Summer in Napa is the ideal time to lounge about in the heat, lay down a gingham blanket on grass and chow down on local eats. In a place as high-profile as Napa, a tourist’s idea of a summer picnic could be at one of the Napa Valley’s many wineries that allow you to bring your basket of provisions, but a local’s may look a bit different.
There is no shortage of picturesque hidden gems in the valley, and many are often in search of them. But there are others hidden in plain sight that offer a sense of a community, leisure and simplicity that helps people destress.
Bougie options are oozing out of Napa, but where can the average person go in Napa County to relax? Unwind? Eat a sandwich surrounded by the sound of the outdoors? Napa and St. Helena offer the ideal environment to try two different picnic ideas for under $50.
WHY THE BUDGET?
To put it simply, U.S. food prices have gone up in and out of the home. In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food price outlook for 2024, the price of all food went up by 2.1% between May 2023 and May 2024. Nationally, restaurant prices increased 4% between May 2023 and May 2024, while grocery prices went up 1% in the same period.
Many Napa County grocers from Trader Joe’s to the Oxbow Public Market have exactly what you would need to create a spread — fancy cheese, jam, sandwich ingredients — at customizable prices to fit your wallet and appetite.
But for those looking to ditch the at-home assembly and plop down on their blanket with ready-to-go local eats, Frankie’s Deli inside First & Franklin Marketplace in Napa and Sunshine Foods Market in St. Helena offer two different approaches to a summer picnic.
IDEA ONE: FULLER PARK WITH FRANKIE’S DELI PROVISIONS
THE PARK
Occupying one of Napa’s most central locations, the historic Fuller Park at 560 Jefferson St. has been serving residents since its incorporation in 1905. The city bought the 10 acres of parkland that was once known as Campbell’s Grove for $12,000 at the time, and the park was named for C.H Fuller, a former Napa mayor who oversaw the purchase.
According to the city’s website, the park also used to host a variety of interesting tree species from sycamores to elms, maples and mammoth redwoods.
According to Napa’s city parks and recreation director Breyana Brandt, the park today has 272 total trees from 56 species. The most common tree at Fuller Park is the coastal redwood, followed by the crape myrtle, red maple, pin oak and cedar.
“A lot of (the trees) aren’t native to Napa,” Brandt said. “There’s really a collection of trees from all around the world.”
Brandt thinks Fuller Park is the perfect picnic spot because it’s family-friendly, always pulsing with activity, and provides amenities other parks in the city don’t.
“The park is very vibrant because of the great amount of use it gets,” she said. “It’s a fun place for people to watch and see a lot of activity. You can see all ages really utilizing the park.”
On any given day people of all ages can be found enjoying the park’s play structures, which are currently being redesigned; taking a tree walk where people can peek at tree placards to glean more information; or smelling the city’s only rose garden, which is maintained in partnership with the UC Master Gardner program.
In terms of practicality, the city’s website states that the park is disabled-accessible and has bathrooms on-site, and also has a barbecue area should picnickers choose that route.
Fuller Park has nine picnic tables that can accommodate between 30 and 60 people and can be reserved online, but for a nice weekend picnic, grabbing a spot on the lawn with Frankie’s Deli provisions will do.
THE FOOD
A good picnic is only as good as the food you set down on the blanket, and Fuller Park is walking distance from many delectable downtown spots – including Frankie’s Deli, which is nestled in what is now called the First & Franklin Marketplace at 1331 First St. after Ox & the Fox’s departure from the space in June.
Marketplace owner Chuck Meyer, who has also owned the Napa Palisades Saloon for the last 10 years, has run the deli since 2020. His vision for the marketplace is to provide a downtown hub to get fast, easy food at any time of day either at the deli or at Cousin’s Corner Bar, which opened July 1.
“We’re really trying to be that community-orientated spot,” he said.
Curating a $50 picnic with Meyer’s selection of sandwiches, salads and soft drinks wasn’t a hard task. Meyer suggested two sandwiches, Frankie’s classic Jankbot turkey, bacon and avocado, and its vegetarian Shroomin’ portobello sandwich his way, which is on rye bread and toasted.
The Jankbot is the deil’s most popular sandwich because of its simplicity.
