A force in Québec kitchens and now the Canadian culinary scene, Ricardo Larrivée is known for his creativity and exuberant personality. You might recognize the journalist-turned-chef’s grin from his cookbook, Weekend Cooking, his eponymous food magazine or his insightful Food Network TV show, Ricardo and Friends, in which he visits his home province’s growers and producers to learn about the origins of the food he then uses to create delicious dishes.

But whether Larrivée is taping in the studio or travelling the world to learn more about top international restaurants, he’s usually in the company of his four favourite women: his wife, Brigitte, and their three young daughters, Beatrice, Clémence and Jeanne. Together, they all love to visit—and picnic—in the city that never sleeps, New York, New York.

“I love New York. My godfather is an Italian from New York—so I’ve been [visiting] since I was a child. It was a lot of fun when I was 16. It was fun when I was just a couple with my wife, and now it’s fun with the kids. I’ve always said New York is the world; there’s everything there.

"The first trip I made with my wife—like, 18 years ago—it was in winter, and we went to skate at Rockefeller Center. There’s something very romantic about New York; you want to walk hand-in-hand and stop at cafés. There’s Buddha Bar (212-647-7314)—there’s this Buddha about three stories high in the middle of the bar—[where] we go for a cocktail when we’re alone. 

"I’ve since rediscovered the city through the eyes of my children. You have to go to Dylan’s Candy Bar (646-735-0078). The daughter of Ralph Lauren opened the store and there are two or three stories of candy. There’s a candy bar where you actually eat candy, so it’s a lot of fun for them. Even the Toys“R”Us on Times Square (212-202-0651), they have a big [60-foot-tall Ferris] wheel inside the store.

"People are afraid of the Bronx, but half of my family lives in the Bronx, and in the daytime, in most of the areas it’s fine. I remember when I was a kid, Jennifer Lopez was singing at the local restaurant on the corner. Well, she doesn’t go there quite so often, but it’s still a place where people know each other and are close to each other.

"Last year, we were picnicking in Central Park with the girls. I was doing the same thing with my parents when I was the same age. I love picnics. There are a couple of streets where you’ll see delis—just pick the salads and sandwiches and stuff you want. Then you just need a blanket.

"The kids can run around, you have a nice meal, and take your time. When you just have a picnic, you can see it as, ‘I’ve lost a day, I didn’t go to that building or this museum,’ but actually, this is the moment when you are really creating souvenirs. Because you’re not running, you’re just feeling the pace of the place—these moments are the things you will remember.

"New York offers me everything… I’m never disappointed. You can’t be disappointed in New York.”