Picante's Story
Picante is a family owned and operated business in the heart of downtown Annapolis. Fernando Juarez and his wife Megan, along with her family, have had a vision for a Mexican restaurant in Annapolis for years.
Fernando grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico and spent his youth divided between his parents’ house in coastal Oaxaca and his grandparents’ ranch in the mountains of Zacatepec. There he watched his grandmother prepare meals for dozens of ranch workers daily. His inspiration for Picante is drawn from the way that his grandmother brought people together around a table to share a meal with one another.
Throughout his childhood, Fernando watched his mother and both of his grandmothers make thousands of handmade corn tortillas over a “comal,” which is a traditional Mexican griddle. They taught him the importance of fresh ingredients and the thought and care that goes into cooking. He harvested limes, lemons, coconuts, mango, watermelon, peppers, and avocados and worked on the Juarez family ranch, which produced queso fresco, fresh milk, meat, and eggs. Fernando’s grandfather began selling goods from his ranch over fifty years ago, and is still producing and selling goods at the market in Zacatepec today.
Fernando came to Annapolis nearly 20 years ago and started working in the restaurant industry. He has created a menu inspired by the recipes passed down through generations in his family, that brings traditional Mexican flavors and Oaxacan specialties to Annapolis. He met his wife in Annapolis and together with her family, envisioned Picante as a place for families and friends to gather and enjoy authentic Mexican food, drink, and ambiance.
Fernando, and the whole Picante family, look forward to bringing a small taste of authentic Mexico to Annapolis. Buen Provecho!