Cole Porter could not have foreseen the scorcher Chicago's been experiencing this summer, but no one could have said it better. With an endless string of days in the upper '90s and air conditioners and tempers being put to the test in all of this heat, who has any appetite left? But we've still got to eat!
And many a Chicagoan, willing to venture out into the heat and away from their desk or dining table, is opting to enjoy the luxury of air-conditioned restaurants over sweating into their salsa and chips at a patio table. Restaurant patios, and the servers who work on them, have had somewhat of a cruel summer this year. The humid, stifling days are driving people inside and many restaurant patios have been closed due to rising temperatures and the lack of interest from patrons.
If you don't mind occasionally dabbing your brow, praying for a stiff breeze and annoying your server with extra refills of Diet Coke and water, check out some of these favorite dining spots with particularly good outdoor seating:
— At Navy Pier most restaurants have outdoor seating and you get a lakeside view. Examples: Bubba Gump, Joe's Be-Bop Café, Riva.
— Ask for Jerry when you visit the backyard BBQ at Weber Grill, 539 N. State Street.
— The Halsted Street strip has the patio for you. Examples: Arco de Cuchilleros, X/O, Kit Kat, Las Mananitas.
— The patio seats year round with a cover and heaters at Fireside, 5739 N. Ravenswood Ave.
— For four years I served up Fajitas Tex-Mex Style at Uncle Julio's Hacienda, 855 W. North Ave.
— Near Clark and Addison in Wrigleyville you get dinner and a show with the street traffic. Examples: Heaven on Seven, El Jardin, Twisted Spoke.
— If you are in Andersonville fly to Angel's, 5403 N. Clark St. for a patio in the rear.
— Wicker Park includes outdoor fun with a rooftop garden at Iggy's, 1840 W. North Ave.
— Had a great date recently dining alfresco at El Cid 2, 2645 N. Kedzie Ave.
— If you like your Argentinian beef visit Tengo Sur, 3763 N. Southport along with a strip of restaurants that have patios.
Remember, before long we'll all be singing, "It's too darn cold!" So enjoy the summer while it lasts and take advantage of some of Chicago's great patio seating on your next dining excursion.
