Picnic Restaurant Fair Lawn NJ is worth a trip

Picnic is a wonderful little restaurant in the Radburn section of Fair Lawn. Fellow foodie Jason Perlow, who writes the great food blog Off the Broiler, told me I just had to try this place. He has a great article on Picnic here.

The name Picnic kindled many romantic memories and seemed like a perfect place for a sweet silver wedding anniversary dinner. Diana thought so too.

The cuisine is what I call contemporary local international. The dishes are prepared with quality local ingredients and are classic with a modern flair. They draw upon a world of culinary influences, leaning toward French and Mediterranean. Christine Nunn, co-owner and Executive Chef, brings a special essence to every dish at Picnic.

We enjoyed a beautiful dinner with a tasting of two nice Chardonnays from Gary's Wine.

Picnic started as first-class caterer and popular lunch spot in Emerson. Then Picnic (the lunch spot) won two state’s best restaurants by New Jersey Monthly magazine. Their menu changes daily depending on the local availability of the finest ingredients which are "carefully prepared and served simply."

The restaurant's décor is warm and elegant with soft yet ample lighting and good sound confinment which all make for a very pleasant dining experience.

We started with an appetizing salad of a perfect iceberg wedge with cucumbers and grape tomatoes drizzled with a delicate Thousand Island dressing and garnished with bacon, Maytag blue cheese and red onions.

Our first Chardonnay was a very moderately priced French wine by Vincent Girardin called “JJ” Bourgogne Blanc 2008 from southern Burgundy near Mâcon. This region has rich soils with lots of clay and a warm summer climate that brings wines rich with ripe fruit character and soft acidity. Aging partially in stainless steel tanks and partially in oak barrels preserves the grapes fresh apple and pear fruit and minerality. I did not get any citrus flavors which I like, but it is a bright wine, terrific at a price of $12.99

The JJ went very well with the salad and our second dish of a white wine and gruyere fondue with a duet of two wonderfully handmade sausages one of wild boar and the other of duck. The fondue was silky and had rich full nutty flavors of the cheese. The sausages were also rich but did not conflict with the cheese at all, wonderful melt in your mouth flavors.

For our entrees of a pan roasted half Long Island duck with pomegranate and ginger glaze, sweet potato and squash puree and the Lobster fricassee with scallops and shrimp, we switched to another wine, one with deeper and more citrus flavors. Both dishes were very good by the way.

The wine was 2009 Evening Land Pouilly Fuisse. "Evening Land Vineyards is a hot new producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They have top quality properties in the Sta Rita Hills and Sonoma in California, and from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Winemaking superstar Dominique Lafon from Burgundy has been their consulting winemaker, and now they have added Chardonnay from Burgundy to their portfolio.Made by Dominique, regarded as a master of white burgundy, the first offering under the Evening Land import label is his classic Pouilly Fuisse." Gary's Wine