San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Celebrate the Fourth of July weekend with a picnic at these stellar spots,
Venturing out this holiday weekend? Our guide pairs prime provisioners with perfect parks
Picnics: We make the perfect pairing between parks and places to pick up provisions.
After more than a year in quarantine, breathing in fresh air and touching grass have never felt so good. The time has come to picnic. Bay Area parks are full of folks kicking back with giant sandwiches, portable grills and buckets of fried chicken. While many of the picnic takeout programs we highlighted in an earlier edition of this story have gone by the wayside with the return of indoor dining, there are still many superior takeout options to be enjoyed while soaking in some of the Bay Area’s finest vistas. As you venture out this Fourth of July weekend, consider some of these prime picnic options from restaurants in San Francisco and other Bay Area cities, paired with nearby park recommendations.
San Francisco
Turner’s Kitchen at Dolores Park
When the sun comes out in San Francisco, there’s really nothing like bringing a blanket to Dolores Park and improvising your lunch from whatever’s around. One sure bet is Turner’s Kitchen, a diminutive sandwich shop by Ken Turner, a former chef de cuisine at local institution Zuni Cafe. The selection changes weekly according to whim and seasonality, but it could include such treasures as a hot roast beef sandwich ($14) with black truffle and horseradish coleslaw and melted fontina cheese. Don’t miss Turner’s take on the walking taco: an ounce of bowfin caviar, dill and Mexican sour cream presented with your choice of potato chips ($14). — S.H.
Turner’s Kitchen. 10:30 a.m.4 p.m. (or until sold out) daily. 3505 17th St., San Francisco. 4156213505 or www.turners kitchensf.com
Alimentari Aurora at Potrero Hill Recreation Center This fantastic Italian shop in Potrero Hill has an eclectic selection of snacks, cheeses, tinned fish and cured meats, along with an everchanging menu of panini ($13.50$14.50) and focaccia available during lunch hours. On the shelves, owner Dario Barbone has put together a snapshot of the things he likes to eat: canned Spanish squids nestled in a sauce of their own ink ($6.25), potato chips dusted with salted egg yolk ($3.50), and Barone’s lactofermented hot sauces ($10.50), with their own unique and tangy heat. He’s got everything you need to put together an idiosyncratic and surprising picnic spread. — S.H.
Alimentari Aurora. 11 a.m.9 p.m. WednesdaySaturday; 11 a.m.7 p.m. Sunday. 1415 18th St., San Francisco. www.alimentariaurora.com
Queens at Golden Gate Park Just a few steps from Golden Gate Park’s recreation field is Queens, a nextgeneration Korean minimart where you can grab locally grown produce, Korean staple ingredients, natural wines and grillready marinated meats. In addition to the mandatory offerings of Korean chips and cartons of banana milk, Queens has freshly rolled kimbap ($12.99$13.99), all made with local ingredients. The omnivorous version includes a Marin Sun Farms beef sausage, a sweet omelet, shredded carrots and chewy fish cakes, while the vegan one includes fried Meiji tofu, pickled jicama and crisp snow peas. While you’re at it, grab a few pastries from Tartine’s outpost across the street and eat it all while watching more athletically minded people play ultimate frisbee in the park. — S.H.
Queens. 11 a.m.6 p.m. WednesdaySunday. 1235 Ninth Ave. San Francisco. 4157029382 or www.queenssf.com
East Bay
Shawarmaji at Lake Merritt Oakland’s most popular picnic spot is full of grassy meadows, benches with lake views and peoplewatching galore. There are also many restaurants a short walk away offering takeout, not to mention food trucks and underground vendors ready to feed the unprepared. If the options feel overwhelming, head over to Jordanian shawarma specialist Shawarmaji, which is just a few blocks from the chillest stretch of the lake. Here, the wraps are more slender than what you’ll find at many other Bay Area restaurants, with slowroasted chicken or lamb shaved off a spit. Go for the chicken wrap ($10), which benefits from a generous serving of creamy, garlicky toum. Vegans could do far worse than the restaurant’s falafel sandwich ($10). — J.B. Shawarmaji. 11 a.m.10 p.m. daily. 2123 Franklin St., Oakland. www.theshawar maji.com