10 Easy Pieces: Outdoor Dining Essentials - Gardenista
I’d argue that the only essentials needed for outdoor dining are fresh air and something delicious to munch on. But if you’re in the mood to elevate your outdoor dining experience, here are 10 ideas for adding creature comforts to picnics and dinners under summer stars. A canvas painter’s dropcloth can become a humble tablecloth in a pinch, but if you’re after a little color, I like the punch that a classic red tablecloth packs on a summer table. Stainless Steel Tablecloth Clips are one product that has thankfully avoided much in the way of improvement or embellishment over the years. When it comes to drinks, I say trust your guests to drink from glass on the patio, but help out the host with a set of glassware that’s easy to carry. (And if you’re really into multifunctional dining items, it doesn’t take much imagination to see these as adorable candle holders, too.) A stack of shatterproof wooden plates is useful for outdoor dining. The 6-inch Tondo Plates from Crate & Barrel are made from responsibly harvested acacia wood; $4.95 each. If your flatware is built for durability indoors or out, you only need one set. Endlessly useful, a tall, straight-sided glass Weck Canning Jar can serve as vessel for stainless steel utensils (see Above) and as shelter for tea lights (see Below). A six-pack of 3/4 liter jars is $27.90 from Kaufmann Mercantile. I try to keep a boxful of simple beeswax tea lights on hand for indoor and outdoor dining. A set of 6 Handmade Beeswax Tea Lights is $11.95 from Kaufmann Mercantile. A Smokey Grey Glass Lantern from Danish designer Eva Solo hangs from a sturdy metal wire and holds a tea light. Keep flies off food with a fine mesh Stainless Steel Domed Food Cover; £6.36 from Divertimenti. More pest prevention in the form of a Hammered Glass Citronella Candle; $48 from Terrain. If you have time on your hands and an empty glass bowl, you also can make a DIY version. Too much sun can drive diners indoors; encourage them to linger by hanging a canvas sail cloth overhead. According to the manufacturer’s website, the canopy has an Ultraviolet Protection Factor of 25-plus, meaning that it blocks 96 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.