On picnics
For the Chicago Tribune
Restaurants create picnics to go
As summer floats on, picnic season continues to flourish, whether it be in the form of picnic baskets in the park or boxed lunches and dinners enjoyed beach or poolside. But even better than the do-it-yourself mode of preparation is the takeout option: stopping by a restaurant and picking up a made-to-order picnic, then settling in to a nearby locale to dine al fresco.
Many bistros and restaurants across the U.S. are starting to jump on this trend. The following six restaurants offer gourmet picnic packages that take the idea of traditional picnicking to a whole new level.
The Picnic Basket
501 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville
What diners can expect: "The Picnic Basket's box lunches come with a gourmet sandwich, gourmet salad, fresh fruit cup, dessert, chocolate mint and wet wipe, napkin and condiments, providing our customer with no need to worry about carrying cutlery or condiments with them, all for around $10," says Catherine Amin, owner and director of operations.
Where to picnic nearby: We are "Our customers (often) take their box lunches to Independence Grove for Tuesday night band concerts, or right across the street to Cook Park for Thursday night Village Band concerts. ... We get a ton of people throughout the summer who come in and order coolers full of food to take to Ravinia, just a short 15-20 minute drive from The Picnic Basket."
The Florentine
151 W. Adams St., Chicago
What diners can expect: "Delicious, gourmet Italian ingredients packaged together to make a simple, easy Italian meal," says Chris Macchia, executive chef. "The Ciao Bello Date Basket (homemade grissini paprika with sea salt; assorted Italian cheeses; house marinated olives; prosciutto and melon; grilled vegetables; pollo al mattone — grilled Cornish hen, grilled rapini and roasted potatoes; assorted biscotti; and a bottle of red or white wine, $65) is perfect for an evening out, and the Italian Summer in the City Basket ($40) features a more casual lunch date, offering our chicken panini, salad, dessert and more."
Where to picnic nearby: "Millennium Park (and) Grant Park are just about a 10- (to) 15-minute walk from The Florentine. Diners can take advantage of the Millennium Park Summer Film Series every Tuesday evening or the Grant Park Music Festival," advises Amanda Kipp, general manager.
Art and Soul
415 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington D.C.
What diners can expect: "Our picnic lunches are priced at $35 and are the perfect meal for two," says Doug Alexander, chef de cuisine of the Art Smith restaurant, including "biscuits, coleslaw, potato salad and a cookie along with our famous fried chicken. Sometimes I like to throw in a surprise like our pickles or an extra dessert."
Where to picnic nearby: "The picnic lunch is perfect for a trip to the National Mall, a blanket-top lunch in many of the parks in Capitol Hill and Eastern Market, or just gathering with friends for a backyard meal."
Whisk
7382 SW 56th Ave., Miami
What diners can expect: "Our most popular takeaway/picnic option would be our brown bag lunches, which include a sandwich, house salad and dessert," says co-owner Kristin Connor. Prices vary greatly depending on what or how much you order. "The food is packaged in old-fashioned brown bags with cutlery and a napkin. We also pack picnics for holidays with trays of food that feed eight to 10 people. Trays include anything from pulled pork barbecue and fried chicken to cole slaw, pasta salad and potato salad."
Where to picnic nearby: "Many people take our food on their boats or to the beach, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, evening outdoor concerts at the Barnacle, the Biltmore Golf Course to watch the fireworks, or their own backyards."
Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro
25 Charles St., Boston
What diners can expect: "We give customers a blanket and a picnic basket, and they can order whatever they'd like off the menu for that day or night, with pretty much no restrictions," says co-owner Peter Rait. "We don't charge extra for it; we just ask that people leave either their driver's license or their credit card with us when they return their basket and blanket. We try to make it easy for everyone."
Where to picnic nearby: "Our restaurant is situated so that you can walk 100 yards and reach the Boston Common and Public Garden, and we're only about a three- or four-minute walk from the Charles River Esplanade."
Ad Hoc & Addendum
6476 Washington St., Yountville, Calif.
What diners can expect: "At Addendum (an extension of Ad Hoc), we offer our buttermilk fried chicken Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 (a.m.) to 2 (p.m.), and we also do a pretty killer barbecue," says David DiGenova, general manager. "So those are the two options: barbecued pork ribs or pulled pork (both are $16.50) with Carolina Gold barbecue sauce and honey cornbread, or fried chicken, and both of them come with two sides, packaged in a biodegradable box with biodegradable cutlery as well. We also can do our barbecue and fried chicken gluten-free."
Where to picnic nearby: "You can take your meal to a nearby winery and enjoy with a bottle of wine there, or you can picnic right in our back garden."