Al Fresco dining in the Southwest

"Al fresco dining" or "eating outside"?  Which sounds more elegant to you?  I"ll take al fresco dining, even though the two expressions mean essentially the same thing.  (And by "eating outside" I don't mean just strolling around the back yard munching on a fold over peanut butter sandwich.)

"Al fresco" means "in the cool air" in Italian, but don't use the phrase in Italy if you want to dine outside.  In Italian, 'al fresco" means "spending time in jail."  Say all'aperto.  If you are in a Spanish-speaking country, you will want to use the phrase, "al aire libre."

Al fresco dining brings up all sorts of pleasant images.  First, the weather must be temperate and the winds calm, no chattering teeth or flyaway napkins allowed.  Next, dining in the open air suggests a casual style, with come as you are dress. And probably most importantly, al fresco dining is about more than just consuming food and beverage.  It's festive.  Time to PARTY.

Last Sunday, my husband Wayne and I took advantage of an usually lovely spring day in El Paso, Texas, our home town, to have brunch at Ardovino's Desert Crossing, located just across the border in the neighboring state of New Mexico. Al fresco dining is offered on their patio.

Patio at Ardovino's

The owners of Ardovino's are advocates for use of plants native to the area in their landscaping, so the dining experience was also a horticultural lesson.  Many native plants bloom in early spring, putting on brilliant and often aromatic blossoms.

Colorful native plants

Ardovino's isn't just about food and plants.  This old water tower on the property is charming.

Water tower

Another delight of dining al fresco at Ardovino's is the possibility of catching a glimpse of a train as it glides around the nearby mountain.  

Train viewed from patio

And sometimes you can even hear the plaintive sound of a train whistle.

Brunch menu offerings at Ardovino's add to the feeling that you are doing something special.  Baja Vegetable Crepes, Berry Belgian Waffles, Pancakes Dolce, Trailer Park Biscuits and Gravy (one of my favorites), Skinny Breakfast (which in retrospect I probably should have ordered) and much more.

Once more, I must crow about living in the Desert Southwest, where spring arrives early.  But what about the 35 to 40 hour winds that rear their ugly heads in springtime, turning the world gray and dusty?  Well, yes, we have those days too.

But I'll keep a pleasant al fresco dining experience at Ardovino's in my memory to make it through the next sandstorm.