Take It Outside!
Rodney Smiley
Friday, June 24, 2005
(as published on www.outinamerica.com)
The Italians define alfresco as “taking place or located in the open air.” But it’s so much more than that.
Dining outdoors is a relaxing, comfortable affair, full of balmy breezes, sunshine or starry nights.
Sandwiched between the pollen season and the nippy nights of fall, summertime is filled with many restaurants that toss open their windows, raise table umbrellas and invite patrons to take pleasure in the outside. Most restaurants have at least one option for alfresco: a patio, an open air dining room or a lush and green garden. These are the most popular alternatives for an outdoor meal.
But other options are around, if you know just where to look. In Atlanta, a summertime staple of dining en plein air is Turner.com’s Screen on the Green, a weekly nighttime showing of classic movies in the city’s largest park, Piedmont Park. Crowds congregate a few hours before dusk, layering the park with blankets, baskets of nibbles and bottles of wine. At sunset, the big screen lights up with any number of landmark movies.
Analogous to such a social event, a similar option is just a good old fashioned picnic – a gingham blanket, some fried chicken, a little Deet, and your sweetie. Picnicking is a time tested alternative to the romantic, indoor dinner. The Italians might call it “romantico alfresco,” romantic outdoor dining.
But arguably the most prevalent form of alfresco dining is restaurant style. Patios filled with vibrant umbrellas to help block the sun are peopled by diners enjoying salads, sandwiches and frozen drinks, and at nighttime tiny golden lights help set a romantic and unfussy mood for intimate suppers. Most cities have several restaurants offering alfresco dining, and it’s easy to find the best in each city. The Web is filled with online resources to help you find the “best of” each city, and outdoor dining is generally a preferred category.
Enjoy dining alfresco and remember your sunscreen!
Resources for finding some of the best outdoor (or any other) dining experience in your city:
City Pages
Digital City
City Search
About.com
GAYOT.com
Local.google.com
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