ack in July, Ian Risdon and Nicola Fisher had decided to open their little boite, and happened upon a great location at Queen and Broadview. Risdon - who was previously a partner at Alice Fazooli's and currently owns another restaurant in the Beaches (Copper Pipe) - is clearly a veteran in the restaurant business. When he decided that he wanted to create Pic Nic, he wanted it to be a venue that would stand out from the proverbial crowd.

In order to do this, he stocked his resto-bar with wines on consignment – rather than what's available on local liquor store shelves – and cheese offerings would be equally important. Not just average, run-of-the-mill stuff, but varieties specifically handpicked from throughout Europe and Canada (Quebec has a particularly great selection).

The chef, Daniel Usher, was trained in Italy and his sous-chef is from France; both European cultures influenced Pic Nic's flavour-focused cuisine. "There will only be able five items on the fixed menu, while the rest will be daily specials with seasonal flair," explained Usher. Some examples of entrées on offer will be Duck Confit, a seafood platter, and Vitello Tonato. The latter is cold veal sliced thin so the meat becomes tender, with a tuna aioli spread. This particular entrée is inspired by what is eaten in northern Italy.

"We want people to come here to learn," says Risdon. "And we want to learn from our customers." He and Usher explained that the menu would be changing very often, not only so the customers can taste many new and different dishes, but also so that they themselves can learn what the customers want, and cater to them specifically. To get an idea of how this changing menu will look, Usher explained that dishes will be lighter in the summer, but colder weather will trigger a new set of entrées, such as braised dishes, meaning osso bucco and lamb shanks.

Even mere sandwiches are intriguing, with options that include prosciutto crudo, bocconcini, roasted red pepper and arugula; smoked trout, watercress and apple with a mustard vinaigrette; and goat cheese with artichokes, zucchini and fresh mint. If you're a snacker, or maybe the less-adventurous type, you'll easily find something satisfying too; a giant wall is displayed on the back wall, which serves as a blackboard that always lists 14 different cheeses, meats and condiments to choose from. You can make your own platter of two different kinds of cheeses, two different kinds of meats and three condiments for $20, which includes a basket of fresh bread.