The first clue that the Nachos Jorge ($7.45) at Pico’s Mexican Restaurant (5941 Bellaire Boulevard, 713-662-8383) are not your basic Tex-Mex is the crown of marinated red onions atop the appetizer’s massive mountain of chips. The peak soon yields other color-coded signs of adventure: White cheese — Chihuahua, to be exact — smothers a base of black beans and blue corn chips. Guacamole and jalapeños add shades of green to the mix. But all these colors and tastes are merely the backdrop to a beautiful brushstroke of pulled pork that’s been marinated in achiote, giving “the other white meat” a distinct red hue. Such a rosy outlook is welcome these days.
This article appears in Oct 11-17, 2001.