Fire up the Festivities
OUTDOOR KITCHENS HELP KEEP GUESTS SATED AND THE HOME COOK AT THE CENTER OF THE PARTY
spring’s milder temperatures and longer days — and an eternal hope that the world will return to life that feels closer to normalcy — will have families and friends gathering in backyards once again. Yard games will get dusted off; patio furnishings will be uncovered. Grills will be seasoned, and spring and summer will be celebrated again, all the more specially with the aid of well-equipped and centrally positioned outdoor kitchens.
“Outdoor grills and outdoor cooking go as far back as we can remember,” according to Jessie Morey, marketing director at Fairfield House & Garden, a Greenwich-based residential and landscape construction firm serving clients in Fairfield and Westchester Counties. “However, the outdoor kitchen started to become more popular in probably the early 2000s. Since then, they have become much more elaborate. With updates in technology and the introduction of outdoor-grade appliances, a client can pretty much have anything they can think of, from sinks and refrigerators to wine coolers or bar taps, to smokers, pizza ovens and grills of every type.”
Outdoor kitchens are, first and foremost, about food and beverage prep, but they also serve a social purpose.
“An outdoor kitchen can be defined as a space that has a sink, refrigerator and cooking area,” Morey explained. “But they are also a space that is built for family and guests to be present with the cook while enjoying the outdoors. They generally include a place to sit and converse with the chef, with seating and countertop areas to serve food and drinks.”