CUISINE
Patios, Pop-ups and Parks
MEMORABLE AL FRESCO DINING
By Suzanne Corbett
M
y mother always said food tastes better when you
eat outside. That was her explanation as to why
Grandma Wilson’s under-seasoned, cold fried
chicken tasted so wonderful when we picnicked
in Forest Park, and why ballpark hot dogs tasted
superior, with or without the mustard.
While many share my mother’s assessment, it doesn’t diminish the
culinary mystery, driving me to discover the reason why it is true. Does
fresh air really intensify food flavors? Could it merely be in one’s mind,
or does al fresco dining actually enhance one’s tastes buds?
According to a study from the University of Florida Center for Taste
and Smell, it’s all about the experience. The experiences connect food
Pastaria
with
an outdoor occasion and/or dining venue that enhances the senses,
The Culver Pavilion at The Muny
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giving the perception that the food eaten is more favorable, when in
actuality, it’s simply more memorable. Case in point: My first sauce-
sopped pork steak eaten as a child at a neighbor’s backyard barbecue
under an umbrella table. In my mind, it remains the best I have ever
eaten, forever creating an unexplained preference for Maul’s barbecue
sauce.
Foods, along with al fresco dining accouterments as simple as a
picnic basket, can excite and rekindle memories. When I open my
picnic basket, I reopen memories of my first romantic rendezvous – the
basket packed with cheap wine, cheese spread and a stringer of Ritz
crackers. My basket choices have changed over the years. I often opt to
order picnics to go from ethnic and gourmet grocers, or grab carry-out
with drinks from a nearby eatery, a trend that’s become more popular