Picnicking in Calgary

One of the best things about Calgary is its proximity to the Rocky Mountains, and all of that wilderness to explore. But you can’t go forth into the great outdoors without the right fuel. Whether you’re packing a cooler for an afternoon in Fish Creek Provincial Park, or filling your pack to hike a mountain pass near Banff, here are some ideas for portable treats.

THE FOOD

Picnic food combines elegance with simplicity — the best sandwich, a perfect piece of fruit with a wedge of ripe cheese and a tasty baguette, a super salad, a nice pâté or terrine — that can be enjoyed while sunning on a rock or lolling on a blanket. Depending on the locale (and the proximity to the car or cooler), your picnic may be as simple as a good ham and cheese bun, or as complex as a tapas feast of frittata, stuffed peppers and ceviche.

To start, it’s good to know where to find grab-and-go picnic fare. And while you can get the fixings for a picnic at any supermarket, if you want to stay away from processed foods, or banal cheese and charcuterie, it’s best to cherry-pick your picnic food from some of the city’s best markets, smaller delis and takeout-food stops.

THE FIND

When it comes to Calgary’s best picnic food, you need to know what you’re after. If it’s the weekend, you can cruise the Calgary Farmers’ Market for fruits and vegetables. Blush Lane is a favourite stop for organics, or get fresh mini cucumbers and sweet cherry tomatoes at the Gull Valley Greenhouses booth. The market’s other great picnic finds include several local sausage-makers, and butchers for things like bison pastrami or turkey chorizo; 2GreekGals has Greek salad, artichoke salsa, olive spread and eggplant antipasto, and the market also sells local Sylvan Star cheeses.

Speaking of cheeses, Janice Beaton Fine Cheese is a good spot for picnickers to find a variety of cheeses, crackers and condiments. And, Beaton now also makes sandwiches featuring local charcuterie — and, of course, cheese — to take away.

Delis are also perfect for picnic provisioning. A great one-stop-spot for bread, meat, cheese, chocolate and other goodies is the Rustic Sourdough Bakery, with its fine hearty breads and a deli next door. Its Alpine Meusli bread is filled with nuts, fruit and seeds, and is lovely with cheese. The Swiss Light Rye is a classic, and the heavier Oldenburger 100 percent rye is a rare treat. At the deli, you can also build your own takeout sandwich from a variety of cheese, meats and condiments.

Lina’s Italian Market is another one-stop deli. Head to the cheese and meat counter in the back for salumi and sopressata, and collect small containers of savoury snacks from spicy mixed olives to antipasto, baby bocconcini and colourful salads. There’s always fresh Italian focaccia and crispy bread sticks or taralli, too.

L’Epicerie is a French deli with great food for a special picnic, whether you’re going upscale with foie gras torchon, or looking for rustic pork and pistachio terrine to enjoy with a baguette from the Manuel Latruwe bakery next door. Include some imported French cheeses or a slice of L'Epicerie's truffle cheese terrine in your basket, a jar of French cornichons and finish with individual portions of takeout crème brulee.

CRMR at Home is a great spot with local bison and elk charcuterie, housemade pickles and breads, and the same individual desserts you’ll find at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort properties like Divino and The Ranche. If a big sandwich will satisfy your picnic requirements, there may be nothing better than a stop at Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli for its classic Italian paninis, loaded with cold cuts.

And the River Café’s new counter-service restaurant, Boxwood, located in the revamped Central Memorial Park promises fresh local food at approachable prices, with big porchetta sandwiches served on its own freshly baked bread, or rotisserie free-range chicken to eat in or takeout.

If a salad is more your style, check out the offerings at Planet Organic where sweet potato salad with ginger and pecans, soy bean and edamame salad, couscous and kale salads, are just the kind of sturdy stuff you need when packing a picnic. It’s also a great spot for fresh fruit and killer cookies.

If you find yourself in the mountains without a proper picnic, stop in Canmore at Valbella Gourmet Foods for bread and pâté, or at the well-stocked Railway Deli & Restaurant. Or, if you are in Banff, get a sandwich at The Bison Restaurant & Lounge.

THE FIX

Pack a picnic that fits the moment. Choose pita breads, tortillas, naan and Mediterranean flatbreads that fit in your pack, with spreadables from hummus to refried beans, vegetable spread and herbed cream cheese. But leave the soggy stuff — like tomatoes — out. If you must, carry them separately and add them just before eating.

If you have more time to plan — and you’re carrying a cooler — think about make-ahead picnic foods, such as a big layered muffuletta sandwich filled with roasted vegetables, a potato and spinach fritatta or even a home-baked calzone, filled with Italian sausage and cheese. A perfect picnic is all about location, so choose your site well.

Here in the city, a quiet corner of Confederation Park or a place to watch the ducks paddle around Prince’s Island Park make good picnic spots. Or, fill your panniers and ride the city’s amazing bike trails to Carburn Park, Edworthy Park, Stanley Park or the wild Weaselhead, and you’ll feel like you’ve left the city behind. Ditto for the Rockies — whether you’re just hiking around West Bragg Creek and Kananaskis Country for the day, or taking a longer trip into Banff National Park, you can stop for an impromptu picnic almost anywhere along the trail.

Just remember to sit back in the sunshine and enjoy the great outdoors — everything tastes better when you’re eating outside.