Where to Buy Delicious Picnic Supplies Around D.C.

To get the absolute most out of this fleeting picnic season, here are the best places to treat yourself to fancy artisanal cheese and charcuteries, made-to-order sushi, fluffy sandwiches and sweets, and any snack you want to chew on under the sun.

Fossette Focacceria

Chef Mike Friedman’s focaccia sandwich shop has more than just simple sandwiches, like pressed chicken Parm and the classic combination of pistachio cream and mortadella. The shop carries plenty of high quality snacks, like house-made feta ranch to eat with half-loaves of focaccia or Italian imported San Carlo chips in paprika and pesto flavors, and sweet treats like Nutella brownies topped with whipped ricotta, chocolate chip cookies, and almond-flavored rainbow cake. For sipping in nearby Logan Circle or further south at the National Mall, Fossette sells Boylan sodas, San Pellegrino, beers, spritzes, and whole bottles of Italian wine.

Nido Wine Shop + Market

The perfect place to grab snacks for a picnic in Rock Creek Park or grab a glass of wine after hiking Piney Branch Trail, Nido has plenty of delicious prepared snacks and bottles of wine discriminately chosen from vineyards across the world. It’s evident that three veteran industry chefs and sommeliers run and stock the wine shop. High-quality snacks, like hard-to-find tins of seafood, truffle-flavored chips, jams, crackers, and even cookies, line the shelves and a fridge is filled with freshly made eggplant dip, seasonal bean or chicken salads, and house-made charcuterie sets. For a full meal, head to the counter to order fresh tortilla española and an array of sandwiches, such as a tuna option topped with hard-boiled egg, aioli, piquillo peppers, olives, and watercress.

Each Peach Market

Not just the best spot for grocery shopping, with fresh produce and an impressive deli counter, Each Peach has a large selection of sweet treats, prepared salads and sandwiches, ridiculously good house-made dips (try the herby labneh), and local cheeses that you can pair with a baguette from a Baked Joint. If you’re looking for a sandwich to take on a hike along Rock Creek Trail or enjoy in Malcolm X Park, consider freshly made apple and brie or banh mi varieties for under $10.

Wagshal’s (Multiple locations)

This upper Northwest delicatessen is a standard-bearer for pastrami or beef brisket on toasted rye, but there are plenty of other great options at this classic deli. Freshly made chicken curry or jumbo shrimp salad hit the spot, as well as a bowl of sesame noodles. In the market itself, find classic cheeses, fresh pies and cupcakes, grilled vegetables at the prepared foods section, dried fruit snacks, and plenty more to chew on in nearby Turtle Park or the many other scenic outdoor areas sprinkled throughout Spring Valley.

Hana Market

This beloved mom-and-pop market sells quality Japanese groceries that are hard to find anywhere else within the District. The snack options seem endless, ranging from wasabi-flavored rice crackers, matcha-caramel corn, and pistachio KitKats to seaweed salad and mochi stored in the fridge by the checkout counter. Fresh omusubi are available at 1 p.m. on the weekends and 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to Friday until they run out, with delicious fillings like salmon, chicken and mayo, and ume (plum). Nearby Malcolm X Park and the Reed Recreation Center, especially during Adams Morgan Movie Nights, are the perfect spots to chew on these Japanese treats. Since last year, there have been rumors that the shop may be closing at the end of the summer. An owner tells Eater that Hana could possibly close at the end of August if they do not sign a lease with the new landlord of its 1800s-era row house building, so definitely swing by to check out this 17-year-old market while you still can.

Odd Provisions

Odd Provisions proudly stays stocked with local cheese, jams, pickles, and ready-to-eat items like ice cream sandwiches. If you’re lucky, you might even come by when local vendors are offering tastings of delicious foodstuffs. This corner market also has gift baskets filled with tinned fish, sopressata, and sea salt caramels for an extra-fancy picnic session, or you can grab prepared salads and sandwiches that change seasonally. There are plenty of small parks in Columbia Heights to camp out with a fancy charcuterie haul, plus some lovely larger green spaces in nearby Petworth, like Sherman Circle.

A. Litteri

Known for affordable, classic Italian subs at the back deli counter, this nearly 100-year-old Italian specialty shop also has prepared salads, logs of spicy salami, stuffed peppers and olives, and a huge selection of imported cheeses and meats that deli workers are happy to slice up for snacking. Don’t leave without some mini cannolis or a slice of tiramisu, and feel free to peruse the extensive wine and Italian soda section on your way out. Picnic tables outside Union Market make for a great spot to chow down on your Italian snacks, but adventurous picnickers can drive or bus over to the U.S. National Arboretum for an idyllic backdrop during your outdoor meal.

Wine & Butter Cafe and Market

An iconic underground shop that is filled with Capitol Hill neighbors on weekdays and weekends, Wine & Butter is mostly known for a reliable espresso drinks but is also a specialty shop filled with delicious cheese cut in-store, fresh morning pastries and baguettes, and prepared salads. With a large selection of crackers and tinned fish tucked in one corner and cold sparkling drinks in another, this market has everything for a last-minute gathering in sunny Lincoln Park.

The Girl and The Vine

Takoma Park’s adorable cafe and wine shop is filled with artisan cheese and charcuterie, condiments like fig spread, and every flavor of chip imaginable to pair with a bottle of wine. You can also order from a surprisingly vast menu of fresh salads, burgers, and famous sandwiches. The one-stop shop counts the “Crispwich” hoagie as one of its most popular orders since day one, with house kettle chips offering a surprise crunch in every bite of the smoked turkey, smashed avocado, and bacon sandwich. Carry your sandwiches and snacks to nearby community parks or along the Sligo Creek Trail.

Rice Market

Hidden in the basement underneath Rice Restaurant, this Asian market has a surprisingly large selection of groceries, prepared foods, and even made-to-order sushi. Prepared Thai dishes, from curries to pad see eew, are ready to eat right away and specialty rolls, nigiri, and fish or tofu-topped rice bowls can be ordered from the sushi counter till 8:30 p.m. Vibrant Logan Circle is only a five-minute walk away, and the Adirondack chairs at Dupont Circle aren’t far either.