Sunday, October 14, 2012

The Picnic Basket

125 Beach Street
Santa Cruz, California
(831) 427-9946
http://thepicnicbasketsc.com/
$$($10-$15)

The Picnic Basket

"The Picnic Basket is dedicated to simple, delicious food and treats, seasoned with lots of love. Local farmers, foragers, and artisans, including Penny Ice Creamery, are the cornerstone of our seasonal menu."  --The Picnic Basket


The Picnic Basket is a recent addition to Santa Cruz's beachfront. It promotes “artisanal” food produced using fresh local ingredients from "Local farmers, foragers and artisans" making me get the feeling that this is a gimmicky over-priced hipster eatery.


Meatloaf Sandwich

Going down the list of “off-menu” specials on the chalkboard next to the register “Meatloaf Sandwich” catches my eye. I am no stranger to the ruse of a "meatloaf special" and I have had my share of disappointedly chewing on dry, burnt, overly-sauced, bland, thinly sliced "meatloaf specials" barely covering the surface area between two pieces of bread. Still, the craving and curiosity is never silenced.

The sandwich delivered to me, was barely contained by its basket. The bread was firm with a crunchy crust and smeared with a smoky mildly spicy mayo. The “smoked” component was continued with the Swiss cheese, which melted nicely on top of the meatloaf, which was glazed with sweet and smoky ketchup. Finally, a few leaves of arugula gave it a certain fresh crispiness.

The Picnic Basket doesn't skimp on portions; the slice was thicker than both pieces of bread combined, quite a bit of meat. Biting into the sandwich the meat crumbled and melted in my mouth. On the side we have a PICKLED CARROT, which worked better with the sandwich than your standard pickle (the one made from cucumbers).

Aside from its annoying hipster first impressions, The Picnic Basket is a brilliant place to have something fresh, tasty, and get fat.

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