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It’s Tucson and temperatures haven’t reached 90 degrees outside yet. Say what?
Take advantage while you can — grab a date, a picnic blanket, a basket, and swing by these places to gather your goods for an impressive picnic without any of the prep hassle.
For a variety of bread worth dreaming about, visit Barrio Bread. The hardest part is not getting crumbs all over your car and not finishing the bread before you even get to the picnic.
For more information, visit barriobread.com.
For a very mom-and-pop vibe conveniently located near Mount Lemmon, swing by Fortunato’s Italian Deli just east of Catalina Highway.
The classic and Italian deli sandwiches pack well to bring up the mountain.
Catering makes it an easy option for a large family picnic. Also, keep an eye out for the fresh cannoli and other baked goods.
For more information, visit fortunatosdeli.com.
Another Mount Lemmon-area staple, Le Buzz has you covered on the sweet end as well. The fresh baked goodies, baked daily, include cookies, galettes, sticky rolls, scones, pies, and more.
Just make sure to get the eponymous Le Buzz Cookie.
For more information, visit lebuzzcaffe.com.
The deli counter at Roma Imports is filled with refrigerated finger-food delights.
Assorted peppers stuffed with ricotta or goat cheese are a must. The grilled artichokes taste even better than they sound, too.
Order a Muffaletta or one of their Italian sandwiches on a fresh baguette to-go to share.
If you’re lucky, they’ll even have some rare Jamón ibérico de Bellota on hand. The Italian sodas in the fridge are a refreshing non-alcoholic bubbly option.
For more information, visit romaimports.com.
The RumRunner isn’t just rum. It’s also other spirits, beer, wine, cheese, crackers, and other accouterments.
You can get some simple English cheddar, rare Pacific Northwest goat cheese, or exotic blue cheese, so it’s easy to get carried away. Meat products such as paté, Spanish chorizo, and jamón are also available.
The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable about their products, so they turn the overwhelming selection into an accessible experience.
For more information, visit rumrunnertucson.com.
Though the loaves of pain au levain, gougeres, salted chocolate chip cookies, and selection of cheese are sublime, the wide variety of specialty beverages, deli salads, and fancy-pants chocolates make Time Market an easy one-stop shop for gourmet picnicking.
The limey iced green tea is also worth filling a carafe with if you don’t feel like choosing from their assortment of coffee, beer, and wine.
For more information, visit timemarket.xyz.
The scale — and quality — of the cheese selection at Rincon Market is tough to beat. Don’t hesitate to chat with Duffy, the Cheeseman, to find out what pairs well with your selections.
Cheese options range from local to domestic small batch to European. The case also includes a variety of crackers, charcuterie, and other accouterments and specialty items such as Marcona almonds.
For more information, call (520) 327-6653 or visit rinconmarket.com.
Where do you like to stop for picnic goodies and go for picnics? Let us know in the comments.
[This article was originally written on February 2, 2017, and most recently updated on March 15, 2019]
Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...
