Chincoteague's Pico Taqueria packs family and flavor

For the owners of Pico Taqueria, business is about two things: family and flavor. 

Owned and operated by Rosie Moot, her husband, Dylan, his twin brother, Nathan, and Nathan's wife, Kate, the four are bringing gourmet tacos to Chincoteague Island. Opened in May of 2015, the seasonally run restaurant is simply two food trailers and outdoor seating, but its dishes pack a flavorful punch. 

The Moots' goal is to offer customers fresh and local ingredients all housed in homemade tortillas. It's clear the word is out because at 11 a.m. on the dot, hungry tourists and locals get in line for a bite of the innovative menu. 

If Rosie had to estimate, she said Pico serves about 500 tacos a day. 

“We’re not going to do traditional tacos," she explained. "We’re going to take the flavors that we know and make them into tacos.”

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Drawing the blueprint 

Rosie and Dylan always wanted to be their own bosses and open a restaurant. 

After meeting in culinary school at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the two traveled across the U.S. for internships and jobs in states including Florida, Montana and Maryland. 

The couple worked in California for about five years, saving up money and dreaming of having a place all their own closer to their families. Rosie is from northern Maryland, while Dylan is from Pennsylvania. 

“Dylan and I saved up with the intent to move home somewhere," she said. 

When the two moved back to the East Coast, they scoured around the coast for the perfect restaurant. They originally came across Chincoteague with the intent of following through with a different offer, but when that fell through they still couldn't get their minds off the island. 

“It got us into the idea of doing something seasonally, doing something at a beach town," Rosie said. "Chincoteague seemed like a pretty cool place. Seemed like there was a niche there that needed to be filled.”

Rosie's mom found Pico's current location, which was previously a fresh seafood stand, on Craigslist. The location allowed them to follow the food truck model instead of buying or leasing an entire building. 

Rosie said it was perfect for their budget and allowed them to open entirely on their own: no debt, loans or investors. 

With Nathan and Kate on board, the business endeavor commenced. 

“Everything fell together,” she said.

'How did we do this?'

Even before the Moots chose a cuisine for their restaurant, the trailer purchase came first.  

Rosie said opening a restaurant for the first time involved asking plenty of people plenty of questions. The Moots made sure they had proper permits for all of their trailers, equipment and the outdoor seating area. 

Rosie said the group originally thought of focusing on seafood. But, with the heavy emphasis on seafood already on the island, the family decided to go another route. 

The Moots decided on tacos because of how much creativity the food allowed. As Rosie puts it, a taco, like a sandwich, can be filled with anything. She and Dylan based Pico's taco flavors off of dishes they've previously created in restaurants. Every taco has its own flair, creating a varying menu. 

When Pico first opened in 2015, the Moots and Tracy Bailey, one of Pico's tortilla makers, were all working out of one trailer as opposed to the restaurant's current two trailers. Rosie said the five were all crammed into the one trailer, trying to make tortillas, the tacos' fillings and serving them up to customers. 

Comparing the space restraints from then to now, Rosie thinks in disbelief how it all worked. 

“We go, ‘how did we do this?,' " she said. 

Utilizing local ingredients 

Pico puts the Chincoteague and Virginia community first by using local farmers' produce and naming tacos after island streets. 

“I think it is important to showcase what your area has," Rosie explained. "It gives you a certain pride in not only your food, but where you live.”

The restaurant serves seven staple tacos, a taco bowl and various sides. The seven staple tacos have been a part of Pico's menu since the beginning, Rosie said, and each one has a story behind its flavor profile. 

The Deep Hole is filled with cauliflower, caper pico de gallo, parmesan cheese, garlic aioli and shallots. This vegetarian taco is based off of a cauliflower appetizer Rosie and Dylan created in California. 

Best sellers include the Chincoteague Classic and The Main Street. 

The Classic gives customers the option to choose between chicken, steak, pork and fish. Whatever protein is chosen is then topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, and crème fraîche. The Main Street is a shrimp taco including chipotle crème fraîche, cabbage slaw, guacamole and queso fresco. 

“There are definitely tacos that sell less than others, but there is not one taco that doesn’t sell," Rosie said. 

Pico works to utilize as many local farmers and their produce as possible. Rosie said Sysco still has a key part in their business and the restaurant industry, but working with local ingredients is crucial for the Moots. 

Rotating specials allows Pico to offer limited menu items with what's freshest at that moment, like a soft shell crab taco or a taco topped with peach salsa. 

“We try to use what the local farmers have to come up with different dishes,” Rosie said.

Continuous Improvement

As Pico is wrapping up its third season, the Moots are taking the opportunities as they come. 

Rosie said the group is participating in Marsh Fest at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station in September. But, the primary focus is continuing to do what they do best and improving. 

“We’re really just trying to focus on Pico now," she said. 

With a family whose love of food is strong, Rosie said each family member brings something different to the table. Rosie and Dylan offer the culinary backbone. Nathan brings front-of-the-house experience and Kate offers event planning experience. 

However, a young business doesn't come without growing pains, and Rosie expects for a few more hurdles as the family continues. 

“Over the past three years, we have seen what each person does best and fallen into our roles," she said. 

If you go

What: Pico Taqueria 

Where: 6382 Maddox Blvd.

When: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through August, hours set to change through September and October 

Contact: (757) 785-9920, picotaqueria.com

On Twitter: @The_MegRyan