EATING OUT
Make dining outdoors as sweet as summer itself
Early summer is perfect for enjoying a cool morning latte on the patio or winding down the day with a twilight glass of wine. As we start safe physical distance backyard visits, I am looking forward to setting a table for friends and family. I love to cook and entertain, but I guess I’m a city boy, because I don’t love being outside when it’s too sunny, hot or buggy. Offering all the things I’d do indoors — comfortable seating in a beautiful environment with gorgeous table settings — and doing it in a somewhat sun-andbug-free space is what I’m looking forward to. Here are some of my favourite finds for making my outside dining room experience as sweet as summer itself.
FURNISHINGS
I love entertaining intimate groups of two to four people, but some occasions require a bigger guest list. My solution is to have two small square tables that can be butted together for a long family-style dining table or separated for smaller groupings with one for dining and the other as a serving station or bar. For chairs, I love the option of arms for two reasons: They’re more comfortable for after-dinner lounging at the table and they are versatile — just position them around the terrace wherever comfy seating is needed. Although I think of home-furnishings store Homesense primarily for great outdoor accessories, I found impressive outdoor dining furniture there — it racked up mega style points and was well below comparable retail value.
Tip: Dining tables and chairs do not have to match, but the colour and tone of wood, rattan or metal should co-ordinate. This also makes it easier to mix and match on-sale items.
THE KEEP-AWAY GAME
Sitting in the hot sun or in a cloud of bugs is neither healthy nor pleasant. A large umbrella near the table that can be manoeuvred to keep sun off is a must for outdoor luncheons. Be sure to match the shape of your umbrella to the table shape: round for round, or the more contemporary square-shaped umbrellas for rectangular or square tables. For those buggy nights: Something new I discovered at Canadian Tire is patio umbrella netting from Canvas; it slips over top of the umbrella and cascades around the eating area, creating an intimate, bug-free zone perfect for dining outside at night.
Tip: Nets are also great around free-standing umbrellas as a breezy enclosure when lounging on the grass or beachfront.
TABLETOP
Setting a stylish table depends on the occasion and guests. For smaller fancy luncheons, I bring out better quality glassware and fine china salad plates to mix with more casual pieces. For larger informal dinner parties, I’ll mix fashionable disposable plates and cups with melamine dishes and glasses made for outdoor use. I always try to add flatware that’s a step above disposable. Look at simons.ca for white and grey marble-like and stainless flatware sets — perfect for stylish backyard soirees and picnics. For stylish kiddies, check out the Hathi Bamboo Dining Sets adorned with fun animal motifs that are perfect for young children still learning to use utensils.
A LITTLE EXTRA
Want to offer up a more comfortable guest experience when dining outside? Here are a few extra touches to make you the host with the most.
1. Keep a basket of dollar store sunglasses handy for daytime guests and a selection of lightweight throws for when the sun goes down.
2. Use cloth napkins. No need to break the bank with expensive ones — I use inexpensive cotton dishcloths as oversized napkins for informal charm.
3. Order up a take-home bag of goodies: I always make double the dessert and offer an extra helping to guests as they leave.