THIS WEEKEND -- PICNIC ON THE WATER

Manhattan is filled with summer oases. But it's easy to pass them by and not realize what you're missing. With a hot, sunny weekend ahead, think about slowing things down with a picnic on the water.

PICNIC ON THE WATER: BLUE RIBBON MARKET & HUDSON RIVER PARK
Site + Map to the Bakery + Map to the Water
Our Take: With 24 hours notice, the Blue Ribbon Market will put together the perfect picnic set up. You can choose a picnic for 2 or 4 and they provide all the plates, cups, utensils and everything else you'll need in a couple canvas bags.



Then head straight west and cross over the Westside Highway. If you've never noticed it, you'll be shocked to find a couple really well maintained grassy piers that jut out into the water filled with people laying out in the sun. Surprisingly, it's not completely overflowing with people, so pick a spot and kick back for the afternoon. If you didn't have a great view of the Statue of Liberty off in the distance, you'd almost forget you're in Manhattan.

Blue Ribbon Tips: The Blue Ribbon picnic for 2 ($100) could actually be good for a group of up to 6. The picnic for 4 ($175) could feed lower Manhattan. So get a group of 4 or 5 and split the $100 pinic to make the price a little more reasonable. But definitely buy extra bread if you go this route.

Picnic Tips: Bring a blanket/sheet/towel to sit on. The grass can be damp. If you bring beer or wine, keep it out of sight. They have a patrol that comes around and we've seen people get tickets. You can get away with it, but you have to be smart about it.

What's in the Picnic? In the picnic for 4, you get everything below. In the picnic for 2, you choose either: pâté or pork rillettes; smoked trout, sturgeon or salmon (cured/smoked in house); anchovy aioli or three-onion cream and fennel slaw; mixed olives or dill pickles; ciabatta, white, rye or olive flat bread; sweet tea, iced tea or lemonade; and oatmeal raisin cookies or banana-honey bread. You also get egg shooters (hard-boiled eggs topped with olive-oil mayonnaise and cuaresmeño peppers), Dijon mustard, red horseradish, aged manchego cheese and unprocessed Mexican honey and fresh berries. Plus, all the utensils you need, including sharp knife and corkscrew. Keep in mind that they give you pretty big servings of everything listed.

Details: Phone: 212- 647-0408. It's best to call a day ahead for the picnic, but they'll try to accomodate you if possible. Blue Ribbon Bakery open 11-8 daily. The pier is generally open throughout the day. There is no admission fee etc.