Few summer activities hold as strong an appeal for Northsiders as dining outdoors, whether it’s an impromptu picnic, a backyard gathering or a feast with fine linens at Chastain Park. Planning an al fresco food experience is easy, thanks to the variety of local eateries that will happily handle the menu portion of your plan. Many offer online ordering and delivery as well. Perhaps one of these activities will inspire you to pick up some delectables for a scenic spot or patio party and enjoy a meal outside.
This story originally appeared in the June 2016 edition of Living Northside Magazine.
Patio party or picnic from Alon’s
A complete multi-course meal can be assembled with just one trip to this Dunwoody food emporium. Start with a cheese plate, a salad or soup, and finish with a fruit tart or macaroons from the bakery case. Boxed lunches can be filled with Asian chicken, tuna nicoise and Caesar salads, to name a few, or a selection of sandwiches. Alon’s “dinner in a box” is packed with either salmon, lamb spring rolls, beef tenderloin, pineapple mango chicken or crab cakes with sides and a cookie dessert. For a breakfast or brunch, fill a basket with bagels, yogurt parfaits, pastries and fruit. Alon’s also offers wine and delivery service.
4505 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 678-397-1781. alons.com
Chastain table for four from Alpine Bakery and Trattoria
Whether it’s a classical concert or a comedy act, an event at Chastain Park isn’t complete unless there’s elegant outdoor dining in the mix. This Alpharetta bakery, noted for its lavish desserts, can also provide the sumptuous starters and entrees that will go so well on a table topped with flowers and candles. Start with crab cakes or a Caprese salad, then segue into main courses such as grilled salmon; seafood risotto; or chicken picatta, marsala or scaloppini. Or go with an Italian-theme that includes fettuccine Alfredo, linguine with clam sauce, or four-cheese ravioli. Pair any selection with a classic baguette or a loaf of jalapeno cheddar or rosemary and black olives. Younger diners might opt for pizzas, strombolis or calzones. But everyone should save room for the raspberry dark chocolate torte, Boston cream cake or any of the pies, cookies and cupcakes from Alpine’s extensive array of sweet treats.
2315 Crabapple Road, Alpharetta. 770-410-9883. alpinebakeryandtrattoria.com
A countryside repast from Douceur de France
Head for the hills and the scenic Etowah Indian Mounds in Cartersville, where the grassy banks of the Etowah River provide an idyllic backdrop for a rustic repast. It may not be Provence, but the food from Douceur de France will remind you of that lavender-splashed part of the countryside. Start with tomato and basil or mushroom and brie soup, followed by a salade Atlantique — smoked salmon atop a bed of greens, raisins, walnuts and goat cheese. Fill up on tourte de poulet, the French twist on pot pie, with a flaky dough, chicken, onions and mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce. Other options are a classic quiche Lorraine with ham, bacon and Swiss cheese; ham and Swiss on a baguette; or croissants stuffed with chicken or tuna salad. For dessert, pack up a tasting tray of éclairs, fruit tarts, blueberry cheese croissants, coconut macaroons, cranberry lemon crumble bars or slices of sour cream pound cake dusted with sugar. Bon appétit!
1173 Alpharetta St., Roswell. 770-650-1173. douceurdefrance.com
Romantic waterfall picnic from the Fickle Pickle
Beside the ruins of the old Roswell Mill is a cascading waterfall that provides a dramatic centerpiece to any picnic. Pair the natural beauty with favorites from Chef Andy Badgett’s Fickle Pickle, where the bestseller is the tarragon and hazelnut chicken salad on croissant. As a side, opt for a Caesar salad, cole slaw or a cup of the German-style potato salad that’s “got a nice onion flavor to it and isn’t too hot,” Badgett says. One of the eatery’s newest offerings is a pickle platter: a bowl of dill including Cajun pickles, bread-and-butter pickles and sweet-and-spicy pickles, paired with breads, pepper jelly and pimento cheese. Badgett’s bakery behind Fickle Pickle, Sugar Shack in the Back, provides the final touch. Pick from pastries; chocolate or banana pudding; red velvet or carrot cake cookies; and the luscious cream-cheese brownie.
1085 Canton St., Roswell. 770-650-9838. ficklepicklecafe.com
Sope Creek soup-and-sandwich picnic from Cuzi Fresh Café
Explore the paper mill ruins, bubbling streams and the pond that are part of East Cobb’s Sope Creek. Then settle down to a picnic of soups and sandwiches from Cuzi, where the top soups are a lobster bisque with sherry, butternut squash and Southwest roasted corn chowder. Turkey or beef chili is also a filling starter. For the main, stick with a classic BLT, made with applewood bacon on toasted sourdough bread. Tuna and chicken salads can be served on a selection of breads or over a bed of lettuce. Other popular choices are the turkey and provolone on ciabatta, roast beef, or the vegetarian-friendly avocado with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, onions, mushrooms, spinach and provolone. Hot options include paninis of chicken pesto, roast pork, a mélange of Italian meats, ham and brie, or barbecue pork.
4160 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta. 678-867-9854. cuzifreshcafe.com
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre tailgate from Wildflour
Coolers can’t be carted into the amphitheater, but that makes tailgating all the more popular. Put together a full-course dinner before the show from Wildflour, where chef Michael Fields will handle the cooking. He suggests a starter of horseradish cilantro crab cakes, pork sliders or jumbo shrimp in an orange-barbecue sauce. For the main course, go with the fresh fish of the day — salmon, cobia, triggerfish or sea scallops — which Fields rubs with spice, lightly blackens then roasts in the oven. For dessert, don’t miss the Bailey’s chocolate mousse, served in individual, six-ounce cups. Another crowd-pleaser that’s just as popular with tailgaters is Wildflour’s menu of salads topped with the chef’s signature chicken salad and fresh vegetables.
5815 Windward Parkway, Alpharetta. 678-822-9453. wildflouratlanta.com
insider Tips:
Andy Badgett of Roswell’s Fickle Pickle says it’s best to place custom to-go orders a day ahead. But if the outing is a spur-of-the-moment decision, he can also put together a small order in about 20 minutes.
Don’t hesitate to order a hot sandwich for a packed picnic, says Wildflour’s Michael Fields. But be sure to ask for the tomato and lettuce on the side so they stay crisp.
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