Flowers are blooming and the sun is finally starting to shine, so what better time to start thinking outside the blocks? City blocks that is, as local restaurants start preparing their sidewalk patios for outdoor dining. Patio tables are being set up, potted plants are being arranged and menus are changing to accommodate diners who love the relaxation of dining alfresco. By the end of April, many restaurants in town will be ready to offer diners refreshing outdoor dining experiences.
Oakway Wine and Deli
“People like to be outdoors,” said Alex Fitzpatrick, a chef at Oakway Wine and Deli, “and when you eat outside, it’s a completely different environment.”
Located at the Oakway Center, Oakway Wine and Deli offers customers the option to eat in the outdoor courtyard. Several trees and plants provide shade and envelop diners in a relaxing atmosphere. A fountain contributes soothing backdrop noise, while buildings on all four sides reduce the amount of chilly breezes that may send diners back inside.
Although the other restaurants in the center have similar seating, Oakway Wine and Deli takes it up a notch by barbecuing outside. The deli’s main barbecue expert, Fitzpatrick, gets out of the kitchen and grills outside June through August.
“I’ll pretty much grill most anything on the menu, from steaks to shrimp, even vegetables,” he said. “And it gets even better because every Wednesday night in the summer, there are live bands in the courtyard.”
It’s tough to top live music and barbecue, but the deli also has a surprisingly varied menu. Besides the staple sandwich menu, there are many other foods to choose from, including prawns, ribs, polish sausages, vegetable kabobs and several salads. Dinners range from $9-$23. They also have a selection of more than 22 wines, which can also be ordered to go.
Adam’s Place
For a completely different outdoor dining experience, head over to Adam’s Place on Broadway. Though there are plenty of plants to create a nice outdoor experience, its patio seating more closely resembles the street cafes in New York and Paris. An iron fence encloses diners on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, while cars, buildings and passers-by create a nice backdrop and “cityesque” noise.
Though the restaurant is known for its delicious gourmet menu and elegant atmosphere (servers with crisp white shirts, a fireplace and an impressive mahogany bar for example), don’t be intimidated to give it a try. Small things, such as their entertaining food descriptions and a list of the management’s favorite drinks, make dining at the restaurant an unpretentious and fun experience.
Adam Bernstein, owner and executive chef, said the menu is 95 percent organic, which helps draw customers to their patio seating.
“There are a lot of great places in town that offer outdoor dining, but the quality of our organic food sets us apart from other restaurants,” he said.
The menu at Adam’s Place currently gives diners many choices, including items such as filet mignon, lamb chops, mussels and Cambazola fondue. The dinners start at about $20, which may be high for many college students, but it is still possible to visit the restaurant on a budget by sampling a few of the many tasty drinks offered. In addition to an extensive wine list, the restaurant offers more than
40 specialty drinks and cocktails, including a special spring and summer drink section. In true al fresco style, the drink descriptions remind diners of the outdoors, with one stating “It screams patio!”

Blue Luna Club
If a unique experience without gourmet prices is on the agenda, one of the most places to eat outdoors is offered at the Blue Luna Club. Located on the corner of Willamette Street and 13th Avenue, it is one of the few restaurants in town that offers outdoor dining on a balcony. The nearby thick-leaved trees and colorfully painted table and chair sets create a tropical atmosphere that matches its food – authentic dishes straight out of the Caribbean Islands.
Josh Briese, a server and bartender at the Blue Luna Club, says that people feel like they’re sitting in a city while dining on the balcony.
“This … and this – and this is why they come here,” he said, while gesturing around to the trees and open air. “Not everywhere offers a balcony like we do, and if they do, it’s not as open.”
Once customers are seated on the balcony, the fun starts immediately when the drink menus are brought out; the cocktails have wild names such as Jamaican Fire Trap, Cuban Cable Car and Black Moses. For added fun, the restaurant offers “tropical pitchers” that come with several super-long straws so they can be shared with friends. Some, including the Zombie pitcher, are served flaming.
If wild and exotic drinks aren’t enough, the food is sure to ignite some nervous excitement. Most of the dishes are cooked with rum because, according to the menu, “Islanders believe a bit of rum in your food will keep it happy and free of evil spirits.”
Though the menu lists traditional Caribbean items such as jerk chicken, prawns and crab cakes (splashed with rum, of course), more adventurous people can order garlic rum frog legs and deep-fried alligator. These more exotic dishes are priced between $15-17, but it’s possible to try them all with the similarly priced Blue Luna Sampler Platter. It includes frog legs, alligator, bolitos (potato bean rolls stuffed with cheese) and flying fish balls (fried balls of chopped white fish with vegetables). It may sound intimidating, but few things are more exciting than sitting out in the fresh air sipping Jamaican Fire Traps and eating frog legs.
Cafe Zenon
If a Caribbean experience seems a little too adventurous, check out the outdoor dining at Cafe Zenon. Located downtown on Broadway, this restaurant has some of the most relaxing sidewalk dining in town. Trees flank the sidewalk, some of which are lit up at night, creating a romantic, yet casual atmosphere. Neighboring shops and boutiques and passing cars keep customers entertained with things to look at.
Steven Ibarra, a Eugene postal carrier, has been dining at Cafe Zenon for more than five years. He said that he mainly goes there to sit outside.
“There really isn’t a better way to see what Eugene is all about than sitting there just watching the people go by. And the place has really good food,” he said.
Some of the things currently on Cafe Zenon’s menu include quail with cherry sauce, pork tenderloin with apple-brandy sauce and French charcuterie (small appetizers such as pÃ