Picos — Westheimer

FOOD

Picos gives mole a place at Sunday brunch, with negro, poblano and coloradito in the buffet selection. The chance to taste several moles together is part of the pleasure here, especially when one sauce usually determines an entire restaurant order. A little of each available preparation makes the moles a course worth lingering over.

Menudo, pozole verde and pozole rojo give Mexican soups their own place in the meal. The two pozoles offer green and red preparations, while menudo keeps another Sunday favorite in the selection. A bowl of pozole is a perfectly good way to begin Sunday, even when the omelet station is close by.

Paella Grande makes a hearty case for staying through lunch. Saffron rice brings together chicken, pork, bacon and sausage with fish, shrimp, calamari, mussels and clams. Onion, garlic, peas, green beans and roasted peppers join the meats and seafood. A spoonful can pick up sausage and roasted pepper as readily as shrimp or a clam, all with the saffron rice. This is no token scoop of rice beside the eggs.

The cold bar includes peel shrimp, Ceviche Campechano and Ceviche de Pescado, alongside charcuterie and vegetable dishes. Guacamole, pico de gallo and chiles toreados bring familiar Mexican accompaniments to the spread. Ensalada de nopales, grilled vegetables and seasonal salad give the cold bar more to offer beyond seafood. A chef’s carving station adds another hot main, with the meat rotating.

At the omelet station, house-made chorizo, serrano and Chihuahua cheese make a persuasive Mexican breakfast combination. Chorizo and cheese give the filling substance, with serrano for chile heat. Ham and cheddar offer a familiar pairing; bacon, onion, tomato, peppers, mushroom and spinach are other fillings for eggs cooked to order. Waffles bring a sweet course into the same brunch, with strawberries, whipped cream and warm maple syrup. That is a perfectly reasonable way to follow a savory breakfast.

Migas, huevos con nopales and chilaquiles continue the Mexican breakfast cooking beyond the omelet station. Huevos con nopales brings cactus into the breakfast cooking, while the cold bar offers it in ensalada de nopales. Pork and chicken tamales, Tex-Mex and Swiss-style enchiladas, beans and white rice carry the meal into lunch. A tamale with beans and rice makes a recognizable Mexican lunch amid the breakfast stations and paella.

Pescado tikin-xic, carne guisada and plantain also appear in the changing hot selection. Then there is rajas con crema y queso: peppers with cream and cheese, a comforting combination beside the meats and fish.