P I C N I C
SW 9th & Washington Portland OR
Tues – Fri 11 AM – 2 PM
May 17th, 2011
The other day when I met some friends at The People’s Pig, one of them, Jen, had pointed out a food cart that I hadn’t seen yet called Picnic. She said I should check this one out next and being that I trust her intuition about things I went the very next day since it was so close on my way into work. It was another great day downtown and was enjoying my walk to the familiar scene of the food carts on SW Alder. Again they were buzzing with business and I’m not surprised at all since the sun is bringing everyone out of hiding.
Picnic is a small cart with a very limited Menu but in that respect I think they do a good job at focusing on what they have planned. I read their web blog and found that they’ve only been open since the beginning of May so this cart is very new to the scene. They bake their own bread, do their own butchery, and try to plan out their sandos according to availability of produce. They also have some very creative ideas that I’d be interested in trying later on such as a Sprout and Radish Sando. I always enjoy a vegetarian sando that brings great texture contrast as well as showing off the natural flavors in a delicious fashion.
I looked into their cart really quick to catch a peak of their set-up. Its well put together and seems very open which is unusual I think. Most times everyone looks so damn cramped in their carts it’s a wonder to me how they can do anything at all. The two cooks in the cart are very nice and seemed excited to have people check them out. I took a step back and looked over their menu and instantly had to go with their Ham & Cheese. I waited for a minute while they constructed my lunch and again a line started to form slowly but surely. They handed me my sando and I went on my way, eager to dive into it whole hog. As I unwrapped it from the paper I was excited to see the very rustic and Semi-French design they had with the thick cut slices of ham as well as redmondo cheese. It was a cold sando but I think it was just right for this warm spring afternoon. I enjoyed it on my way to work feeling satisfied with the choice of the day. I texted Jen later to let her know I went and to thank her for the heads up.Rating:
Bread:
They make their own bread at Picnic. The type I had was a white bread. It was thick cut and very dense not to mention it seemed like it was a day old cause it was felt slightly stale. Not the best thing ever but could definitely improve.
3/5
Filling:
The sando was Ham, Redmondo Cheese, Mustard Greens, Pickled Carrots, and Aioli. The ham and cheese were both thick cut as were the carrots. It was a very rustic style sando but everything had great flavor and texture to it. I only wish that the carrots were a slight more pickled than they were but they still had a great crunch.
4/5
Price:
At $8 you certainly get a good sando with quality ingredients as well as quantity of goodies.
4/5
Customer Service, Sides, Drink Selection:
They have an excellent rapport with their customers and seem to keep a very sunny disposition. They have few drinks to offer and no real sides except cookies for a sweet snack at the end of your lunch.
4/5
Over all Rating: 15/20 points
Repeat Visit?
Yes. I’m eager to see how they change up with their sandos. I believe right now they’re offering a Ruben that looks quite good.
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