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March 11, 2010

Eating Out

Why dine indoors when summer sets the perfect scene outside?

Why dine indoors when summer sets the perfect scene outside? We serve a list of favorite al fresco spots across Utah and tips for hosting your own under-the-stars soirées.

When she’s in a good mood, there is no better hostess than Mother Nature. And in Utah, she is happy all summer long. Why not take advantage of her delightful disposition throughout the season and dine outside? Everyone knows that fresh air complements good food even better than the right wine, and there’s not an interior designer around whose work can compete with shade trees, live flowers and moonlit patios.

So take advantage of these free luxuries. Whether you’re entertaining at home with friends and family or letting a restaurant do all the work, this season, take it outside whenever you can. After all, long days, warm evenings and savored outdoor dining is truly summer at its best.

The Great Outdoors

Cool ideas for warm 
weather entertaining

Be it a traditional picnic or a western barbecue, summer parties forgo wintry formalities, according to Cuisine Unlimited’s Maxine Turner. For her, mix-and-match china, butcher paper tablecloths and galvanized tubs step in as casual substitutes for damask and silver, signaling carefree celebrations. Turner offers the following ideas to help make your outdoor entertaining simply a pleasure.

›› Keep it comfortable. Bring indoor cushions outdoors to soften hard seating surfaces including benches, stools and stone walls.

›› Pamper at picnics. Provide inexpensive, color-coordinated blankets for each guest. Match with dinnerware.

›› Share the shade. 
Rent canopies from a local vendor or purchase several lawn umbrellas. Keep all food and beverage out of direct sun.

›› Lighten up. For outdoor lighting, choose yellow, not white, light bulbs to ward off insects.

›› Make scents. Keep bugs at bay using herbs including chamomile, cinnamon, cloves, lavender and thyme. Place herbs in festive pots or in sachets on your buffet.

›› Quench thirsts. Serve light alcoholic drinks and a simple signature beverage like flavored water. Fill galvanized tubs with iced bottled water for help-yourself servings.

›› Serve it safely. Keep hot buffet foods at 160 degrees and cold foods below 40 degrees. Keep foods in smaller containers, and restock them often to help maintain desired temperatures.

Take it Outside

A list of our favorite local hot spots hosting summertime outdoor dining

Tuscany/Franck’s
Tuscany, 2832 E. 6200 South, SLC, 801-277-9919; Franck’s, 6263 S. Holladay Blvd, SLC, 801-274-6264
These sister restaurants share a shady, secluded patio with lots of little nooks for privacy. The flagstone patio perfectly suits the Old World Italian cuisine and ambience of traditional Tuscany as well as the highly personal modern cuisine created 
by Franck Peissel.

Parallel 88
1515 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, 435-772-3588
Jeff Crosland, formerly of Spotted Dog, opened a new restaurant just up the street, and the best seat in the house is outdoors. Available by reservation only, this single private table is situated under a eucalyptus tree on the lawn stretching out from the back patio. Lucky diners enjoy unparalleled views of Zion National Park’s Watchman formation along with personal attention from Crosland as he prepares a custom menu.

Painted Pony
2 W. Saint George Blvd, #22, St. George, 
435-634-1700
The star of St. George dining built a new outside terrace for summer meals. Here you can enjoy white tablecloth service and the tree-shaded ambience of Ancestor Square.

Caffe Molise
55 W. 100 South, SLC, 
801-364-8833
This über-urban café gains a whole new dimension when its tree-shaded city-center patio welcomes diners to enjoy classic Italian fare accompanied by the sounds of a tranquil water feature and live music. Menu includes polenta with sausage, chicken Marsala and pasta, house-made desserts and 
a nice wine list.

Silver Fork Lodge
11332 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon, Brighton, 
888-649-9551
The back deck at this rustic lodge looks directly out on the Wasatch mountains. It’s one of the originals—part of the log building dates back to old mining camp days. But the Western lodge’s hospitality and hefty food is pleasingly authentic today. Don’t miss the generously sized smoked trout and Brie appetizer and the Canyon pepper steak.

Log Haven
6451 E. Millcreek Canyon Road, SLC, 801-272-8255
This lovely hideaway boasts gorgeous canyon views, a waterfall and a seriously romantic vibe. The playful menu changes with the seasons—blue cheese and green apple ravioli with crushed grapes and almond syrup; Angus beefsteak with root beer spices. The wine list is epic and its servers knowledgeable.

Sawadee Thai
754 E. South Temple, SLC, 801-328-8424
The canopied front patio looks out on the University street scene and into the exotically appointed dining room; the food has equal appeal. Panang curry looks like a flower arrangement, and Shrimp Sawadee is swaddled in rice pastry.

Fresco
1513 S. 1500 East, SLC 
801-486-1300
Many Salt Lakers make it a point to eat at Fresco during the warm months when its charming patio is open. This is the best-hidden restaurant treasure in town—the shady outdoor space is as intimate and quaint as the indoor dining room. Salads are all extraordinary: greens with fennel and blood oranges; watercress and radicchio with preserved lemons and goat cheese. Risottos are reliably both nubbly and creamy at once; Bolognese is made with veal and pork and rounded out with blobs of ricotta. Linger under the stars and enjoy the Italianesque experience 
with a glass of grappa.

 

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