Seeing as how our internal gastronomic seasonal clocks have already converted to Slow-Braised-Shank Time, you’d think that dining out on summer-park fare would fail to stoke the ol’ gut furnace. But serial restaurateur Jennifer Cardella (Li’ly, Chinadoll) aims to change our seasonal affective disorder with her latest venture, Picnic — a walk in the park at any time of year.
Especially if your idea of picnicking includes ooey-gooey chili cheese fries ($9), home-style mac ’n’ cheese with truffle oil ($12), garlic shrimp crostinis with parmigiano and mozzarella cheese ($12) or that diabetic Scot’s nightmare: Mars bars corn doggies ($8), golden brown greasy heaven on-a-stick by way of molten chocolate and caramel wrapped up in a rich blanket of crispy batter.

Now, with the exception of an under-seasoned-yet-serviceable potato salad ($5) and a couple of plates of cured meats, cheeses and pickles, the menu doesn’t quite come across as wicker-basket mater­ial. In fact, take away the few rustic trestle tables there are and the red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and Picnic is just another midtown lounge-looking bistro. Still, it’s a whole lot of fun, and tasty, too.

A mega meatball ($9) the size of a bear heart is not only a tender, beefy joy, it’s authentically home-style, too. The meltingly tender ground chuck is slathered in a hearty tomato sauce, uniquely dashed with a dab of orange zest.

And you certainly can’t have a picnic without party sandwiches — though we ain’t talking Wonder Bread and bologna. Instead, try bite-sized buns of Maine lobster-claw ($14) kicked up with a citrus-garlic bite or Angus beef micro-burgers ($10) with a refreshing lift of onion sprouts and a hint of mayo.

For further novelty, how about a trio of lobster corn dogs with zesty aioli? (Tasty, though we’re not sure the old pincer needed to take a dip in the deep fryer.) As with most of the menu items, your inner-child gets a little tickle just ordering them.

The baked potato sundae ($9) — made of cocoa-laced white chocolate ice cream with a quarter litre of whipped-cream topping swimming in chocolate sauce and green sugar sprinkles — actually looks like a spud topped with sour cream and chives. It’s an over-the-top indulgence that takes you back to a time when eating was all about play.

Come to think of it, this is what a picnic is truly all about: having fun, relaxing and packing on the extra lardage in advance of a long cold winter. Picnic just does a fine job of extending the season.