“The sandwich is a basic play on a turkey club,” said Meyer. “Turkey, avocado,
bacon. It’s got a spiciness to it with the spicy aioli. It’s the number one sandwich every day.”
In terms of sides, Meyer suggests the Veggie Crunch salad that comes with edamame, quinoa, cranberries, shredded carrots and broccoli. The two sandwiches, a classic potato salad and two soft drinks together run $49.20.
Meyer said that order could feed a very hungry couple, or up to four people who are interested in sharing the generously sized sandwiches.
“The sandwiches are pretty hefty,” Meyer said. “I’m a pretty big eater and I usually eat a half and save the rest for later.”
After the afternoon sun has waned, Meyer suggests a stroll back to Cousin’s Corner Bar, to sip one of its “Pour decisions.” He recommends the summer cocktail “Son of Beach,” which mixes rye whiskey, lemon, Aperol, amaro and pineapple syrup.
IDEA TWO: A SUNSHINE FOODS’ CHARCUTERIE BOARD AT LYMAN PARK IN ST. HELENA
THE PARK
The Upvalley is known for its hotter temperatures and grandiose wineries, but those looking for something more approachable can head to Lyman Park at 1498 Main St. in St. Helena for an idyllic, small-town picnic.
St. Helena’s parks and recreation director Dave Jahns said that those looking for a casual experience, with the passage of history and time being part of the picnic experience, are best suited for Lyman. The park is home to a historic gazebo, green space and one restroom.
The park is named after a pioneering St. Helena’s family named the Lymans, who owned 800 acres of land in Napa County in 1871. The Lymans sold the land in 1924 to St. Helena, which was then home to a German social club that William W. Lyman owned.
According to the St. Helena Historical Society, Lyman Park has been a hub for concerts and leisure since the city took ownership. Almost immediately a bandstand, also referred to as the historic gazebo, was built, and community groups such as the St. Helena Sanitarium (Hospital) Band made it their regular venue.
During the summers, St. Helena has continued the tradition of music in the park with a concert series in June and July, with performances scheduled for evenings to avoid the midday heat.
Jahns pointed out that St. Helena’s Crane Park is also an option for those looking for a more active experience. The park’s 12 acres are home to six lighted tennis courts, eight lighted bocce ball courts, two Little League baseball fields, one lighted sand volleyball court, children’s playgrounds, individual and group picnic areas, and two restrooms.
THE FOOD
St. Helena is no stranger to fancy, Michelin-star offerings. By contrast, Sunshine Foods at 1115 Main St. is an approachable, local grocer that offers a mix of both simple and luxurious options perfect for picnicking, and is less than a 10-minute walk to Lyman Park.
According to store owner Jay Smith, Sunshine Foods seeks to offer “realdeal” products that prioritize quality over cheapness. For 50 years, he said the market has given locals quality offerings and also gone a step further, providing causal catering options — which include charcuterie boards at various price points. Smith said Sunshine Foods been making trays of all kinds for 25 years, ever since owners first noticed their popularity. The market’s wine and cheese experts usually assemble 50 to 60 boards a week in July for tourists, locals and neighboring wineries, he added.
“We deal with a lot of the same people The French Laundry does,” Smith said.
Sunshine Foods’ causal catering approach is an ideal way to pick up a picnic charcuterie board for two for less than $50, if you give the market at least a day’s notice. “We’ll put everything together, but you pick it up yourself and serve it yourself,” Smith explained. St. Helena picnickers can grab a James Tray for two off Sunshine Foods’ casual catering menu for $47.98. Business partner and son Matt Smith said the tray is named after the store’s previous cheesemonger.
James was “the one who came up with that particular mix of charcuterie and cheese, and it is considered top-notch,” Matt wrote in an email. “Rich triple cream Brie, with really interesting, small-production local and imported cheeses and charcuterie.”
The James Tray is adorned with items like rosemary ham, prosciutto de Parma soppressata, house-made roast beef, Domaine du Vallage triple cream cow’s milk cheese, and goat cheese as well as an assortment of olives, fresh fruit and dried fruit.
According to Matt, the portions usually feed more than specified on the Sunshine Foods menu. He said the boards are highly customizable, with offerings varying by season, though he admits people enjoy the help.
“People like having the work done for them,” he said. “We choose the meats and cheeses, slice and arrange them, and then package and send them with all the things you may need.”
