by April Lisante

The weather has finally warmed, and I have been overjoyed that grilling has replaced the oven for most nightly dinners.

But it’s not just the grill that makes me happy, its being outside. When you are stuck in the house, the backyard patio, deck or balcony can become a welcome haven each day and evening.

And June often makes me think of one of the best ways to get outside and dine al fresco: picnicking.

The great part about a picnic is that you don’t need to go very far, and you can do it in a socially distant way. Just find a grassy patch, a deck or a yard and grab your family, significant other, or a friend who misses those weekly meet-ups at the coffee shop.

The Europeans have a knack for picnicking, and for spending hours enjoying simple foods, a bottle of wine and a memory-making setting. Picnics are big right now, and gurus on sites like Pinterest have made some of them epic events, creating Bohemian outdoor rooms with poufed ottoman seating and hanging tree lighting to set the mood.

When I was looking to do a column on picnicking this week, I discovered that one of my favorite local habitats, Rouge on Rittenhouse Square, was already one step ahead of me. The Parisian bistro just started doing take-out picnic baskets accompanied by cocktails, creating gourmet baskets diners can carry wherever they want for a few hours of gustatory glory. It is one of the many creative ways our local restaurants are adapting to the quarantine.

“I thought of the idea and floated it past my staff and they loved it,” said Rouge owner Rob Wasserman. “To me, a picnic is the perfect way to enjoy the weather while being socially distant and enjoying the outside.”

A few weeks ago, the city of Philadelphia permitted restaurants to do take-out cocktails streetside. Wasserman took the idea one step further and created a menu to fill baskets as well.

For a $100 refundable deposit, customers rent a basket and a blanket, then choose from charcuterie boards for about $35, cheese boards and sandwiches at $14 to load it up. For $20, they can throw in a bottle of wine, and for about $10 to $15, they can add a frozen margarita or a “Bumping Elbows” cocktail, made from gin and cucumber. Then, they can skip away and take the basket filled with plates, utensils and food wherever they want for the afternoon. The baskets are returned later.

“It’s wonderful we have Rittenhouse Square right here, but someone can grab a basket and even take it to a park in the suburbs,” Wasserman said.

So how can we do this at home? Wasserman has the cheese boards, as well as charcuterie, but he also fashioned a menu featuring foods that hold up in the hot weather. That’s the first key to a picnic. He has prosciutto sandwiches, avocado, lettuce and tomato sandwiches and a caprese sandwich with cheese, basil, tomato and red pepper on a baguette. Note: no mayo-laden salads and soups.

“We pack items that carry well. You never want to leave things in the sun for an extended period of time,” he said.

How about if you want to do this in your yard?

Choose finger foods that you can mix or match, like crackers with olives, cheeses and dips and make mini sandwiches. Wasserman has a whole section of the picnic menu devoted to mini Rouge burgers. They are consumed quickly and don’t sit around. They also allow for sampling more. You can also never go wrong with fresh fruits, or baguettes with brie.

But what about the ambiance, the set-up?

Even if your deck is the place for the picnic, there are some must-haves to make it feel like an event.

Here are some staples to think about when you are going al fresco:

-The blanket. This is not the time for a Frozen beach towel featuring Elsa. Spring for a Turkish towel with fringe, something to set the mood. The more Boho, the better. (Parso Turkish Towel, the company store.com, $34.)

- The basket. Rouge is one of the most Parisian bistros in the city, and its baskets reflect that. Invest in a nice latched wicker number that holds utensils, plates and food. (Picnic Tote Kit, Walmart.com, 29-piece set, $39.50.)

- The outdoor candle. Keeping bugs away, especially at dusk, is key. (Citronella pineapple jar candle, wayfair.com, $19.99)

- The plates. Melamine is a wonder material, and plates have really come a long way from plain to chinoiserie style. I like seashore-themed plates at this time of year. (Sea Life Plates, potterybarn.com, four for $28.50.)

- The charcuterie board. Having a nice board really makes the picnic. Skip the Paw Patrol dinner tray or grammie’s Christmas platter. But custom boards can get pricey. I found a very reasonable Macy’s “picnic time wine and cheese collection.” (macys.com, from $16.99 to $33.99.)