By Mary Ann Fitzmorris
Has it ever happened to you that you are in a restaurant and everything that passes you in the dining room looks better than what is in front of you? Or the reverse, where you seem to have a knack for ordering the right thing and everyone you know doesn’t understand your opinion of someplace? In the best restaurants, there should be no discrepancies like this, but they seem to abound.
Such was the case for two visits to Picnic and Provisions, a delightful place on Magazine at State. It is the collaboration of Ti Martin and Tory McPhail of Commander’s fame, and the flagship of what they hope will be an upscale chain. First impression: weird. Second impression: weirder. Third impression: Still weird, but also delicious.
Finally I seemed to have ordered the right things. My companion confessed that she, actually a neighbor here, had never been because any previous menu perusal left her bewildered, and uninterested in trying anything. My sentiments exactly. But there had to be something here. These are two industry heavyweights, and the place is so gosh darned cute we had to be missing something.
When it first opened there was a beef rib on the menu which I didn’t get because I thought it too expensive. I love beef ribs, but they are not exactly filling. I got some pimiento cheese and the crab boil hot fried chicken. I realize that deboned dark meat fried chicken is hip, but if I’m eating comfort food like fried chicken I don’t want to be challenged. The wheel does not need to be reinvented.
On the second visit I asked what the bright yellow stuff in the ramekin was next to the biscuit. The waitress chirped that it was margarine. Maybe margarine is hip, but not something I want to eat. Nor do I want to eat things cooked in margarine. I am sure this is happening more than I realize, but the old saying, “What you don’t know. . .”applies. Now that I know about the margarine, suddenly that spectacularly delicious cornmeal cakeish biscuit will sit there. I did encourage my friend to just try it. She agreed. It is divine.
Yesterday was the big winner. I ordered smoked fish dip, which comes in an arresting presentation with large lavash-type crackers (and I do mean large) stuck into the dip standing up like sails. Worth getting just to see the presentation, but even more worth it to taste. This was really excellent in every way. Spicy and creamy, it went well with these crackers, whose subtle flavor stood in the background deferring to the fish.
Just for yucks, I got a pasta salad. We both thought this extraordinary. Quite oily, with artichokes and capers dueling with lemon for the strongest statement. Together this was delicious harmony. Herbs and tomatoes, basil and shaved parmesan rounded out this cavatappi-based salad. This would dazzle at any picnic.
I played it safe with the entree, opting for a grilled cheese sandwich, which was very large and really toasted Texas Toast with melted mozzarella and American cheese. My friend got a chilled shrimp salad with this delightfully lemony vinaigrette. These were absolutely fine.
There was a straight white meat chicken tenders basket with an aioli and biscuit that was an obvious choice for the kids. Billed as mild, it was just that, golden and crispy, and greaseless, exactly as it should be. Didn’t make a strong statement, which one would expect in such a place. It’s a respite from all the other menu items here.
After the meal we were offered a sample drink with whiskey in it, and it was very alcoholic but good nevertheless. There were other things going through the dining room here that are on my list now. Maybe I just shifted in the right direction. And I’m glad. The space is charming, and even looks like a picnic basket, but only the classiest kind. Plaid banquettes and cane ceilings, with vintage-looking glass and fixtures, I want to be there. It’s a hip, sophisticated neighborhood place, and that pasta salad would make excellent provisions for your next picnic.
Picnic Provisions and Whiskey
241 State St New Orleans
504-266-2810
Sun -Thu 11-10
Friday & Saturday till 11
nolapicnic.com
