Table of Contents
 |
Guide to Good Dining |
Submit a restaurant review and win $50
The Perfect Picnic
Tempting Take-Out Ideas for Summer Suppersby Carol Denny
The perfect picnic can take many forms. Is it the ultimate Martha Stewart fantasy, with silver candlelabra, pate, and champagne in crystal flutes? Or is it Kentucky-Fried chicken, watermelon and cold beer? You and your fellow picnickers can debate the issue, but you’re sure to agree on the perfect picnic dessert -- brownies, the hands-down favorite -- and the fact that dining alfresco is a great way to enjoy a summer evening.
With the parks and beaches in the region at their lushest and the outdoor concert season underway, now is the time to start thinking of a meal to take outside. What’s Up? asked several local caterers and restaurants to share their ideas on picnic menus that would work well for an evening supper outside.
Our respondents agreed that the first consideration in planning is the temperature of the picnic food. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to keep hot things hot, so cooled or room-temperature items are the way to go. This isn’t as limiting as it sounds, however, especially when you consider the following suggestions.
Michelle O’Brien of The Main Ingredient likes chicken, but her kitchen puts a new twist on the old picnic standby. "Herb-crusted chicken breasts with a cheese tortellini salad and some Texas garlic toast -- that’s a nice change from the usual. Or maybe our chicken boursin pinwheels with a vegetable nicoise salad. They’re nice, quality ‘comfort food,’ but not so foo-fooey that people will say, ‘What’s this?’" For beverages, O’Brien recommends her spiced iced tea or a lemonade. And there’s the convenience factor: The Main Ingredient [410-626-0388] is just around the corner from Quiet Waters Park, where you can spread a picnic below a shady tree, under a pavilion, or in view of the playground.
If you want to foresake silverware altogether, consider a pick-up-and-go selection from The Bread Place on Forest Drive [410-268-6677], which offers a variety of savory croissant sandwiches. Christine Jamison suggests their stromboli platter, a jellyroll-style combination of fillings like spinach and feta, turkey and swiss, or pepperoni and cheddar. Side dish possibilities include four varieties of pasta salad, couscous or antipasto, but you’ll have to resort to forks for these.
Ready for something more exotic? Ariana’s in Severna Park [410-647-6964] has mid-Eastern foods to go, like kofta, a not-so-ordinary meatball, which can be served cooled with their flat breads, tabouli, hummus and felafel. Or try the marinated and baked chicken fingers with yogurt or hot sauce for dipping. Owner Fahima Vorgetts recommends the baklava or eggless custard for a sweet yet unusual finish.
Sushi bars around town, like Joss [410-263-4688] and Nikko [410-267-6688] on Main Street, have plenty of pretty, eminently packable little morsels that will please the educated palate. Seafood purists, however, may want to forego the trimmings and go straight for the shrimp. Buddy’s Crabs and Ribs on Main Street will do a 5-lb. platter of peeled or unpeeled to take out [410-626-1100.]
If you’re willing to grill at your picnic site, the possibilities are more varied. Traditional hamburgers and hot dogs are easy crowd-pleasers, but John and Ann Jacobs of Rendez-Vous Catering [410-224-5654] like skewers of seafood, beef or vegetables. "They’re attractive, easy to eat, and give you lots of choices," says John. "They can be as exotic as you want, with a homemade tomato or mango salsa for a different flavor. And everything can be made in advance." His idea for a picnic centerpiece: use a pineapple as a base for skewered sticks of pineapple, strawberries and melon balls that guests can pick off the "tree." Jacobs suggests chilling this, and all cold dishes, for several hours before packing them in the cooler, the better to retain their temperature.
For all the ingredients for a simple yet classic picnic, stop by Giolitti’s Delicatessen on Somerville Road, where you can get wedges of cheese, salami, bread and wine in just one stop. Mary Giolitti recommends Brie, Gorgonzola, Fontanella, Fontina or the new St. Andre’ cheeses, served with small salamis and ripe pears, grapes or apples. Add a small baguette and a selection from their extensive collection of Italian reds and whites. Giolitti’s will even package your picnic in advance if you call ahead [410-266-8600.]
Finally, if you’re searching for a picnic idea that’s over-the-top romantic and thoroughly original, think Venetian. Chesapeake Gondola Charters [410-867-1795] has an authentic mahoghany craft called The Magic Moment waiting at the pier at Steamboat Landing Restaurant, Galesville, to carry one or two couples on a twilight tour of the West River. Order a wine and cheese basket or any menu selection from Steamboat Landing and it will be delivered to the gondola to make your evening delicious. Buono appetito.
Return to the What's Up? Home Page.