# Do you enjoy Al fresco dining at home? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165 "2013-04-19T21:38:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/1 "2013-04-19T21:38:54Z")
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. You enjoy dining outside on the patio or deck? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/2 "2013-04-19T21:54:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/3 "2013-04-19T22:10:39Z")
Dining outside for us means dining on the shore of Lake Michigan. Which can be a delight when conditions are right. Which ain’t that often. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/4 "2013-04-19T22:12:29Z")
No. Bugs. Allergies. Oversensitivity to sunstroke. My family has it all! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/5 "2013-04-19T22:20:03Z")
Yes, whenever it’s nice enough out. Which admittedly isn’t all that often around here. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/6 "2013-04-19T22:20:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/7 "2013-04-19T22:18:35Z")
We like dining semi-outside so much I built a 500 square foot screen porch onto our house. We eat there several times a week. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/8 "2013-04-19T22:24:32Z")
My neighbors live too close for naked outdoor dining. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/9 "2013-04-19T22:36:26Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/10 "2013-04-19T22:59:55Z")
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. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/11 "2013-04-19T23:06:00Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/12 "2013-04-19T23:53:23Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/13 "2013-04-20T00:00:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/14 "2013-04-20T00:09:22Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/15 "2013-04-20T03:53:48Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > …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. 😉 Out of curiosity did the deck come with the house or is it something they added? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/16 "2013-04-20T03:59:17Z")
It’s hot as fuck here, especially this time of year. I almost always opt for air-con inside. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/17 "2013-04-20T04:15:31Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > No. Bugs. Allergies. And sunburns. Also no, of course. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/18 "2013-04-20T09:42:43Z")
I would, but I don’t really have a spot to do it comfortably. I do occasionally sit out in my yard, with an icy drink to hand, but even that’s a bit of a complicated thing to arrange. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/19 "2013-04-20T09:46:26Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165/20 "2013-04-20T12:56:35Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-al-fresco-dining-at-home/656165.md?page=2)