School is out and there is not a better time to enjoy a nice picnic. Whether you want to take food on the go to eat outside or have more of a “picnic of the mind,” these restaurants serve some of the items most important for a great spread.
By Jacob Threadgill with photos provided and Gazette / file
Nashbird
1 NW Ninth St.
nashbirdchicken.com | 405-600-9718
This might be the best one-stop shop for a picnic and its quintessential dish: cold fried chicken. Nashbird sells buckets of cold fried chicken ready to hit the road as long as supplies last. You can also get other picnic fixings like potato salad, coleslaw and a refreshing cucumber and watermelon salad.
Pepperoni Grill
1000 W. Covell Road, Edmond
pepperonigrill.net | 405-285-5454
A good pasta salad for a picnic is a must, and Pepperoni Grill offers a version that is both tasty and a little bit different from your run-of-the-mill variety. Its chicken avocado pasta salad includes chilled bow tie pasta, grilled chicken, scallions, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes tossed in a creamy Italian dressing served with salad greens and topped with avocado.
En Croûte
6460 Avondale Drive, Nichols Hills
encrouteokc.com | 405-607-6100
Maybe you are thinking about one of those quick mid-morning or afternoon picnics where you want to be fancy but not necessarily eat a huge meal. The best spot to take care of all of your meat and cheese needs is En Croûte, where its trained cheesemongers will talk about its latest selections and pair them with the right charcuterie for a perfect bite.
The Brown Bag Deli
7600 N. Western Ave.
facebook.com/thebrownbagdeli | 405-842-1444
The combination of curry chicken salad with avocado and a nice portion of tabbouleh — with its mixture of herbs and lemon — is perfect on a nice day outside. The heat from the curry powder in the chicken salad picks you up and the refreshing aspects cool you down. It is a combination as good as a sunny day and a park.
Café Do Brasil
440 NW 11th St.
cafedobrazilokc.com | 405-525-9779
Fruit salad is a great way to get a variety of nutritious options, but it needs to be much more than just fruit thrown into a bowl. The tropical delight at Café Do Brasil’s brunch menu takes chilled seasonal fruit and tops it with passion fruit anglaise and raspberry sauce and serves the whole thing over French toast. We recommend eating the French toast while it is hot and taking the salad on the go.
Stuffed Olive
12215 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
stuffedolivecafe.com | 405-735-7593
If you do not want your cold fried chicken on the bone, opt for it in salad form. Stuffed Olive is another great stop to get a lot of items for a picnic because it offers plenty of sandwiches and all sorts of salads — those with mayonnaise and the actual healthy ones — but its chicken salad is the real winner.
Whiskey Cake
1845 Northwest Expressway
whiskeycake.com | 405-582-2253
The simple indulgence of a deviled egg is one of life’s great treats, but do you really feel like boiling and peeling all of those eggs? Let Whiskey Cake handle the hard part so you do not have to burn your hands. Whiskey Cake has a rotating version of deviled eggs on the menu, so it is always a surprise.