Some people say come by for a barbeque or picnic, but here in Cambridge we say for ‘Al Fresco’ dining! At least that’s what the invitation said last week. Several of us gathered in our recently restored backyard to share our evening meal. We pursued to have a conversation on eating outside!
‘Al Fresco’ dining is eating outside (from the Italian words ‘al fresco’ means outside, at a fresh temperature.) In temperate climates it is especially popular in the summer months when temperatures and weather are most favorable. It is a style of dining that is casual and often party-like in its atmosphere. All over the world in order to promote and accommodate the pedestrian activity and vibrancy associated with ‘Al Fresco’ dining, communities have passed ordinances permitting it, including the service of food and beverages to customers at sidewalk tables until late at night (complements of Wikipedia.)
There are restaurants all along my busy Massachusetts Avenue with people eating and chatting away on the sidewalk despite the noisy trucks and cars going by. While enjoying our backyard quiet, we told stories of our favorite ‘Al Fresco’ dining. Mine was in Menton, along the French Mediterranean coast near the Italian border. We sat under umbrellas in the springtime sun on the boardwalk between the street and the beach. The restaurant was across the street. Our meals were brought to us. How lovely!
Where were your most memorable ‘Al Fresco’ dining? Others I remember were on the streets of Paris, the piazzas of Rome, a small café in the hills of Provence, and in NYC’s Times Square after midnight. Oh my, that was in 1964! And I still remember because there were so many children out and about!
Plan a summer ‘Al Fresco’ dinner in your backyard or call me so you can go to an exotic place for a memorable dining experience.
Happy Summertime!
AlwaysHarriet 