all original photos: Shauna Alexander and Jeff Martin
Ok, you guys-so this weekend we’re helping UNION MARKET throw what is probably the most elaborate picnic set-up of all time (or at least-all summer).
The SUMMER PICNIC SPECTACULAR concept is simple:
- invite some of the best chefs, restaurants and food trucks in town (23 of them)
- have them all create their perfect summer dish (details on that below)
- hire some awesome DJs (Soul Call Paul and Tariq namely), musical performers (Christylez Bacon and Evan Lim) and a 85′ moon bounce
- throw in some misting tents, a photo booth, cold brews and your closest friends
- put it all in the soon-to-be-opened Union Market (which is probably the buzziest fall food destination in DC) for a special preview/first look
- and you have yourself a party
Tickets are $5 in advance ($7 at the door), kids under 10 are free and once in you have your pick of a la carte options from some of BYT’s favorite food purveyors around (everything priced under $10 fyi).
So-while you should obviously JUST GO AHEAD AND BUY these tickets (we say so, Washingtonian says so, Thrillist says so, Refinery 29 says so, Washington Post says so….) we are offering a special “you+5 friends win-these-tickets-pack” contest where you get to win, well, just that. To enter-leave us a comment telling us what you perfect picnic basket would contain. Cool? COOL.
OK-and now for extra motivation a sneak peak at what the awesome food vendors we have on Saturday are prepping:
- Hill Country BBQ (making Brisket Chomp with Cucumber Salad, Cornbread muffins -yum!)
- Chef Scott Drewno of The Source (2 time winner of Cochon 555, and a RAMMY winner for Best chef in DC making some Asian BBQ just for you)
- Chef Victor Albisu of Taco Bamba (a sneak peak at former BLT Steak’s executive chef’s new restaurant with some amazing chorizo sandwiches)
- Jeff Black of BlackSalt/Pearl Dive (Black Salt just won Best Upscale Casual Restaurant RAMMY award and Jeff Black won for Restaurateur of the Year)
- Special Guest Appearance by RJ Cooper – James Beard award winner, gourmand
- Rappahannock Oysters – just the best
- Red Apron’s FRANK Cart – the finest, finest gourmet hot dogs around. I mean-just look at this snap
- Johhny’s Half Shell
- Taqueria Nacional by one of DC’s most beloved chefs Ann Cashion
- Dolcezza Gelato
- Chupacabra Food Truck - TACOS!
- Mie N Yu - serving Miso Short Rib Banh Mi: fried beef bologna, quick pickles, baby greens, spicy mayo, crusty french bread+ Mochi Ice Cream – Assorted Flavors
- Art and Soul – chef Wes Morton is preppin’ some Pork & Cracklin Sandwich with confit cabbage
- Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats - vegan cupcake and kewvin cookie sandwiches
- Reba’s Funnel Cake Truck (OMG-A FUNNEL CAKE TRUCK!)- serving up Funnel Cakes, Franks, Chicken, Floats, Ice Cream, Sundaes AND Parfaits
- Gordy’s Pickles – fried pickles and jalapeno sampler, yes please
- Pitango Gelato - some of their favorite summer gelato flavors
- Oyamel – Elote con Calabacitas: Sauteed Local Corn with summer squash, tomatoes, onions, Serrano peppers, epazote and Mexican Crema.
- Boqueria - (hope you’re ready for this) NUTELLA STUFFED CHURROS
- Captain Cookie Food Truck – Cookies, custom-made ice cream sandwiches (!!!!!)
- Trickling Springs Creamery Ice Cream – homemade, delicious, delicious super premium ice cream
- Peregrine Espresso – with some of the best iced coffees and teas in town
+ cold beers, vitaminwater, other non-alcoholic drinks and more
Mmm….all the food pictures just made me hungry!!!
My perfect picnic basket would contain gourmet wraps or sandwiches, cheese, wine, fruit, and something sweet for dessert….maybe cookies or brownies.
Perfect picnic basket: assorted gourmet cheeses (including an overabundance of brie), fresh bread, local fruit, italian wines and cured meats, and gelato to finish it all off.
My perfect picnic basket would include a bottle full of enough mimosa to go around; cashew butter glazed ginger tofu with roasted kabocha squash between pieces of homemade 7 grain bread; a bright fruit salad with strawberries, kiwis, and oranges in a cardamom simple syrup; and a bar of chili-infused chocolate.
Perfect picnic basket: Farro salad with feta cheese, thin sliced cut zucchini, cherry tomatoes; homemade bread; two to three varietes of cheese; mixed olives; grilled veggies – eggplants, zucchini, peppers; italian cold cuts (prosciutto crudo, speck, bresaola); home made watermelon juice w/ginger or pineapple juice w/mint; sparkling water; asparagus frittata (or any other kind of frittata); gelato…tons of it…stracciatella, pistacchio, hazelnuts; grapes, strawberries. And of course some good Prosecco (and Aperol/Campari)
My perfect picnic basket would DEFINITELY contain nutella stuffed churros. Didn’t know that was even a thing until just now.
Just wine, fruits, and cheese. Lots lots lots of wine perhaps
cheese!!! varieties of cheese and a couple bottles of wine. fresh bread. garlic stuffed olives / tapanade. fresh caprise cherry tomato and mozzerella salad. pot brownies.
BUGLES.
LEMONADE
You can’t go wrong with cheese. Same goes for nutella. Lots and lots of both of those
. Then of course you need some bread and crackers for the cheese (and some for the nutella). Then some katsu curry is always delicious, so we’d have to bring some of that. And then some yummy cupcakes to finish off the afternoon
Perfect picnic basket includes sparkling rose, assortment of cheese, olives, strawberries, chicken fingers (no clue why but they are so good when on a picnic) – keep it simple and keep the sparkling flowing!
wishes, dreams and happiness. [in the form of nutella, wasa crackers and wine]
My perfect picnic basket would have crusty French bread, a wedge of brie, grapes, watermelon, hummus, and a pesto pasta salad. I would also have a bottle of chilled Prosecco. Chocolate gelato for dessert.
Fish tacos, Japanese chicken curry, oysters, key lime pie, orange slushies
Key Lime Pie, Chicken Salad, and Oranges (listed in order of importance, because dessert always comes first)
In my picnic basket there will be ham and cheese sandwiches, apples, and the ingredients to make tequila sunrises. And for the lady some strawberries and a sex game lol.
Curried egg salad mini sandwhiches with sliced cucumbers inside. Cut diagonally. of course. without the crusts. duh. mimosas disguised as “ginger ale.”
and cherries.
La Tur, Roasted Grapes, Olives, Marcona Almonds, Oysters, Al Pastor Tacos, Billecart-Salmon, Peaches and icecream.
My perfect picnic basket: Sicilian Green olives, a roast beef hoagie for me, a turkey and cheeese hoagie for him, kettle chips, all downed with sparkling wine from trader joes. and for the desert we would tear into a pack of golden oreos, because we are of the few who stray from the chocolate lovers’ path.
A box of Popeyes and a bottle of Cava.
My perfect picnic basket would have Nutella and the Nutella dipping trifecta: fresh baguette, chocolate chip cookies, and apple slices.
IT’S CALLED A COWVIN, NOT A KEWVIN. THAT IS ALL.
My perfect basket would contain jalepeno poppers wrapped in turkey bacon; watermelon, mint and feta cheese salad; fresh berries with scones; a nice sweet, red German wine; … and doggie treats for Hamilton.