Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine 2945 N. Broadway 773-472-4781
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A picnic calamity of his own was the inspiration for Pastoral, which he co-owns with his life partner, Ken Miller. Two summers ago some of O’Neill’s friends enlisted him to put together a last-minute picnic for a trip to Ravinia. O’Neill, who lives in Lakeview, found himself scrambling around trying to cobble together a decent meal, finally giving up and grabbing a mishmash from the deli case of his local grocery store. “It was pathetic,” he says. “We had this rather old grocery-store pasta salad, some Cryovac cheese. . . . I was trying as best as I could to pull together something nice, and it turned out like a dog’s breakfast–a little bit of anything and everything, and nothing very good.”
They finally opened Pastoral last August. During its first year the store concentrated on picnic fixings: artisanal cheese, wine, and antipasti like handmade salami, chorizo, pate, and roasted vegetables. “But we had people come in and . . . I wouldn’t say they were lazy, but they wanted the full solution,” O’Neill says. “‘Why don’t you have picnics ready to go?’” So early this month he and Miller launched a line of premade picnic baskets and carryout sandwiches. They also added a small, shaded outdoor seating area. Each Pastoral picnic basket costs $25, feeds two, and includes a selection of deli meats, cheeses, olives, fresh bread, olive oil potato chips, fruit, and sweets such as biscotti and sweet olive oil tortas. Lunch boxes for one cost $13 and include a sandwich, chips, olives, cornichons, and dessert. Utensils are provided but not required.
Pastoral opens at 11 AM; it closes at 8 PM Tuesday-Friday, 7 on Saturday, and 6 on Sunday. The store’s closed on Monday. For a picnic basket, call 24 hours in advance. Menus are at pastoralartisan.com.
