Dining Al Fresco - Casual Entertaining in the Mountains

I fondly remember some dining al fresco experiences I have had. However, the one I remember best is with my country acquaintances, some people who lived up in the Catskill Mountains, far away from the maddening crowd. The al fresco dining took place on top of a mountain. The house was located on 75 acres, but the land surrounding the house consisted of “only” five acres. Included here was a beautiful, very large pond.

So...how did a NJ girl who lived just outside of Manhattan wind up experiencing this lifestyle? It was love, of course. A relationship with a guy who was a Landscape Architect at one time in New York City but also had a farm at the top of the Catskill Mountains.

What does this have to do with dining Al Fresco...the summer barbeque, of course!

Every year he and his friends would plan a huge outdoor barbeque. There was the small 1940’s house, the surrounding five acres, and the very large pond. His father had built this pond years ago and diverted a natural stream to it as the water source. The balance of the property was woods. Here, next to the pond, is where we “dined”.

Everyone and anyone was invited to the barbeque. They took an old oil burner and turned it into a grill. The guys would stand over it, grilling sausages, burgers, chicken, hot dogs, and so on. Most people brought a dish and there were typically between 50 and 75 people there. Of course, there was “the cooler”. Invitations were casual but the word got around.

People would chat, the kids and dogs would run around, horseshoes were played…all while “dining al fresco” in a beautiful setting near the glistening water. When evening came, a bonfire was built (yes, really!) and people enjoyed both the ambiance and the warmth of the flames.  (In suburbia, firepits and outdoor fireplaces can offer this wonderful atmosphere.) Some people who drove a distance stayed over in campers too. It was a lot of fun.

So, dining al fresco does not have to be the elegant picture that you might have in your mind. It can be anything in a nice atmosphere with friends and family enjoying the good times and what life has to offer.  


There are many variations on Dining Al Fresco. See what some other members of the Garden Designer's Roundtable have to say!


Lesley Hegarty & Robert Webber : Hegarty Webber Partnership : Bristol, UK
Rebecca Sweet : Gossip In the Garden : Los Altos, CA
Susan Cohan : Miss Rumphius’ Rules : Chatham, NJ
Shirley Bovshow : Eden Makers : Los Angeles, CA