no way to tell.

Deyanira is responsible for teaching new staff. Her approach is clear and direct instruction delivered with friendliness and warmth, making new team members feel welcome and confident. Along with everything else about her performance this past year, her punctual and perfect attendance makes her an obvious choice for this month’s team member spotlight. If you see her eating her favorite dish, enchiladas verdes, say felicidades!

OWNER SPOTLIGHT

My journeys south of the border began four decades ago. Everything about Mexico captivated me—the art, the history, and especially the food. But when I returned back home to my native Berkeley  I couldn’t find the flavors I’d savored while traveling and studying the cuisine from one region of Mexico to the next. So after years of cooking for friends and family, with ingredients I stashed in my suitcase from my many trips south, Picante was born.

 Picante is an expression of my love for Mexico. Love is why I grind corn daily for our tortillas,  import Mexican herbs, spices & chiles , and why I have local artisans craft cheese capturing the same nuances as fresh Mexican queso. Love explains why I grill only never-ever meats and why our addictive chips come from organic corn tortillas we slice right here—not from a bag. 

I would never claim Picante is authentically Mexican—food can only be considered truly authentic if it’s made in Mexico. And while the dishes at Picante may not be coming from some grandmother’s kitchen in Mexico, the reactions I get tell me it’s pretty close.

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