Lazy Food : Leave the Packing to Them

This time of year almost everybody’s got some sort of a picnic to pack for. Some are off to the Hollywood Bowl; others just want a lazy afternoon in the park. And while it might be nice to whip up a basket of food and impress your friends, it might be even nicer to have somebody else do all the work. Keep in mind that most places require at least 24 hours advance notice--and remember to pack a corkscrew. The rest is up to them.

Bristol Farms, 1570 Rosecrans Ave., Manhattan Beach. (213) 643-5229. Additional stores in Rolling Hills Estates and South Pasadena.

Prices range from $9.75 to $14.75 per person.

Seven different picnics from a super supermarket, all accompanied by a pasta salad, fresh fruit and cookies for dessert. Included are: The Pops--a choice of ham, turkey, roast beef or vegetarian sandwich; Summer Jazz--pomegranate-glazed chicken on skewers; Concerto--poached salmon with mustard-dill sauce; Broadway Score--Italian stuffed chicken breast; Scheherazade--ham, turkey and roast beef petite sandwiches; Maestro--filet mignon; Seafood Vivaldi--shrimp and scallops on skewers.

Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 938-1447.

Prices range from $26 to $42 per person.

Four different baskets filled with earthy Italian-Mediterranean food. Roast chicken with cabbage and olives; focaccia sandwich with prosciutto, onion, grilled radicchio and eggplant; grilled swordfish; and grilled fillet of beef. The beautifully appointed baskets come with an appetizer, a cheese, a dessert and bread from La Brea Bakery.

City Restaurant, 180 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 938-2155.

Boxes range from $10 to $22.

The restaurant with the most eclectic food in town makes eclectic City boxes to go. They include tandoori chicken; cold poached fish; choice of four sandwiches; grilled peppered lamb loin; or three assorted salads, which change daily. All but the assorted salad box come with dessert.

Duplex, 1930 Hillhurst Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 663-2430.

Prices range from $10 to $20 per person.

A neighborhood restaurant that has its own smoker and packs serious barbecue to go. The a la carte menu includes a choice of a half pound of brisket, a half slab of pork spareribs, or a half chicken. For side dishes, choose coleslaw, bourbon-and-beer baked beans, basil-marinated tomatoes or German potato salad. Desserts include chocolate almond cake, Mark and Stephanie’s wedding cake (Mark and Stephanie Carter own the joint) and a rose-geranium custard. All desserts are $5 each.

Flora Kitchen, 460 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 931-9900.

Boxes range from $14.95 to 21.95, per person.

Simple, wholesome food from a stylish place that packs the meal in giant Chinese take-out boxes, complete with handles. Classical box lunches include: Brahms--a choice of sandwich; Tchaikovsky--a grilled vegetable plate; Mozart--poached salmon or lobster medallions; Bach--two salads; Debussy--a stuffed chicken breast or duck salad; Ravel--choice of chicken or paella salads; and Beethoven--half a roasted chicken or a Cornish game hen. Each box lunch includes fresh fruit and cheese, and dessert.

Jurgensen’s, 842 E. California Blvd., Pasadena. (818) 792-3121.

Baskets range from $13.95 to $29.95 per person.

An upscale San Gabriel Valley supermarket that packs everything but your tickets. Choose from Ensemble--filet mignon with horseradish cream; Allegro--fennel-poached salmon with wild mushrooms; Vivace--fried chicken; Intermezzo--lobster tail; Salad Trip--choice of three salads; Andante--chicken breast with black beans. Most baskets include an appetizer, bread, salad and dessert.

Le Cafe, 14633 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. (818) 986-2662.

Prices range from $5.50 to $18.50.

The San Fernando Valley restaurant/jazz club stays open until 1 a.m. and it has an extensive box meal menu that includes roast chicken with herbs; grilled shrimp with fruit salsa; Thai beef salad; cheese and crackers.

Patina, 5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 467-1108.

Baskets run $24 to $47 per person.

Joachim Splichal’s California-French restaurant produces some of the best--and most expensive--bowl boxes in town. Choose your favorite composer: Ellington--roast chicken with new potatoes; Armstrong--fancy shrimp salad with ratatouille; Bach--grilled salmon with stuffed tomatoes; Fitzgerald--lobster salad with summer vegetables; Mozart--broiled fillet of beef with beans, mushroom salad and garlic mayonnaise. If you are feeling extravagant, you can order an ounce of Sevruga caviar for $32 or the Osetra for $36; either comes with creme fraiche , onions, lemon and triangle toasts.

Rosti, 908 S. Barrington Ave., Brentwood. (213) 447-8695.

Plan to spend $10.50 to $14.50 per person.

An offshoot of Trattoria Toscana that devotes itself to homey Italian food for take out. There are several Bowl baskets to choose from: antipasti platter, chicken salad, chicken with vegetables, grilled chicken, flattened chicken. Entrees come with appetizer or salad and dessert.

Say Cheese, 2800 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 665-0545.

Picnic selections range from $9.95 to 17.95 per person.

The best place to buy cheese on the East Hollywood side of town offers a picnic menu that includes: A Taste of Say Cheese--goat cheese torta , pate and a selection of cheeses; Roman Holiday--fresh mozzarella and prosciutto sandwich; Loch Ness--smoked salmon with cream cheese and caviar; San Remo--roast beef sandwich; Sunday Savory--cheeses, chutney, olives and pickled cherries; Pan Bagnat --a half loaf of bread stuffed with tomatoes, tuna and hard-cooked eggs. All selections come on La Brea Bakery bread and include dessert.