DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA – When my relatives flew back to the East Coast from my recent trip to Newport Beach (more on that soon), they drove home through a blizzard.
It’s chilly here in the East Bay. But with temperatures hitting the high 50s and low 60s, you can still get outside. And you should.
This weekend, I headed to Danville with my wife and our three kids for a smoked fish picnic. Intrigued by the concept? You can do it too!
First, we dropped by Boichik Bagels in Concord (2980 Treat Blvd, Concord, CA 94518). Boichik has the best bagels in the Bay Area, and their first far-East-Bay outpost makes it way easier to get delicious bagels locally.
Yes, they’re a bit pricey, at $3.25 per bagel. But pair an Everything bagel with their chive cream cheese and it’s almost enough for a lunch.
If you’re craving sweets, you can also drop by the newly-opened French Spot bakery, which is around the corner from Boichik’s Concord location. Grab a croissant or some bread.
Trader Joe’s is next door, too. It’s the perfect place to get some cheap accoutrements to complement your expensive bagel. We got a big thing of orange juice.
Next, head to your favorite local park. In our case, that’s Osage Station Park down in Danville. It’s got a playground, a gentle and paved loop for biking or a stroller walk, a rose garden, and plenty of tables.
We also brought along our secret ingredient–ACME smoked salmon. ACME is a nearly century-old Brooklyn company that’s been smoking fish for generations. I wrote about their lox–which you can get at most grocery stores–earlier this year.
They’ve been sending me little care packages of smoked fish to test out, cementing my status as the East Bay’s premier Smoked Fish Influencer. In this case, we brought along 8oz of their classic lox.
You can buy lox at Boichik, but they’re pricier. They’re tasty, but on the oilier side. ACME’s taste leaner and smokier. Pair them with your Boichik bagel, though, and it’s an ideal combo.
A Boichik bagel, chive cream cheese, real NY lox and some TJ’s orange juice makes for an ideal picnic. With sunny weather, even the chilly temperatures felt alright.
We live in a region with the world’s best weather, and some of America’s tastiest foods. Get outdoors, bring a picnic, and enjoy it.
