Whenever my parents visit me in Cleveland, we eat all of our meals in area restaurants. Of course, because they’re over 65, it’s mandatory that they call every establishment by the wrong name - you know, “Cheesecake Warehouse”, “O’Bennigan’s”, and so on. They’re flexible about what type of restaurant they’ll eat at; however, they absolutely, positively will not eat outside. It could be sunny and 75 degrees outside, but they won’t sit on the patio; instead, they insist on sitting indoors.
Walking by restaurants with outdoor seating, most of those sitting outdoors are younger - generally under 50. When I’ve been to restaurants with outdoor seating, I noticed that the crowd inside was usually much older than the crowd on the patio or sidewalk.
So, do old people really despise al fresco dining? If so, why?
I haven’t noticed this to be true in my part of the country. I sometimes go to a local pizzeria that has an outdoor section, and most of the outdoor diners (including me) tend to be older folks.
My mom is nearly 80, and she will always pick an outdoor table if one is available.
GEORGE: So, uh, Mom, Dad, I was hoping that you could help me to remember my childhood a little clearly…
ESTELLE: I feel a draft. Let’s change tables.
FRANK: Get outta here! We have a booth.
ESTELLE: Frank, I’m cold!
FRANK: Order a hot dish.
ESTELLE: Why can’t we sit over there?
FRANK: That’s not a booth!
ESTELLE: So, who says we have to sit in a booth?!
FRANK: I didn’t take the subway all the way to New York to sit at a table like that!
ESTELLE: Well, I didn’t take the subway to be in a drafty restaurant!
GEORGE: Mom… dad.
FRANK: Now, George, what do you want to know about your childhood?
GEORGE: Actually, I think I’m pretty clear on it.
FRANK: Where’s that breeze coming from?
Anyhoo, I’m 37 and I don’t like eating outside either. I like a controlled environment while eating.
Do I detect a little smidgeon of “ageism” here? I know you have a legitimate question, but you are using one person’s observation to imply all us geezers are the same.
Anyhoo, my wife’s 77 & I’m 79 and we love to eat outside, except now and then when the AZ temperature is over 110 F. Can you blame us? There is no discernable lack of oldsters eating outside anywhere I’ve seen in most Western states.
The other thing that ticks us off is that restaurants here are non-smoking, except for some idiotic reason they permit it on the patios. That’s enough to ruin a good meal, so those establishments that permit smoking are off limits for us.
It would make sense if people who lived most of their lives in warmer climates liked eating outdoors, and those from colder climates preferred indoors.
Obligatory Radical Suggestion: Why not try asking your parents?
OT: KlondikeGeoff, I hope you don’t mind my saying this, but … knowing someone of your generation is posting here makes me very, very happy. I miss my pop (1922-2003).
Actually, to move this back on topic, I seem to recall Pop liking outdoors dining, assuming it was nice weather and the food/company was good. Add some Sinatra or Bach/Vivaldi as an accompaniment and he’d’ve been all over it!
Meanwhile, I’m 45 years younger than he was, and I’ve always hated outdoors eating. Especially here in NYC. People walking by, bugs, noise, traffic, wind, blech!
<Emily Litella>
That al fresco, it’s glop! You ever see it in the grocery, just sitting there in the jar like a heart attack waiting to happen? Give me plain red sauce any day. Maybe linguini with clams now and then. But al fresco? Eeech!
</Emily Litella>
Well, choie, I’m happy you’re here too, but sorry about your pop being gone. He had a long life, and I hope a happy one. Hey, I’ll be your surrogate dad if you want.
I did. The answer: “Oh, we’d just rather eat inside.” The only thing I can think of was that outdoor patios at restaurants might not have been around in the 1940s and 1950s, so unfamiliar = bad.
Not a big fan of dining outdoors either, though I do it sometimes. I like to eat out on my deck, for example, as long as it isn’t windy. Wind and bugs are my main annoyance at home. At restaurants, it’s generally a cleanliness issue. The outdoor tables and chairs are usually grimier.
There is no discernable lack of oldsters eating outside anywhere I’ve seen in most Western states.