The Picnic House

The Picnic House is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. Aaron and Jessica Grimmer opened the business in 2012, initially locating it in downtown Portland's Park Heathman Hotel, a building historically known as the Heathman Hotel. The restaurant's identity combines casual American comfort food, French and international bistro influences, and a distinctive picnic concept that extends beyond the dining room. Descriptions of the restaurant have emphasized its prohibition-era-inspired atmosphere and rustic interior. Reported design elements include dark wood, black-and-white tile, and a long communal dining table made from reclaimed fir wood. The room has also been characterized as bright, open, and informal despite its period-inspired styling. This combination of approachable service and decorative detail positioned The Picnic House between a conventional fast-casual restaurant and a more polished hotel or neighborhood bistro. Its menu has included sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, small plates, charcuterie, desserts, and other American-style dishes presented with more elaborate or international touches. Reported examples include roasted cauliflower soup with Parmesan, salads featuring ricotta and vegetables, roasted pork loin, pickled shrimp, bavette skewers, and other elevated picnic fare. The restaurant has also offered picnic baskets containing food and wine for consumption in Portland's nearby South Park Blocks, making the name a functional part of the customer experience rather than only a decorative theme. The business has also operated as an event venue. Programming has included theatrical performances, holiday events, live music, games, costume activities, and other themed celebrations. In 2016, the restaurant hosted a one-person dinner-theater adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. In 2019, it joined the neighboring Barlow Artisanal Bar for a carnival-themed New Year's Eve event that included entertainment, games, raffles, a costume contest, and other activities. The Grimmers expanded their Portland hospitality presence in 2018 by opening Picnic PDX in northwest Portland as a sister restaurant to The Picnic House and Barlow. In April 2024, they announced plans to operate The Picnic House through delivery only, using the kitchen of High Noon, another restaurant launched by the couple. The announcement represents a significant change from the restaurant's original hotel-based dining-room model, although the available reference material does not establish whether the transition was permanent or whether the brand retained any physical service operations.

The Picnic House was founded in 2012 by Aaron and Jessica Grimmer in Portland, Oregon. Its first reported location was inside downtown Portland's Park Heathman Hotel, a building previously known as the Heathman Hotel. From the beginning, the concept connected a restaurant dining room with the idea of a portable picnic meal: guests could order food and wine in a basket for consumption in the nearby South Park Blocks. The restaurant's setting and design helped distinguish it from an ordinary sandwich or café operation. Descriptions of the interior refer to dark wood, black-and-white tiles, rustic details, and a long communal table made from reclaimed fir wood. The overall atmosphere has been described as prohibition-styled, while the food has been characterized variously as traditional American, French-influenced, international, and elevated fast-casual fare. The menu has included a broad selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, small plates, roasted meats, charcuterie, and desserts. Examples reported in descriptions of the restaurant include roasted cauliflower soup with Parmesan, salads with ricotta and vegetables, roasted pork loin, pickled shrimp, and bavette skewers. This range allowed the brand to serve both quick, informal meals and more substantial hotel or evening dining occasions. The Picnic House also developed an events role. In 2016, it hosted a one-person dinner-theater performance based on A Christmas Carol, with the performer acting from a staircase and a pianist providing accompaniment. The restaurant later participated in recurring New Year's Eve programming with neighboring Barlow Artisanal Bar, a business also associated with the Grimmers. The fifth annual celebration, held in 2019, used a carnival theme and included games, fortune tellers, live music, circus performers, raffles, a costume contest, an ice luge, and champagne. The Grimmers expanded their hospitality activities in 2018 with the opening of Picnic PDX in northwest Portland. It was presented as a sister restaurant to The Picnic House and Barlow, extending the picnic-themed identity into another Portland location. In April 2024, the Grimmers announced that The Picnic House would be operated through delivery only from the kitchen of High Noon, another restaurant launched by the couple. The available material does not specify whether this arrangement replaced all prior in-person operations permanently, so the brand's precise current format remains subject to review.

• 2024

  Delivery-only operating plan announced

  [1]The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Grimmers announce plans to operate The Picnic House through delivery using High Noon’s kitchen.

• 2019

  Fifth annual New Year's Eve celebration

  [1]The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Picnic House and Barlow host a carnival-themed New Year's Eve event with performances, games, raffles, and other activities.

• 2018

  Picnic PDX opens

  [1]The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Grimmers open Picnic PDX in northwest Portland as a sister restaurant.

• 2016

  Dinner-theater production of A Christmas Carol

  [1]The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant hosts a one-person theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol as a dinner event.

• 2012

  The Picnic House opens in Portland

  [1]The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Aaron and Jessica Grimmer open The Picnic House in downtown Portland's Park Heathman Hotel.

A Portland dining concept combining approachable American comfort food, French and international bistro influences, rustic prohibition-era design, and picnic-oriented off-premises dining.

• Off-premises dining

  Picnic baskets

  Food-and-wine picnic baskets are a defining offering associated with the brand. Customers could take the baskets to nearby South Park Blocks, extending the restaurant experience beyond its dining room and making the picnic theme part of the service model.

• Restaurant meals · 2012

  American and bistro menu

  The menu has combined classic American-style dishes with French and broader international influences. Reported offerings include soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, roasted pork loin, small plates, charcuterie, and desserts, with an emphasis on approachable but elevated presentation.

• 2019Carnival-themed New Year's Eve celebration

  Portland, Oregon

  The Picnic House and Barlow presented their fifth annual New Year's Eve event with carnival-themed entertainment, including fortune tellers, live music, circus performances, games, raffles, a costume contest, an ice luge, and champagne.

  Outcome. The event reinforced the businesses' positioning as dining and entertainment venues.

  Source
• 2016A Christmas Carol dinner theater

  Portland, Oregon

  The Picnic House hosted a dinner-theater presentation of A Christmas Carol featuring a solo performer, musical accompaniment, and a dining-room setting designed to support the theatrical experience.

  Outcome. The event demonstrated the restaurant's use of performance programming to create a themed hospitality experience.

  Source

• 2024

  Shift toward delivery-only operationsStrategy

  Background

  The Grimmers announced a new operating arrangement for The Picnic House.

  Action taken

  The brand was planned to operate through delivery using the kitchen of High Noon, another restaurant launched by the couple.

  Aftermath

  The announcement marked a move away from the restaurant's original hotel-based dining-room model. The permanence and precise scope of the change are not established in the available reference material.

  Source

• 2018

  Launch of sister restaurant Picnic PDXProduct launch

  Background

  The Grimmers expanded their Portland hospitality activities beyond The Picnic House and neighboring Barlow Artisanal Bar.

  Action taken

  They opened Picnic PDX in northwest Portland as a sister restaurant.

  Aftermath

  Picnic PDX became part of the Grimmers' related restaurant portfolio; the available material does not provide further operating or financial details.

  Source

1. 1The Picnic Houseen.wikipedia.org