Fall is a great time to travel to a state or national park, pumpkin patch or other favorite outdoor space, even the backyard patio, to enjoy the crisp air, turning leaves and a perfect picnic.
Gracious outdoor dining
Bridget Shannon, who runs A French Tulip (www.afrenchtulip.com), a sophisticated country lifestyle blog, considers Williams Sonoma’s wicker picnic basket ($399.95) to be the absolute best.
“It brings the elegance of a classic English picnic hamper with porcelain plates, hand-blown wine glasses and a cheese board,” Shannon said. “Although expensive, this picnic basket has everything you need and will make your day in the country as special as a holiday getaway.”
The fully equipped, suitcase-style basket includes a fleece picnic blanket and everything needed for serving wine and cheese. (www.williams-sonoma.com)
Nibbles and noshes
Fall picnics call for more than the sandwiches of summer. Pack the fixings for an elegant grazing board.
“Loaded with gourmet cheeses, fresh and dried fruit, charcuterie, honey, chocolate and praline pecans for a sweet treat, this is a great way to enjoy a date night picnic or gather with a few friends at the park for wine and cheese,” said Stephanie Britton, owner of Britton Boards, based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Britton designs luxury grazing boards, boxes and tables, from casual to fancy, small to large, customizing them to fit any theme, occasion, color and number of people ($40-$185).
The boards turn the standard cheese and charcuterie boards on their heads, filled as they are with an assortment of goodies that people may not think to include, and transforming them into edible works of art.
Depending on the number in their party, picnickers can try their hand at creating a board for a day’s graze in the outdoors. (www.facebook.com/brittonboards)
Snacks worth packing
For sweet tooths and salty types alike, Johnson’s Popcorn offers a full menu of flavors, with one or more sure to appeal to all members of the party. From buckets to tubs, towers and tins — including the Panache tin featuring a fun fall palette — the popcorn is offered in a variety of sizes. It’s a no-muss/no-fuss snack with minimal cleanup in containers that can be recycled and reused. Prices range from $22.95 to $55.95. (www.johnsonspopcorn.com)
Wine on tap
Such a sophisticated basket begs something similarly chic for toting wine. The sleekly designed Boxxle ($99) is a premium bag-in-box wine dispenser that holds up to four bottles of wine or one boxed wine. Sturdy and stylish in high-grade ABS plastic and stainless steel, Boxxle uses new technology to dispense wines above the glass with no lifting or bringing the box to the edge of the counter or picnic table. (www.boxxle.com)
