Right under my nariz
PicaPica Plaza opened on San Antonio’s South Side in December of 2012, so I’m embarrassed to admit that it’s taken me until now to visit this 130,000-square-foot shopping center with 300 independent merchants.
I can guarantee that PicaPica’s offerings won’t be found in your cookie-cutter malls that dot America’s landscape. For those who don’t speak Spanish, pica means spicy in English. Their wares are not milquetoast (aka bland)!
I dare you
Can you find a Fiesta crown in your run-of-the-mill mall? How about a bright red guayabera that will elevate any man’s closet? Lotería cards (sizes small, medium and large)? A half dozen Baby Jesuses to bake into Three Kings Cakes? Or chicharrones (fried pig skins) that you can spice up with Valentina salsa picante and Takis fuego seasoning? I don’t think so, and that’s what makes PicaPica a place for both locals and out-of-town visitors to enjoy.
I first heard about PicaPica from one of my former students at Palo Alto College who collects anime. I went, though, because I heard there was an on-site jeweler who could do while-you-wait repair. Turns out, there are two!
Something for everyone
I visited PicaPica on a Wednesday during the day, and it was chill. I imagine that it hops on the weekends. While strolling around, I found an Our Lady of Guadalupe rebozo (shawl/blanket)–a perfect gift for my mother–in the Om Gift Shop, which also sells adorable novelty purses…