Picnic Provisions & Whiskey — Restaurant in New Orleans

I’ve never written a review for a restaurant before, but this one definitely deserves it.

My boyfriend and I just had the best lunch we’ve had in a very long time complements of picnic provisions and whiskey. I had never been there before and I chose it mainly because it was close to where we were. I ordered the chicken thighs and catfish plates to go as well as the fried okra as a starter . I should have known from the amazing smells in my car as I drove the bags back… The okra was our first bites; it was expertly paired with its condiment (which I’m unsure exactly what it was) and cooked in a way that was hedonistically divine. It was so good, it surprised me and it was this good after I had gotten it to go and driven back to my boyfriends work site, etc. If I ate it in the restaurant fresh out the pan… Well I don’t know if I could do that. Using the okra as our gauge, we knew that we had some goodness up ahead. Next was the marinated artichokes and mushrooms… My boyfriend likened it to steak. It was so tasty and savory and Yum but light and refreshing all at the same time … It’s hard to describe really. But it’s GOOD. The corn salad also held its own amongst the stars; it’s flavors so unique but so comforting and just downright GOOD. And the chicken thighs… with the great aïoli and hot peppery seasoning/condiment… just wow. The boneless cutlets were cooked to a turn and absolutely AWESOME. And I mean awesome in the most literal possible sense of the word. This chicken WAS extremely impressive AND it inspired great admiration from me, and Jeff. My only complaint… My potato salad that was supposed to accompany my fish plate was somehow left out. And considering every single morsel I put in my mouth from this place was SCRUMPTIOUS (that includes pickles and all the delectable provisions) I was a bit disappointed not to have the potato salad to try. I’m sure it would’ve been fantastically good. But that’s okay, just another reason I’ll be back another day. And I mean another day very soon…maybe tomorrow! And what made picnic provisions and whiskey the first restaurant I’ve ever actually written a review for was l that on top of this beautiful food that was so tasty I wished I could share it with my loved ones and others as I ate it all myself, the service was also fantastic. I received my order via curbside delivery and the server and the host that spoke with on the telephone were both extremely pleasant which seems to be a rarity more and more these days. My boyfriend literally gave me a fist bump and told me that I “knocked one out of the park” after he finished eating his lunch today. And I knew I had. 🍽🌟🥇🙃 Thanks to you, picnic provisions and whiskey for the best lunch we’ve had in...

Two stars is purely for the sandwich, Crawfish Boil Fried Chicken Sandwich. It was good. It had breast and dark meat with a sweet lemon aioli to offset the spice. The best part was the pickles. They were firm and tasted more like dill (minus the herbs) versus sweet pickles. Not sure where the crawfish part came in though.

My experience there is another story. The place is lacking a hostess or greeter, which is weird becuase there were so many staff members on the floor and the place was small/medium in size. I came in and awkwardly waited about 2 minutes to be helped. No directions for take out so I'm just standing on the far wall towards the entrance waiting for someone to greet me. When they do and I indicate that I want take out, they escort me towards the back register to place my order. It would have been nice to have signs that say, please wait to be seated or see register in back for take out, especially since the menu states this a take out restaurant. While placing the order, I have to keep moving out of the way of the wait staff coming from the back to the main area. When my order was complete, I'm again standing by the wall just waiting. I received no direction to wait outside or to have a seat somewhere. I felt awkward, so I just went outside and sat down. I watched other people come in and get immediately greeted and seated. 3-5 minutes later, I come back in for an update and I'm standing by the front door waiting for someone to acknowledge me. I stare at the staff and finally someone comes over and asks if I need to be seated. Instead I let him know that I already placed my order, but if they can let me know when my order is ready. I go back outside and a minute later they bring my food out and I leave. The staff might be really nice people, I just think they need more work on hospitality and with the amount of staff there in comparison with the space, they should have someone greeting people when...

I needed a to-go order that I could take with me.

Picnic and Provisions did not disappoint! When I arrived my order wasn't quite ready yet (I'm sure they were out picking fresh collard greens or slaughtering the chicken - the food was that fresh), so I took a seat at the bar to wait.

Everyone in the restaurant greeted me warmly and with big smiles. I didn't see a single cell phone out the entire time I was there! The bar had a very limited, but impressive, selection of liquor for cocktails. The cocktail menu had a selection of six cocktails to choose from and I chose the "black tie affair". I'm very particular about the way someone prepares my gin, but I shouldn't have worried.

The bartender, David, was amazing! He had an easy-going, professional demeanor and definitely knew his way around a drink! It was one of the best classic vespers I've had in this city in a long time.

My experience at the restaurant was wonderful, but the true treat was once I arrived back at my house. Oh my GOODNESS. The crawfish boil chicken fried sandwich was the singular best chicken sandwich I've ever had in New Orleans, hands down.The chicken was perfectly cooked, and the pickles were at the perfect ratio to make every bite wonderful. I also ordered the collard greens and tomato basil soup. The collard greens were wonderfully seasoned and were insanely fresh. The tomato basil soup was my least favorite part of the meal, but was also quite delicious. It just wasn't anything special.

I can't say enough good things about this restaurant! I can't wait to bring my best friend here this...