Where to Stock Up Picnics in Chicago
Summer is prime time for picnicking, and thanks to a variety of custom picnic baskets curated by cafes and restaurants all over town, all you have to worry about is the sunburn. Especially considering the fact that July is National Picnic Month, it’s a great time to stock up, head outside, and eat on the grass.
Picnic baskets are back in action for the season at The Florentine. The Loop restaurant is within walking distance to a miscellany of park-based activities, making it the perfect spot to fuel up with picnic provisions. There are two custom baskets available for order, including the Ciao Bello Date Basket brimming with grissini, assorted cheeses, roasted almonds, marinated olives, prosciutto and melon, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken, assorted biscotti, and a bottle of red or white wine. Then there’s the Italian Summer in the City Basket, rife with homemade chips with rosemary salt, chicken panini, heirloom tomato-watermelon-Burrata salad, baby spinach salad with toasted hazelnuts and pickled fennel, and panna cotta with Michigan blueberries, basil, and lemon.
The new picnic baskets on hand at Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine have “dream date” written all over them. Designed to feed two people, each one comes with a bottle of wine or beer pairings. Try the Decadent Picnic filled with prosciutto, Brillat Savarin triple creme, Gouda, pate de fruits, handmade caramels from Katherine Anne Confections, cookies, and more. The Bavarian Picnic includes pimento cheese, salami, bretzel bread from La Fournette, housemade toastettes, pickled cauliflower, and grainy mustard. Francophiles would be wise to order the aptly named Francophile Picnic with country-style pig and fig terrine, raclette, chèvre, honey, artichoke tapenade, cornichons, and grainy mustard. Things are at their meatiest in the Carnivore’s Feast Picnic containing salametti, spice-cured aged coppa, Jamon Serrano, mortadella, pimento cheese, cornichons, pickled vegetables, and grainy mustard. Other picnic baskets include the Taste of the Midwest Picnic, the Quesophile Picnic, and the Grand Picnic. Vegetarian picnic options are also available.
New to Chicago, Le Pain Quotidien has brought its Belgian-rooted wares to the West Loop and Lincoln Park, with a Gold Coast location to come. So you’re likely not far from your next wholesome cafe fix. The international sensation is chock full of picnic-friendly provisions, from tartines and salads to pastries and breads galore. BYOBasket.
If it’s a lavish, one-of-a-kind picnic experience you crave, look no further than the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. The hotel is hosting Chef in the Park experiences this summer for guests attending outdoor concerts in Millennium Park. Much more than your average picnic, this experience begins with a pre-picnic consultation to curate a customized picnic based on diners’ favorite foods. The chef prepares and serves the food before the concert, anything from antipasti to sushi. From there, guests can sit back and bask in the al fresco concert picnic experience.
The Florentine
151 W. Adams Street, Chicago
(312) 660-8866
Website
Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine
2945 N. Broadway, Chicago
(773) 472-4781
53 E. Lake Street, Chicago
(312) 658-1250
131 N. Clinton Street, Chicago
(312) 454-2200
Website
Le Pain Quotidien
135 N. Clinton Street, Chicago
(312) 234-0900
1000 W. Armitage Avenue, Chicago
(773) 770-4341
Website
Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park
200 N. Columbus Drive, Chicago
(312) 565-8000
Website
