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Photo by Corey Miller.
Specialty cocktails (or mocktails) are especially refreshing in the summer.
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Photo by Corey Miller. Table linens courtesy of August Table, White Stone.
Kilmarnock Inn's Oven-baked Frittata with Veggies
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Photo by Corey Miller.
York River Oyster Company Coastal Bar & Grill's Cali Quinoa Salad
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Photo by Corey Miller.
Tides Inn Fish Hawk Oyster Bar's Baked Rappahannock Oysters "Chesapeake"
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Photo by Corey Miller. Table linens courtesy of August Table, White Stone.
Berret's Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill's Chilled Gazpacho with Crabmeat
A wise man once said that eating food outdoors makes it taste infinitely better than the same meal consumed inside. Add in summertime vibes and the beauty of our region and that maxim practically becomes a siren call to savor every meal possible al fresco. And why not, given the array of local restaurants eager to provide an inviting place to take in their menu and some fresh air?
There’s no doubt about it, if there’s one thing we all learned since the pandemic short-circuited our sense of what’s normal, it’s the indescribable value of outdoor dining spaces. Whether it’s a noontime lunch to recharge your mental batteries during the workday or dinner and drinks under a starry sky, chances are the food will taste better for the time spent outside. And haven’t we all spent enough time indoors over the past year and a half? In a nod to changing times, safety concerns and diner preferences, local restaurants have chosen to expand, enhance and, in some cases, create extensive patios and decks, the better to welcome back diners to share the bounty of their kitchens in the great out of doors.
For this, our summer installment of Good Eats, we’re focusing on four local eateries—one each in Irvington, Gloucester Point, Kilmarnock and Colonial Williamsburg—with one thing in common: amazing outdoor spaces designed to be idyllic settings for your future meals.
