When I heard a restaurant in the East Village just opened up called Picnic, I had no idea what to expect. I stopped in this past Friday and what I got was awesomely executed, fantastic, and downright great food. These guys took the picnic theme and really created something great.

Fried chicken wings were humongous and awesome. True perfection.

Mac and Cheese came with Applewood smoked cheddar, Benton's bacon, lemon salt, thyme, and cornbread crumble. It was on the not-so-cheesy side, but my dining companion and I both loved it.

You know how I can tell if a restaurant is good or not? It's called the "cole slaw test". Most restaurants that serve slaw, don't think too much of it. The side of slaw at Picnic is wonderful and a great side. You can tell some thought and care went into making it.

The side that cannot be skipped though is the sweet potato casserole. It was so unbelievable and magical, I was in shock. Whipped to a perfect lightness, airy, amazingness. Order it!

If you want to feel like Fred Flintstone order the Turkey Leg confit with cranberry bbq sauce. It's huge leg that can feed a table. I would have preferred the meat a tad more moist, but that cranberry bbq sauce was well balanced, and my dining companion went bonkers for this dish.

Deviled eggs were a tasty little snack too.

And then there was Picnic's lone dessert. A gingnersnap mousse with pumpkin whipped cream. And you know what? It was absolutely orgasmic. I had a culinary orgasm, I'm not going to lie. I've heard I use that term too often, well I don't care. It was the perfect ending to this type of meal. It was light, but downright awesome. True love.

So if awesomely executed picnic fare is tickling your fancy, stop by Picnic, in the East Village. Fried chicken wings, sweet potato casserole, and gingersnap mouse, sounds like heaven to me.

Picnic

117 2nd Ave (and 7th St)

New York, NY 10003

212-777-3600