Outdoor dining

So, hounds, where are great places to eat outdoors?
I am thinking that hidden courtyard where you can escape from the heat or a sidewalk spot for people watching or places that are humble and hearty and off the beaten track - (No grumbling about Upstairs at the Pudding, for example. And I know there are places on Boylston but if I wanted to pay $5 for a Coors Light, I would have still be at BC.) ;-b

So places everyone knows -

Barking Crab - Don't forget their sewage violations last year!
Atlantic 101 - Seafood, don't know a thing about it.
Joe's, The Marriott, and others of that ilk.

Some that are more hidden -

Cafe Pamplona - Just a coffee and dessert place near Harvard Square - A favorite of the intellectual elite at Harvard - Grab an iced espresso and try to spot the prof. who gave you a C- in Contem. French Lit.
(Everyone knows no one gets F's at Hahvard)

Union Street - Newton - Bar and restaurant with usual fare - But on non-weekend nights, fenced-in patio can be a nice place to linger.

So let's hear some more...

If you're over by Union Cafe in Newton, the same block of shops also has an outdoor patio for Sol Azteca (same as the one on Beacon St and just as tasty). There's also a Japanese restaurant there but can't remember the name.

I'll second Cafe Pamplona-for the Cuban sandwhiches and
specials as well.

Overall best outdoor atmosphere and food Claremont Cafe-Columbus in the South End.

TK

I ate at the Cambridge Brew House in Kendall Sq tonight (1 Kendall Square - near the movie theatre). Sat outside. They had tables under an awning and also in open-air. It was very pleasant. Standard brew house menu. I had the grilled tuna special - very tasty, and the weather was just right. Next door, the Coyote Grill (mexican food) also had outdoor seating.

Back Bay (trying to pick out a few restaurants that aren't ridiculous, e.g., Stephanie's on Newbury, etc.):

- Casa Romero (near the Prudential Center and right by an alley by L'Espalier) has an inner courtyard that is very cute. The food is upscale Mexican and can be spotty at times. I've had great luck with the homeade guacamole, a mushroom quesadilla-like appetizer, the steak fajitas and the pitchers of sangria.

- Tapas on Newbury St. Never tried it and heard it's not as good as its cousin, Dali.

- Bangkok Blue on Boylston St. This is my favorite Thai restaurant in the city (love the pad thai w/peanut sauce and the curries). They have some outdoor dining but sometimes the Boylston crowd makes it less than fun.

Beacon Hill:

- Ma Soba. Overpriced (the sushi is certainly better value elsewhere...), but on nice nights they open up the glass paneled windows creating an outdoor feel.

- If you like government types, the Black Goose (right by the state house) has a nice patio and reasonable -- if rather uninspiring -- food.

- The Kinsale has outdoor dining, but I find the food truly mediocre and overpriced for what it is.

Waterfront:

- Sail Loft, Joe's, etc.

Please avoid Tia's.

Harvard Sq./Porter:

Don't really know of any, but would be interested in suggestions. I think Henrietta's Table in the Charles may have some outside seating options. There are also some places on JFK (e.g., Iruna?) that may work.

South End:

- Tremont 647/Sister Sorel. If you want to spend some money, Tremont 647 is quite good. If you don't mind a very limited menu (5 items in the $8-$12 range), give Sister Sorel a try. It uses the same kitchen as Tremont 647 (and the whole menu is available) but has some bargain items (representative items: a great burger, a salmon salad, steak quesidalla, chicken parmesan and swordfish over Asian noodles)

- Garden of Eden (on Tremont near Clarendon I believe). A very reasonable menu and an attached bakery/deli etc.

Harvest in Harvard Square has a nice outdoor patio as does Barcode in Boston. Intrigue Cafe at the Boston Harbor Hotel is a great spot to people watch and have an ocean view.

One can't forget the beautiful patio at Oleana on Hampshire St. in Cambridge as well as the Blue Room in Kendall Sq.

[melpy]

Oleana's patio is really stunning!

[hotoynoodle]

11-year old thread.

[melpy]

Doesn't make my comment any less true. Plus, half the time you get chastised for not posting to threads that already exist rather than creating a new one. Which etiquette are we supposed to follow?!!!

[hotoynoodle]

quite a few of the places on here are gone and many of them, like the barking crab, joes, and tia's are downright awful.

start a fresh thread! we're just weeks away from patio dining. (last week's flukey weather notwithstanding.)

[hiddenboston]

I would highly recommend the outdoor patio at Lums in Braintree. They play great new songs from Grand Funk and Badfinger, and their parking lot has plenty of space, which is good because I don't want my brand new Ford LTD to get any scratches.

[hiddenboston]

I agree--we need to start a new thread. Anyone want to do the honors?

[Jenny Ondioline]

Now now. There will be no Badfinger dissing on my watch!

[hiddenboston]

Damn. I so wanted to groove to "Day After Day," too...

[C. Hamster]

OMG !!! LUMS!

This is one of the oldest resurrected threads Ive seen here.

Pre-9/11!

[Dave MP]

The new thread can be found here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/841094