Picni-pedia: Because Everything Tastes Better Outdoors

For many, the picnic is a second-class citizen when compared to a summertime backyard barbecue. But not having to stand over an open flame during Beijing’s sauna weather (plus our general lack of backyards) bumps the picnic up to first-class this time of year. Before you embark on one, bone up on all the ways you can enjoy your food outside as well as how to get your hands on the necessary supplies.

CLASSIFICATION

1 Classic
Sandwiches suit picnics like good haircuts suit your face. They’re layered, tasteful and easy to maintain. And, unlike a good haircut, sandwiches are easy enough to get in this town (see chart, right).

2 Farm to Blanket
You’ll earn yourself extra brownie points if you time your picnic to coincide with one of the regular Organic Farmer’s Market/Country Fair events, where you can stock up on fruits, veggies, tofu, jam and cheese. Follow them on Sina Weibo at http://weibo.com/farmersmarketbj or email them at farmersmarketbj@gmail.com to find out when and where the next one is. If you’re looking to get outside of the city, call God’s Grace Garden in Fangshan District to arrange a farm visit. Owner Terese Zhang is open to hosting groups and sometimes even provides meals using produce grown on-site. You should know, though, that she might put you to work helping out around the farm.

3 Epicurean
Just because you’re eating outside doesn’t mean you can’t let your inner gourmand come out to play – with ingredients that can be as simple as bread, meat and cheese. (Some might technically call that a sandwich, to which I would grudgingly admit: “Fine. A high-end DIY sandwich.”)

3.1 Bread
Central Park’s Pekotan is a favorite among our staff for bread. We’re not the only ones obsessed with the bakery, though, so be sure to preorder your baguettes. It’s also hard to go wrong with the South German bakery on Lucky Street. Pick up a few soft pretzels (RMB 6) to cram into your mouth between games of bocce ball or cricket.

3.2 Meat
Head to Boucherie Francaise in Jianchang Hutong for some cold cuts. Also, Mercante in Fangzhuanchang Hutong offers a takeaway platter (RMB 138) of Italian coppa (cured pork neck) and 24-month-aged parmesan.

3.3 Cheese
Le Fromager de Pekin continues to be my favorite cheese supplier. If you’re ordering directly from them, I recommend the No. 1 small cheese platter (RMB 200), which comes with tomme, pyramide, crottin, and two kinds of “Beijing Grey” camembert. The platter handily meets their minimum order for delivery, which costs a flat fee of RMB 30. Alternatively, you can buy Le Fromager’s individually packed cheeses at Pekotan, April Gourmet and Boucherie Francaise. Made in Heaven Cheese and Wine, near the west gate of Chaoyang Park, almost lives up to its name. The hard orange hunk of mimolette (RMB 63 per 100g) that I recently bought there was celestial in its own right; it would have been even better if I’d sprung for the champagne or prosecco that they recommended with it.

4 Bacchanal
Picnics aren’t just for eating, they’re for drinking too. Just don’t hold us responsible for any of your inebriated tomfoolery. The Drive-Thru in Sanlitun Soho has a great selection and promises flexible delivery schedules if you give them enough advance notice.

If you’re more in the mood for wine, Cheers sells lots of affordable bottles and offers delivery. One of my colleagues admits to having Gung Ho! Pizza deliver wine and only wine on occasion (see also “Lazy Sunday,” below). Their 2008 Durvillea Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is respectable.

5 Sugar Rush
Forget a balanced diet. You want your outdoor frolicking fueled by an irresponsible spike in blood glucose levels. The cupcakes at CC Sweets in Central Park are a popular choice, and the shop is conveniently located for other shopping needs (Pekotan, Jenny Lou’s). If you find frosting too delicate for outdoor eating, bring along a couple of the blueberry danishes (RMB 18) from Sweet Spot in China World. Laugh capriciously into the wind as flaky bits of pastry blow across your blanket and onto the grass, knowing you’ll never have to clean them up.

You could also put an order in with Cookie’s Cookies Shop (www.cookiescookieshop.com). The cookies are small, so be sure to order enough to avoid any fights. The most interesting kind on offer is the Elvis (RMB 16 for 5 cookies), a combination of peanut butter, banana and bacon. Yes, bacon. You’ll either love it or hate it. I’ve also fallen for the cookies at Ahava Café+Bistro near the UIBE west gate. Their classic chocolate chunk cookie takes me back to an American bake sale like precious few have in this town.

6 Lazy Sunday
It happens to the best of us. Go to bed with plans to wake up early for an outing, only to wake up in the late afternoon. Why not just head straight to your picnic site and have the food come to you?

When asked if Gung Ho! Pizza would ever deliver to a picnic, marketing ninja Rich Akers was amenable to the idea, assuming that your merriment is taking place within its delivery radius, of course. Representatives from Sherpa’s and Jinshisong both said they would deliver to a picnic if provided with a detailed address.

EQUIPMENT
We dropped by the free-for-all that is Dongjiao Market at Dawang Lu and found a few picnic baskets along the “Dongjiao International Hotel Utensils Hall” (国际酒店用品一条街 guoji jiudian yongpin yitiaojie). Cheaply built baskets start at RMB 24 and quickly scale up into the hundreds depending on size and overall fanciness. Stalls #2 and #3 along Dongjiao’s outer market (西外围 xiwaiwei) were selling 8-liter insulated coolers for RMB 120-180, while a 28-liter unit was quoted at RMB 380. (Be sure to haggle.) They also offered a bare-bones “RV cooler” for RMB 95.

Online bazaar Taobao.com turns up quite a few affordable baskets if you search for 野餐篮 (yecan lan). It’s also an easy place to find disposable styrofoam coolers (泡沫箱子 paomo xiangzi).

By the way, the aforementioned small cheese platter from Le Fromager de Pekin comes in a convenient styrofoam box with an ice pack, but you can earn style points by tacking on RMB 25 for the same kind of flimsy basket that you can find at Dongjiao Market.

Outdoor supply stores also offer picnic solutions. Sanfo Outdoors (locations around town) has an insulated shoulder bag replete with cheeseboard, plates and utensils, but at RMB 338 (member)/RMB 398 (non-member), casual picnickers need not apply.

If you’re going all out, don’t forget to procure blankets, folding chairs, tables, and tents. And don’t be afraid of overdoing it – we’ve seen some very elaborate setups around these parts.

Click here to see the Beijinger July issue in full.