With the good weather upon us, we should all be taking every opportunity from now until Labour Day to dine outdoors. While I could go on about the many new restaurants that are currently test-driving their new patios (and I will in a column soon), its best to first talk about guerilla picnicking, specifically where to shop (and where to bring it).
West Side
While there are many parks and parklets, the waters where its at on the West Side, so well begin by zeroing in on Jericho, Spanish Banks and Kits Beach. If youre BBQing, Id recommend paying a visit to Finest At Sea for fresh seafood (4675 Arbutus, 604-266-1904, FinestAtSea.com) and The Honest Butcher for meat (3209 West Broadway, 604-733-2220, TheHonestButcher.com). At the latter, which sources from local and organic suppliers, you should also consider picking up some house-made country pate or a terrine or two (theyre delicious). And if youve brought your dog along for the outing, they make some mean chow chow, too. If you arent going to be grilling and prefer to do take-out, La Ghianda is ideal for sandwiches, strudels, cannolis, and a variety of hot foods; they do an especially marvellous vitello alla limone and are tops in the pasta department (2083 Alma, 604-566-9559, LaGhianda.ca). Should the day and the company call for simpler, more nostalgic fare, Moderne Burger (2507 West Broadway, 604-739-0005, ModerneBurger.com) is a must if youre at Spanish Banks or Jericho (much superior to the concession stands at both), and if youre at Kits Beach and have kids to consider, give the tiny Nimby Burger stand a try at the foot of Yew Street (2210 Cornwall Ave, nimbyburger.com). A simple, small hamburger with lettuce, tomato and onion costs just $3.49, and my kids are suckers for them.
Downtown
For picnics in the downtown area, Save On Meats is a must if youre doing a BBQ on a budget. Im a fan of their apple and sage sausages, and they have a dizzying selection of beef, chicken, pork and lamb cuts to choose from (43 West Hastings, 604-569-3568, SaveOnMeats.ca). They do seafood, too, but Id sooner pop over to Granville Island Market or False Creek Fishermans Wharf for direct buying and breadth of selection. Parking may be a nightmare, but GIM is one of this citys best food assets, and taking advantage of it for al fresco pop-ups is a no brainer. As for foods that are ready to eat, the choices abound. Score some sandwiches at the newly opened second location of Meat & Bread if youre planning to lounge near Coal Harbour (1033 West Hastings, 604-566-9003, MeatAndBread.ca); hit up Raincity Grills take-out window for sustainable fish and chips if youre heading to English Bay (1193 Denman, 604-685-7337, RaincityGrill.com); stop in at Salsa & Agave for thick burritos if youre headed to David Lam Park in Yaletown (1223 Pacific Boulevard, 604-408-4228); head underground to Nuba for reliable, punchy Lebanese if youre bound for Victory Square Park; and if youre destined for any spots in between, take in all the street food you can possibly find (Im partial to the rotisserie chicken and gravy sandwiches from La Brasserie and the fish tacos from Tacofino). Because of City Halls forward-thinking curation using food writers and chefs on the selection panel - the duds are very few and far between. Our street food vendors should be every downtown picnickers best friends!
East Van
As far as East Van is concerned (my own neck of the woods), I love Big Lous Butcher Shop for pork ribs, sausages, and rubbed steaks (269 Powell, 604-566-9229, BigLousButcherShop.com). The butchers are extremely helpful, and the quality of the meats is high. Also for the BBQ, pick up some fresh seafood at The Daily Catch on The Drive (1418 Commercial, 604-253-3474, DailyCatch.org). For picnics in and around Strathcona, get some curry chicken pockets from nearby Union Market (810 Union, 604-255-5025, UnionMarket.ca), sushi from Fuyija (912 Clark, 604-251-3711, Fuijya.ca), and cheeses from Les Amis du Fromage (843 E Hastings, 604-253-4218, BuyCheese.com). For the residential green spaces flanking Main St., check out East Is East for Tibetan Mantu and plump Afghan boulani (4413 Main, 604-879-2020, EastIsEast.ca), Splitz Grill for burgers every which way (4242 Main, 604-875-9711, SplitzGrill.com), and Le Marche St. George for sandwiches, coffee, pain au chocolate, and fantastic salumi (4393 St. George, 604-565-5107, MarcheStGeorge.com). For Hastings-Sunrise, load up on baked goods and treats from the East Village Bakery (2166 East Hastings, 604-568-5600, EastVillageBakery.com); Reubens the best in the city from The Red Wagon (2296 East Hastings, 604-568-4565, RedWagonCafe.com); and charcuterie from Moccia Urbani (2276 East Hastings, 604-255-2032, Moccia.ca).
Drinks
A final note on drinks. Bizarrely, our government still doesnt trust us grown-ups to behave responsibly with alcohol outdoors. Want to bring some homemade summer sangria or a couple bottles of Brooklyn Pennant Ale on your picnic? Its a $230 ticket if you get caught. Thats $105 more than the fine for drinking in public in Ontario, and $230 more than in Quebec, where the powers have deemed it perfectly normal and wholly legal to drink alcohol in public just so long as its wait for it with a meal. What a beautiful nuance!
