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.

There's no place like a Southwestern home

Travel is a good thing.  It broadens the mind (and sometimes the hips, depending on the food delicacies that you find).  Travel also provides novel images and thoughts you can use to make a comparison between life style at home and other life styles.

I recently spent a good bit of time in Los Angeles, California in a beautiful area near the historic Farmers Market and the upscale Grove Shopping Center.

Early morning in Los Angeles

My husband Wayne snapped this shot while sipping Cuban coffee in a Los Angeles cafe.  Very exotic to our Texan eyes!

Coffee customer with friend

Los Angeles can boast of palm trees, avocado trees, luxuriant bougainvillea vines, and gigantic, larger than life succulents.  What a feast for the eyes of a gardener!

But when I returned home to El Paso, Texas (located in the high desert), I also found treats for the senses in my own back yard.

View of  grapevines in late afternoon

The extra room we have dubbed "The Bunkhouse" is waiting for visitors to play dominoes, listen to music, or write a novel.

The Bunkhouse

The horno (oven) stands ready to bake a pizza or a recipe of camp bread.

The Horno

And when I arrived home on Good Friday, the plants told me it was springtime.  A large butterfly had found the claret cup cactus in the front yard.

Butterfly atop claret cup cactus

The honey mesquite trees had put on their bright green feathery finery.

Mesquite tree

 It was good to be home.