Piccolino Italian Restaurant – Santa Fe, New Mexico
When I asked Gaby (our server Gabriela) what the Italian name “Piccolino” translates to, she didn’t have a clue. She asked Olga Tarango-Jimenez, the restaurant’s co-owner who also seemed at a loss, but shared the restaurant’s very interesting history. When my Kim Googled “Piccolino, she found it translates to “little one” and has such slang alternatives as “teeny weeny.” Talk about a fitting name. I joked with Gaby that if she ever called her diminutive in stature boss “teeny weeny” she’d probably find out her boss has a giant temper. Just how small is Piccolino? Before its transmogrification into one of Santa Fe’s most popular Italian restaurants, its Liliputian digs housed a Church’s chicken and before that a gas station. Piccolino is situated off the beaten just a few blocks north of heavily trafficked Cerrillos and a hair or two east of Siler. Square footage not withstanding, Piccolino optimizes its space while still managing to provide better than personal space proximity. Somehow it looks a whole lot larger when you marvel at all the “Best of Santa Fe” awards accorded by readers of The Santa Fe Reporter. All but one of those certificates designate Piccolino as Santa Fe’s best Italian.…