Take one friend from Toronto, a sunny afternoon and a few visits to some of our favourite food stores and voilà: one indoor picnic.

Deli meat and cheese picnic

The best part of this meal is none of us had to do any cooking.

From the cramped Kalamata Grocery for all your Greek needs, we got garlic-stuffed olives, tapenade and fresh fresh fresh (I could eat this whole bag right now) pita balady bread.

Deli meat and cheese picnic

Then on to Lina’s Italian Market for a crusty baguette and too much deli meat:

  • hot casalingo salami
  • paper-thin prosciutto di parma
  • abruzzi soprasetta, with bits of fennel
  • rosemary porchetta

Lina’s also has a cafe and a bakery counter, on top of aisles of pasta, olive oil, jarred antipasto and cooking equipment.

Janice Beaton cheese

Off to Janice Beaton Fine Cheese in Kensington where the guys stood wide-eyed in front of the blue cheese section of the glass counter. The very knowledgeable staff are great at making suggestions, and you can sample as much as you want (well, within reason!) before you decide on your purchases.

We ended up with (from front to back):

  • Roquefort Legende - oh so pungent blue cheese for the boys
  • Amsterdam Reserve - salty cow’s milk gouda with some caramel
  • Shropshire - pasteurized cow’s milk blue cheese. Food colouring is added to make it orange.
  • Comté - nutty, caramelized from France.

Amarone on decantAnd finally, a jaunt next door to the Kensington Wine Market for a splurge on a 2000 Bussola Amarone TB.

We didn’t have a decanter so we poured it out into six wine glasses to breathe. Tastes of deep currants, chocolate and the longest, smoothest finish.

Kalamata Grocery, 1421-11th St. SW, Calgary, (403) 244-0220.

Lina’s Italian Market, 2202 Centre St. North, Calgary, (403) 277-9166. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, 1249 Kensington Rd. NW, Calgary, (403) 289-0999.

Kensington Wine Market, 1257 Kensington Rd. NW, Calgary, (403) 283-3000.