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DINING ALFRESCO
It's a relaxing, natural thing to do.
By Sandra Kirkland
 Welcome to summer, the time we shift our focus from what’s on the menu to finding the perfect place for al fresco dining. Eating lunch outside in the fresh air and the sunshine really lifts one’s spirits. As the sun drifts from sunset to the liquid blue of the evening, people begin to gather at the area’s many restaurants and cafes that offer either patio or deck dining.
It wasn’t always this way. Probably the first place to offer al fresco dining in Toledo was Tiffananny’s, a wine and cheese cafÈ in the only home left in the old Colony area, back in ‘73. Since it was next to a gas station, the owners built a wall and planted a garden. In the alleyway, they set up five tables, and toward the rear, they had a lawn for croquet.
After a trip to Mardi Gras in 1975 where he experienced the New Orleans penchant for dining in the courtyard, owner Bill Kolhoff decided to put in a deck and brick in the yard. It was so popular before it closed in the early 80s that people, still exclaim, “I loved that place. It was so cool!”
Now, Mr. Kolhoff is the chef at The Vineyard at Westgate. They have limited outdoor seating in the Promenade for people to enjoy their wine and cheese or a delicious dinner prepared Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Chef Kolhoff says, “Dining al fresco is the natural thing to do. Why sit in air-conditioning when you can be outdoors where everything tastes better?”
Shortly after Tiffananny’s closed, Manos Pascholis, owner of Manos Greek Restaurant, opened his patio in 1983 and built a fence around it. Since then, he’s had to enlarge it three times. All ages, mostly 30 and up, enjoy having their authentic Greek dishes and wine served al fresco. Why? Manos says, “Dining outside gives you a relaxing feeling, like being on a mini vacation.”
Zack Lahey, manager of Manhattan’s, turned the unused space at the juncture of Adams and Jackson into a patio with pavers and a wrought iron fence. Colorful green and purple table umbrellas add to the vacation feeling; it’s almost like being down south. The plan is to add arches with live vines to give it more of a garden feel.
How popular is dining al fresco at Manhattans? Zach says, “People will hang out at the bar until a table is available on the patio. I think they enjoy watching people go by. We bring music out there. It just puts you in a good mood.”
 Two Sylvania restaurants by Ann Arbor’s Main Street Ventures offer al fresco dining. Both have patios with seating for 45 to 50 people, and both serve the full menu. Ciao, a very popular Italian restaurant and watering hole, has a patio that’s hidden from view by dense foliage. The other is Stixx, a stunning Asian fusion restaurant, where you can get your dish as hot or not-so-hot as you wish.
Reservationist Josh Ludy’s take on why people love to eat outside is, “We’re confined to indoors for nine months. It’s a chance to get outdoors to appreciate the opportunity to dine al fresco for the few months of nice, warm weather.”
One of the “T-Town Boys’” newest restaurants, Storyville Grille, is named after the “undisputed center of good times in the Big Easy.” The area was “full of party houses [sic], restaurants, absinthe houses (bars), and jazz clubs that flourished” in New Orleans in the early 1900s.
The patio, opening mid-June, will be covered by a pergola covered with wisteria vines. There’ll be umbrella tables, a full-service bar, and a chef cooking up steaks and seafood specials on the patio grill. You can also order from the full menu.
When asked why the patio dining experience is so popular, Nick Tokles, one of the “T-Town Boys,” replies, “People like the casualness. Our business is the 35 and over group, so we’re going to have music, mostly jazz, out there. People will be able to talk, relax and get real mellow.” He also mentioned that the smoking ban doesn’t preclude people from smoking on a patio or deck, so we can expect more restaurants opening up for dining al fresco.
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