What do you get when you mix Commander’s Palace with REGINELLI’S Pizza? Fried Chicken, of course.
Not the answer you were expecting? Well, that’s just what Picnic Provisions & Whiskey wants. Described as “the modern corner restaurant where you can just drop in or pick up! A place where you crave the food…that chicken, that Ooey Gooey Grilled Cheese Sandwich,” Picnic Provisions & Whiskey is Uptown’s quirky new spot for fried chicken and, well, picnicking.
“Now, why can’t you picnic in the city, in the park, at your desk? Since the crazed schedule of the hospitality industry people’s lives didn’t let us picnic as often as we were dreaming of it, we decided to create our own picnic. We wanted really good chicken, pimento cheese, great music, and a whiskey smash.”
The idea was created by three New Orleans staples of food and hospitality. Commander’s Palace executive chef Tory McPhail, restaurant co-owner Ti Martin, and their friend Darryl Reginelli of Reginelli’s Pizzeria.
When the idea of a new restaurant began, all three owners kept having flashbacks of picnics. They thought, “what can we do to bring a cozy neighborhood spot, great food, outdoors, and a great atmosphere?” The experience of picnicking, relaxing, and enjoying food was at the forefront of their thoughts; thus, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey was born.
Where Fried Chicken Meets Crawfish Boils
Being in the South, we are known for our fried chicken. New Orleans prides ourselves on home-style cooking that really hits the spot. Hell, we even have the National Fried Chicken Festival in our backyard. So, when you plan a restaurant based around fried chicken you better come right; boy, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey came right!
“Chef Tory toured over 80 fried chicken restaurants all over the country to really perfect our recipe. He thought if we’re gonna do fried chicken, we need to have it perfect.”
– Caitlin Strother, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey
Out of those experiences and the notion to make the fried chicken uniquely New Orleans, their Crawfish Boil Hot Fried Chicken Basket was born. The chicken of Picnic features fresh chicken marinated in crawfish boil spices for hours before it’s deep-fried. Guests are encouraged to top it with crystal hot sauce pulp to add even more kick to the ready-to-serve fried goodness.
Along with their unique basket, Picnic offers The Pig-nic PoBoy with cochon de lait and a griddled green onion sausage, ooey-gooey Grilled Cheese, Chargrilled Naked Chicken Sandwiches, and of course, a plethora of small provisions including Black Skillet Melted Pimento Cheese, Smoked Fish Dip, and crispy Fingerling Potatoes prepared in the restaurant’s crawfish boil.
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Enjoy the beautiful Memorial Day weekend at Picnic!! #memorialdayweekend #picnic #nola #uptown
The restaurant even found itself in the middle of the “chicken wars” early this summer between Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A as Picnic was awarded one of the best chicken sandwiches by Go NOLA.
If you plan on dining out soon, Picnic should be on your must-try list. On Wednesdays, the restaurant runs “Whiskey & Wings,” their weekly special that offers a flight of whiskey and specialty wings that are normally not on the menu.
And of course, for all you Saints fans, call in and ask about the special game-day “Thighs & Pies” deal which includes two 2-topping pizzas from Reginelli’s and 16 crawfish boil HOT chicken thighs from Picnic, plus free delivery!
In a city that prides itself on uniqueness, Picnic Provisions & Whiskey stands out with a feel-good story of chicken, crawfish boils, community, and picnics.
Picnic Provisions & Whiskey is located off Magazine Street at 741 State Street. You can see their full menu and website here!
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