It’s Spring time and gorgeous out there. We have cereal and coffee on the deck every morning that it isn’t raining. A refreshing start before heading off to the office.
We eat a lot of evening meals on the deck too. Nothing elaborate. We just carry the filled plates from the kitchen out to the deck. Flies can be a bother. It gets too hot to eat dinner outside during mid summer. But we’re out there if it’s under 82 degrees. Mornings aren’t a problem. It’s below 80 even in July and August.
I’ve seriously considered getting the deck roofed and screened in. But then it’s really not Al fresco anymore. Having the sky above your head is part of the experience.
I’d rather eat inside. The occasional outside picnic/ family gathering thing I’ll enjoy, but not often. I regularly drink beer outside,however, that’s one of the things that makes life great.
My father loved it when we were growing up, but in Maryland it was hot and buggy. I didn’t get the appeal. Here in the PNW, however, we love it. No bugs, perfect temp, and great views. Most weekend breakfasts and many other meals as well.
For some reason I first thought the OP was asking about eating naked.
Hell no. Flies. Flies, man. They breed in and feed on shit and rotting carcasses, then buzz on by to land on your tasty morsel and share all those delicious microbes. And if you’re extra lucky, they’ll hork up some drool onto your hamburger as well before flying off to make more maggots.
Now, I very much enjoy eating on my parents’ fully screened porch, where I’m safe. But since you kind of disqualified that as strictly al fresco, I voted “no.”
I have seen restaurants with screened in areas that they called Al fresco. It is open air dining. I usually think of cafes with little outdoor courtyards and dining tables. But, if it’s a nice day then I just like dining outside.
My mom isn’t that interested. My parent’s deck basically sits there unused year around. They prefer the air conditioning. Mom’s always been an indoor person. Different strokes for different folks.
I didn’t mind it when I lived in Manhattan. Now that I live in the country/suburbs, I find the bugs and wind more annoying than it’s worth for having a family meal outside. I love having my morning coffee and reading outside though.
If I’m at a restaurant that offers outdoor tables, I will most often grab one.
That’s because I don’t have to haul out all the plates, main dishes, sides, salads, serving utensils, condiments, salt & pepper, more-stuff-I-forgot, napkins, butter, ice & drinks & glasses . . . and then haul all of it back in again.
I love eating al fresco, so long as someone else is doing the work.
I moved into this apartment last summer, and its best feature is the glassed-in porch off the kitchen. I had at least one meal a day (usually breakfast) on the porch every day during the summer, and am very much looking forward to doing so again this year.
I enjoy it occasionally, but as we live 2.5 stories up, it’s a bit of a production. I don’t know why - when we eat indoors, we fill our plates in the kitchen and bring them into the living room and eat. Couldn’t be easier. But somehow when there are lots of steep stairs involved, there’s always One More Thing that needs to be fetched!
Al fresco is better at home (for me) than packing a meal into the car, lugging it to a suitable shady spot, unpacking it, realizing I forgot to bring a knife sharp enough to cut the …whatever.
Our current setup doesn’t have room for a real table so we don’t have dinner outside as much as we did at out last two places. I will take my cereal or a sandwich out on the porch. At least right now. In a few weeks it will become oppressively humid and it’ll only be bearable early in the morning.
At restaurants I’ll choose outdoor seating if there’s a view, but not sidewalk dining. I don’t get that.
We have cereal and coffee on the deck every morning that it isn’t raining. A refreshing start before heading off to the office.