In true Hollywood style, dining outdoors at any of the many open-air entertainment venues in our city is an occasion to see and be seen, where the picnic is equal to the show, and everyone is looking to see what’s in your basket. So if you are heading out to see the symphony at the Bowl, a concert at the Greek, a play at the Ford amphitheatre or a Cinespia screening at Hollywood Forever cemetery, make sure you pack a picnic to impress.
The Main Event
Of course the candles, designer dishes and table linens help create the ambiance, but the food and drink are the essential ingredients for a memorable picnic. For your next outdoor soiree, here are some easy-to-pack-and-eat, stay-fresh and delectable dishes
that will set the stage for a great evening.
Some Like it Cold
Whole Foods has a variety of delicious cold dishes, including pasta salads, that can serve as an entrée or side dish. According to Whole Foods prepared foods coordinator Kim Brockman, the best menu for an outdoor dining excursion is one with foods that taste good at room temperature.
“If you don’t have to worry about keeping food cold or hot then you can have more flexibility and eat more leisurely,†said Brockman.
Some Whole Food favorites Brockman recommends are a green salad, corn & arugula salad or beet salad for starters, a main dish of chipotle lime London broil or char-grilled salmon, sides of smoked Mozzarella pasta salad or Greek orzo, and sweets to finish such as mini f
ruit tarts or pie-bites.
Brockman suggests another option for a center place is a whole rotisserie chicken that you can add to salad or eat cold, and if you wish you can have the prepared foods clerk cut it in pieces for you. For kids, Brockman recommends the orange sesame chicken tenders, which are tasty cold or warm.
All of these selections are terrific because they are bite-size or can be easily cut with a fork so that you are not juggling your silverware while trying to balance a plate in your lap.
Another key to carry-along foods is choosing dishes that don’t spoil or go soggy quickly, but you don’t have to forgo your favorite spinach salad or crispy crouton salad if you do quick mix on-site and bring along the dressing and fixings, such as Mrs. Cubbison’s Restaurant Style croutons ($25 for 12 pack), which come in re-sealable packets that you can add just before serving so they stay fresh and flavorful.
Set the Scene
Just as important as appetizing foods is an artful presentation of your meal, down to the dishes. Ditch the Styrofoam plates for lightweight and easy-to-carry-along melamine dinnerware. They are durable and lightweight and come in a variety of attractive patterns, like the Glazed Crackle Melmac dinnerware in celadon green from clearlyacrylic.com, that actually looks and feels like glazed ceramic pottery, and matching clear acrylic wine glasses and tumblers with a celadon swirl. ($5.99 to $8.99).
Setting Pretty
Beautify your spread with complementary table linens such as designer tablecloths, napkins from HomeGoods. They carry designer collections, from placemats and napkins to table cloths and other fun trinkets, like napkin holders, placecard holders, wine glass charms and decorative centerpieces. With their discount prices, you can also afford to pick up a matching light-weight flatware and a waterproof-bottom picnic blanket that can roll up into a tote. Find a store near you at http://www.homegoods.com.
Eco-Dining
Keep in mind the old outdoorsman saying, “Pack it in, pack it out,†when dining outdoors, which means that all items you bring along with you should go home with you. Instead of plastic flatware, take along Earth-friendly bamboo utensils that can be re-used and last for years. The stylish RePeat Set by To-Go Ware ($11.95 each, or sold in family five packs for $54.95, Koontz Hardware, Whole Foods or http://www.to-goware.com) includes a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks in a planet-friendly pouch made of recycled bottles.
Drink and be Merry
A terrific bottle of wine, or two, is the perfect accompaniment to a gourmet picnic. For added fun and conversation, tote along the TastingRoom.com’s portable wine tasting kit ($9.99 to $29.99), which includes four to six mini bottles of wine that you select from their extensive collection of fine wines from major wineries. Each kit comes fashionably packaged in a presentation box along with wine pairing recommendations, winemaker notes and tips on tasting. It’s just like brining a bit of Wine Country to your little corner of the picnic area.
Let it Roll
Haul it all in the ultra chic picnic tote, the Reisenthel Carrrycruiser ($149-$159, available at Sur La Table or organize.com), a feather-light 40-liter fabric basket on wheels, perfect for traversing those parking lots and grassy knolls to get to your primo picnic spot. When it’s empty you can fold down the handle and carry it with a shoulder strap.
K. Pearson Brown is a columnist and mommy blogger. Follow her at http://www.outwithmommy.wordpress.com
