Life’s A Picnic: Penn Treaty Park

If you ask us, there are few greater joys in life than picnicking, and on the darkest of winter days, we often dream of sitting outside with a spread of delicious foods. Lucky for us, summer is here, and Philadelphia is full of parks perfect for laying down a blanket and feasting on whatever vittles you’ve brought. From now until we are ready to admit that it’s just too cold to eat outside, we will bring you a weekly post (just in time for the weekend!) on what sort of picnic fare you can find around your favorite local park.

First up is Penn Treaty Park in Fishtown, and more importantly, right on the Delaware. Somehow, it’s managed to stay somewhat uncrowded, although we don’t understand how, what with the beautiful view of the river and the bridge, not to mention the lovely breeze coming off of the water. In any case, this is good news for us (and now for you!), because it means more prime picnic real estate to choose from, be it in the sun or under a shady tree.

• If your idea of a perfect picnic is a spontaneous assortment of as many different treats as possible, Quince Fine Foods is just the ticket. The shelves are stocked with artisanal breads and imported cheeses, and one can’t go wrong with the “Quince Special,” which is lomo, manchego, and quince paste on a French baguette.

• Maybe though, your picnic is part of a courtship and something slightly more sophisticated is in order. If that’s the case, provisions from Bar Ferdinand, which serves a wide array of mouth-watering tapas and Spanish food, are sure to win over even the most serious eaters. Close your eyes while you bite in to the pixin con pancetta (a skewer of monkfish, pork belly, and rosemary) and you might find yourself transported to Spain – but is that really necessary when you’re in so nice of a spot already?

[Photo: bendystraw/flickr]

Tags:

Life’s A Picnic: Penn Treaty Park