I took a bite of lobster and fire roasted conch, eating al fresco, from a sand pit dug on a beach somewhere between Ambergris Caye, Belize and Mexico. Our family had just finished a half day snorkeling. We had harvested several conchs and spiny lobsters from reef. I sat on a large piece of drift wood. Toes in the sand, tickled by the breeze blowing across my slightly sunburned skin. Flavors of roasted fruits and peppers burst from the lobster. I stared out to the white of the waves breaking on the edge of the patch work of blue, green and turquoise that defined the reef. Paper plates, no forks or napkins. We ate the chunks of lobster and conch with our hands. It was Belize in a meal.

Something better than restaurant patios

Stemming from mid eighteenth century Italian, al fresco literally, ‘in the fresh (air).’ Currently, al fresco, in Italian, usually refers to spending time in jail. In the United States, it remains a go to phrase for dining in the open air. By Google trends, we can see the cyclical interest around Northern Hemisphere summer months. Mild summer days make for perfect al fresco conditions.

Search “al fresco” and search engines provide top restaurant patios. A restaurant patio can provide a great al fresco experience but I find these spots are mostly high priced tourist traps. Search results are lacking for more unique al fresco dining experiences, off the beaten path. The al fresco family of dining experiences is quite large. Picnics, sporting events, festivals, unique outdoor dining, and parts of your home are all in the al fresco family. Cuisine is a manifestation of culture and these more unique al fresco environments enrich the cultural experience.

Picnics

A combination of a journey, an outdoor setting and a meal. At one time all meals were picnics. Then humanity urbanized and we found escaping back to rural settings a fun fad. The nostalgic version of a family picnic, checkered blanket and basket, still offers a reprieve from trying to prep a meal with screaming toddlers. As the rise of picnics charted the intense urbanization of humanity, I believe Millenials will bring it back supported by technology.

After hauling in a few tuna on deep sea fishing trips, I have had the privilege of sashimi right on the boat deck. Doesn’t get any fresher! And as meal experiences go, there is something about eating what you caught. My tip for better picnic experiences is to book adventurous activities (zip line tours, climbing, paragliding, fishing, spelunking) that offer a meal.

Sporting Events

Every country has a sport and many of them are played outdoors. The fans also have their favorite half time foods. In America: baseball and hot dogs or football and chili come to mind. Today, stadiums are upping their culinary game with local delicacies. Check out this list of the top foods by baseball stadium. And for readers in Europe, here are the top foods by country for football (soccer) fans.

When your travelling, or when you are in a rut for a better meal experience at home, search local sporting events for ideas.

Food Trucks

Here in St. Louis we have Forest Park. Opened in 1876, it was home to many significant events including the World’s Fair in 1904. There is a prominent hill topped by the St. Louis Art Museum known as art hill. Walking out from the white pillars at the entry, the eye floats across the street to a large statue of King Lious IX and then follows the cascading green grass down to a large pond with fountains. My wife and I happened upon the Art Hill Film Series, where we were able to sample food from a variety of local food trucks and catch a movie on these beautiful lawns as the sun was setting.

We learned to follow the Food Trucks and search for local festivals to find unique al fresco dining opportunities.

Vineyards and Farms

While in Tuscany, my wife and I stumbled upon a small town holding a wine tasting festival in the town plaza. We each purchased a cup for 5 euros and spent the afternoon meeting people from several local wineries as we sampled some fantastic Chianti Classico. Each vineyard had a story dripping with culture, from the families to the buildings to the soil. Scouting for vineyards and beer tasting events offer more unique al fresco opportunities.

My career in agriculture provides opportunities to visit a variety of farms across the globe. In much the same way a the story of the wine improves the experience at a vineyard, it is magical to hear the stories behind the production of our food. Today, many of these opportunities are more accessible in farm experiences or farm to table dining. An interesting new model in urban settings are roof top community farms, allowing those in cities a chance to participate in the production process. Search for farm experiences next time you are looking for an adventurous dining options.

At Home or In your Car or in Your Boat

Sometimes, it’s all about changing up the table. I have been disappointed by highly recommended restaurants but persistently recall driveway snacks with neighbors, tailgates, and picnics in the back of our van while we wait out a rain storm. The food can be average but add a unique setting and good company and you can have a great meal experience.

Science of Al Fresco Dining Experiences

Unfortunately, there is limited scientific research on al fresco as a factor contributing to a diners experience. I found this study that evaluates several studies measuring real time non laboratory stress responses to outdoor exposure. The results suggest health benefits from outdoor exposure particularly in heart rate, blood pressure and self reported measures. There are no studies I could find that specifically evaluated outdoor exposure to the diner’s perception of taste or the overall dining experience.

The Bad and Ugly

While in Florida, on family vacation, I decided to break away early in the morning for a conference call. Shame on me but I convinced myself it would lower the stress of catching up and it would be comfortable to participate sitting poolside with a cup of coffee as the sun rose. Toward the end of the call, I noticed a shadow pass across me. Suddenly, my head and computer were covered in the bombings of a Pelican attack. I cussed and wiped my computer screen with my shirt, activating the video feed for the conference call. It took me about 30s to notice, as I continued to cuss and try to clean my head.

Al fresco has some downsides. Extreme temperatures, bugs, wind, hauling gear, and yes, birds. The upsides usually out weigh the downsides. If they don’t, then you will have a good story to tell.

Help the Search

What did I miss? Tell me your hacks to find al fresco experiences and share them on the Facebook feed for the Meal Genome community to know. Do you have a great al fresco experience, SHARE IT. Do you have a really bad al fresco experience, SHARE THAT TOO. Post your al fresco dining pics.

Author

Dan Kurdys is a dad that cooks at home for his wife and three daughters. Growing up, meals were a critical part of Dan’s learning and family bonding. He feels the struggle of balancing a full time job and preparing family meals that are convenient, on budget and healthy. He started his side hustle blog Meal Genome in 2018 to discover insights for better meal experiences. The approach is to use skills from career experience in corporate strategy, a MBA and a degree in Economics toward analytics of meal experiences.