There’s nothing better than a spring picnic in Grand Rapids, a city known for its parks and green spaces. Whether you’re grabbing a picnic basket to share with your family or planning a romantic picnic with your partner, there are many spots to plan the perfect event and many restaurants that can fill your picnic basket for you, depending on your taste and how much of a dent you want to make in your wallet.

Here’s the top five places and menus (in no particular order) for your next picnic:

1) Picnic location: An-Nab-Awen Park, downtown Grand Rapids

The green space in front of the Gerald R. Ford Museum is the perfect spot to share a picnic. Its wide open lawn is the center of the action downtown all summer long and the perfect spot to picnic during fireworks displays or on a quiet weekend afternoon. Spread out a blanket and get ready to eat.

Food paring: Marado Sushi, 47 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids

At this stop, eat your dessert first. Start your picnic with the Green Tea or Red Bean ice creams ($2 each), both refreshing and light and not nearly as sweet as Western ice cream. Move on to the Seaweed Salad ($3.95) and move on to an assortment of the restaurant’s sushi rolls. I prefer the Fire Dragon Roll ($10.95) with spicy tuna, unagi and avocado, but also try the Spider Roll ($11.95) with fried soft shell crab, asparagus, masago, cucumber, avocado, egg, kanikama and lettuce.

2) Picnic location: John Collins Park on Reeds Lake, East Grand Rapids

Something about this place conjures up images of the past: Children eating cotton candy, streetcars delivering sunbathers to the beach and the smell of warm carmel corn. It’s the perfect place to have a picnic and watch the East Grand Rapids High School crew team rowing across the lake or students from the Grand Rapids Yacht Club learning to sail. It can get busy there when the weather warms, so grab a spot early.

Food pairing: Rose’s Express, 2224 Wealthy, East Grand Rapids

Who else but Rose’s Express? The Rose’s Peasant salad ($7.95) is large enough to share with its organic greens, tomatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives, peppers, feta, red onions and red wine vinaigrette, so start with that. Since pizza is the perfect picnic finger food, grab one Rose’s Pesto Chicken ($13.25) with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, smoked provolone and pesto and one Express Special ($13.25) with Italian sausage, red onions, sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola, mozzarella and herb oil. If you want to skip the pizza, grab one of Rose’s Express family meals ($4.95 or $5.25 per person). The meals include a pasta, salad and garlic bread (for the more expensive choice).

3) Picnic location: Lookout Park, Grand Rapids

The park itself isn’t much, but the views of downtown are spectacular. Lookout Park literally “looks out” over the city. When you are done with your picnic, it is a great location to fly a kite as it always seems a bit breezier than the river valley below. The breeze makes it a great spot for a hot day as well.

Food pairing: Grand Coney, 809 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids

This is not a fancy place, so don’t bother with fancy food. Instead grab some dogs and have a blast. Though the coney dogs are the star of this show, start with the Cobb Salad ($7.25), the best cobb salad in Grand Rapids. It is loaded with chopped tomato, egg, crumbled bleu cheese, bacon, red onion, avocado and a choice of chicken or gyro meat (go with the gyro meat). Now that the healthy eating is over, grab a 6 Pak of Mini-G’s ($6.95), delicious little 1/8 pound sliders with grilled onions, mustard and pickles. Finish the meal with a “Sweet D” Combo ($5.95) with two coneys, chili cheese fries and a Coke. No need for dessert after this picnic.

4) Picnic location: Richmond Park, Grand Rapids West Side

If you are having a picnic with your children in tow, this is the place to be on a hot summer day. You can feed the ducks in the pond, set the kids loose on loads of playground equipment and go swimming in one of the largest public pools in West Michigan.

Food pairing: El Granjero Mexican Grill, 950 Bridge St. NW, Grand Rapids (read review)

Forget grilling burgers at Richmond Park. Instead, try some of the best Mexican food Grand Rapids has to offer. Don’t be put off by the exterior: This West Side Mexican eatery has the real-deal south-of-the-border. Start with an order of Chips and Hot Salsa ($1.50). The chips are warm when you get them and the salsa is fresh and delicious. Stay clear of the green salsa if you don’t like things too spicy. The burritos are excellent and huge, but be adventurous on this picnic. Get two orders of Tlacoyos ($2.50), thick and soft oval-shaped corn base, stuffed with refried beans and topped with fresh cactus salad, Mexican white cheese and sour cream. Then share an Alambre Especial ($10.25), a combination of steak and bacon, seasoned with bell peppers, onions and mozzarella cheese, served on a hot iron skilled, Mexico City Style. Finish the meal with an order of Flan ($2.40), caramel custard topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

5) Picnic location: Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids

Meijer Gardens is one of the most beautiful places in Michigan to have a picnic. The trails are bursting with flowers in the summer and the sculpture collection is world-class. It is the perfect mix of art and nature.

Food pairing: Bistro Bella Vita, 44 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids (read review)

This is a special place that demands special food. Ask Bistro Bella Vita to pack your food to go and head to the Gardens. Begin your meal with the Carpaccio ($9.99), beef tenderloin seared to rare then thinly sliced, served with roasted pepper relish, parmesan, crostinis, extra virgin olive oil and roasted garlic vinaigrette. Grab a Rustica pizza ($12.99) to remind yourself that you actually are on a picnic and enjoy the Italian sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella over house-made pizza sauce topped with parmesan cheese. Indulge yourself with the Duck Two Ways ($21.99), a grilled to order breast and braised leg over slow-cooked white bean and pork cassoulet with vegetables and Michigan honey-truffle demi glace. Finish your picnic with Tiramisu ($4.99), layers of espresso and coffee liqueur soaked lady fingers with a sweetened Mascarpone cream, topped with cocoa power, creme anglaise and berries.

Summer is too short to squander in Grand Rapids. Get out, have fun at our great parks and enjoy some great picnics with your family or partner.