If it's Saturday, it's salsa night at Picosa and time for the Minneapolis restaurant to live up to its Spanish name -- "spicy one."
But before the horns begin blasting and the hips start shaking, it's also class time. Picosa offers free lessons before the actual dancing begins, and by the looks of it, the crowd digs it.
More than 30 eager dancers lined up in front of instructor Niko Salgado at 9:30 p.m last Saturday, ready for a half-hour crash course on salsa steps:
"A one-two-three, step, and five-six-seven, and clap!" Salgado told his surprisingly large impromptu class.
Picosa is finally bringing some much-needed heat to the St. Anthony Main area, that beautiful stretch along the Mississippi River that always seems a bit sleepy during the winter months. While the strip is home to some venerable establishments -- Tuggs, Vic's and old-timer Pracna on Main -- new blood was a long time coming.
Picosa opened last summer and has been building a steady nightlife scene ever since. Owner Lindell Mendoza said it took a while for people to find the restaurant (tucked in next to Kikugawa), but more people are discovering it every week.
"When I look at the area, I see a future here," said Mendoza, who ran Hotel Sofitel's restaurants.
Picosa's biggest night is, of course, salsa Saturday, which has stayed busy since its October debut with about 250 people every week. The high-energy band Salsabrosa keeps things fast-paced with its mix of horns, percussion and keys. Working off the success of this night, Mendoza is adding weekday DJ dance nights, including a salsa happy hour on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m., starting Jan. 30.
