A TISKET, A TASKET: PICNIC BASKETS IN LA
By Steve Coulter
For dineLA.com
 |
Putting together the perfect basket is a labor of love that can take all day. Thankfully there are a handful of restaurants, specialty markets and delis around town willing to lend a hand — or do the job for you.
For complete picnics to go, favorites include Clementine in Century City, Joan’s on Third in LA, Tender Greens in Culver City, Stroh’s Gourmet in Venice and California Canteen in Universal City.
One perennial picnic provider is cozy La Cachette in West LA. This season, chef Jean Francois Meteigner has put together five fabulous flavor combinations complete with salad, entrée and dessert. Meanwhile, The Bistro Garden in Studio City is offering a variety of baskets including the “#3” with beef carpaccio, seared ahi tuna, and assorted cheeses, grapes and crackers.
At Nicole’s Gourmet in South Pasadena, there are three menus to choose from with a selection of picnic sandwiches including prosciutto and Pecorino cheese, smoked chicken with Dijon mustard and “Cordon Bleu” salmon. Little Next Door in LA presents four sets including the affordable “Beach Box” with sandwich, fruit-and-mint salad, Mediterranean spread, pita bread and a rustic fruit tart.
If you do buy your picnic basket ready to go, there’s no law stopping you from adding a few items to give it that personal touch. A simple approach is to mix in some unique, hard-to-find sodas from Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Highland Park. A deli can also be a satisfying, one-stop solution for those last minute touches.
Olives Gourmet Grocer in Long Beach is a neighborhood grocery store and specialty market with a full service deli. The extensive sandwich menu is truly impressive, but daily dinner specials like lemon rosemary chicken breast or bistro steak make for great picnic fare.
Another popular market is Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica where die-hard regulars will wait and wait for hearty sandwiches made on fresh-baked bread. Make sure to peruse the narrow aisles lined with imported crackers, cheese and olives that could quickly fill your basket.
For something from across the Ionian Sea, Papa Cristo’s popular LA “taverna” offers hot and cold Greek favorites including flaky spanakopita, creamy taramosalata, and roasted beef or lamb. Round out your Mediterranean menu with Serrano ham or rotisserie chicken from Spain Restaurant in Echo Park, and be sure to grab a bottle of sugary sangria from their market on the way out.
Whatever combination of treats you assemble, be sure to stuff it all in your very own basket — that way nobody will ever know who made what. And since it’s the beginning of the season, you might want to consider replacing your tattered tote with a newer model.
Crate & Barrel stocks a roomy rattan receptacle for $55, but you’re on your own for settings (and disposables are an eco no-no). If you don’t want to chip the china, Bed, Bath & Beyond has a 21-piece bamboo picnic kit with reusable plates, cups and flatware for $30.
Bay Cities Italian Deli, 1517 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, 310.395.8279
California Canteen, 3311 Cahuenga Blvd W., Los Angeles, 323.876.1702
Clementine, 1751 Ensley Ave., Los Angeles, 310.552.1080
Galco’s, 5702 York Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.255.7115
Joan’s on Third, 8350 W. Third St., Los Angeles, 323.655.2285
La Cachette, 10506 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, 310.470.4992
Little Next Door, 8142 West 3rd St., Los Angeles, 323.951.1010
Nicole’s Gourmet, 921 Meridian Ave. Ste. B, South Pasadena, 626.403.5751
Olives Gourmet Grocer, 3510 E. Broadway, Long Beach, 562.439.7758
Papa Cristo’s, 2771 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.737.2970
Spain Restaurant, 1866 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.667.9045
Stroh’s, 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.450.5119
Tender Greens, 9523 Culver Blvd., Culver City, 310.842.8300
The Bistro Garden, 12950 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818.501.0202
