It may be September, school may be back in session, and bountiful ears of corn may soon be disappearing from the market, but according to the calendar, there are still a couple of weeks left of the summer season (and some of the most pleasant weather the city will see all year), which means you have a nice grace period to check off two of your summer must-dos (or get an early start on your fall wish list): become a Citi Bike member (what have you been waiting for, anyway?), and enjoy a picnic in the park. Instead of fussing about the kitchen and missing out on precious riding time, indulge in a prepared picnic from one of New York City’s favorite Italian restaurants, Abboccato.
Take your spouse or your oldest bike-ride-loving child and head to midtown, where you can pick up the bikes as well as a stocked basket of goodies for two. Fuel your ride with such mainstay Italian items as plump marinated olives, rich slices of Salami Genovese, and nutty parmigiano romano. It couldn’t be any simpler with the snack basket wrapped up in a picnic box–a steal at only $28. You’ll feel great about treating yourself after exerting energy on the city streets burgeoning bike lanes.
Explore a part of the city you’ve only seen on a subway map and reward yourself and a loved one with an authentic Italian picnic brought to you by Abboccato. Call ahead to ensure availability, and then pedal on over to the restaurant to pick up your basket and be on your way to a family fun-filled day of exercising and eating.