Mike Isabella Food, Al Fresco Dining, An Excuse to Wear All Your Summer Whites – What’s not to Love?
Diner en Blanc is back this year for its fourth annual DC pop-up picnic, with a tasty twist. Award-winning DC chef, Mike Isabella, is headlining the food element this year and has curated six exquisite baskets featuring ingredients and recipes from his local restaurants and catering company, MIC (Mike Isabella Concepts). Tantalize your tastebuds with these picnic basket previews. Read it and drool.
Basket 1 – Requin French Picnic
Dips + Spreads served with gaufrettes and crudite
- Deviled lamb rillettes, macerated cherries, pickled mustard seed, eggplant-tomato ratatouille, fennel, garlic, shallot, herbs, chicken liver mousse, tomato + soppressata jam
Fromage
- Carpra Sarda (goat’s milk, aged 6 mo.), Raclette spring brook (cow’s milk aged 2-4 mo.), Point Reyes Original Blue (cow’s milk aged 5 mo.), Taleggio (goat’s milk. Aged 1-2 mo.) all served with cherry mustard + honey comb
Baby Heirloom Carrot Salad
- Toasted almonds, ginger, basil, citrus vinaigrette
Blueberry Clafoutis
- Lemon curd, toasted almonds
Basket 2 – Graffito Italian Picnic 
Salumi & Formaggi Board
- Salumi: cacciatorini, coppa with apricot mostarda
- Formaggi: gorgonzola, dolce, taleggio
Kale Caesar Salad
- Romano, croutons, parmesan
Pasta Salad
- Roasted tomatoes, pepperoni, broccolini, sweet pepper relish
Tiramisu
- Lady Fingers, Espresso
Basket 3 – Kapnos Mediterranean
Crispy Flatbread + Seasonal Crudite + Assortment of Spreads
- Hummus: chickpea, tahini, sultana chutney
- Favosalata: yellow lentil, scallions, black garlic, pine nuts
- Melizanosalata: smokey eggplant, roasted peppers, walnuts, feta
Marinated Olives
- Marcona almonds, kefalograviera cheese, chili
Greek Farmhouse Salad
- Tomato, cucumber olive feta, grilled zucchini
Baklava
- Honey, almond, walnut
Basket 4/5 – Yona Bento (can be made gluten free)
Seaweed Salad
- Mandarin, cucumber, mizuna, sesame dressing
Steamed Edamame
- Sesame, nori, togarashi
Chilled Soba Noodles
- Summer veggies, sesame, chojang
Fried (or grilled) Chicken Bucket
- 4 pieces chicken, buttermilk yuzu sauce, heirloom radish slaw, tsukemono Japanese vegetables
Dessert
- Red Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Basket 6 – Yona Bento, Vegetarian 
Seaweed Salad
- Mandarin, cucumber, mizuna, sesame dressing
Steamed Edamame
- Sesame, nori, togarashi
Chilled Soba Noodles
- Summer veggies, sesame, chojang
Dessert
- Red Miso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Diner en Blanc will host 4,500 guests this year in a public DC space. Mike Isabella’s baskets will be available for purchase on the Diner en Blanc e-store. The picnic baskets are packaged in insulated, white Diner en Blanc totes and will cost between $60 – $74. Champagne Jacquart and Friends Label wine will also be available for purchase on the e-store. Bottles run from $16 – $26.
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