Winter technically doesn’t even end until next Tuesday, but already Oak Park diners are clamoring for a table in the sun.
With March weather records getting broken left and right, local restaurants are scrambling to set up their outdoor patio areas this week. Some are already ready for business, while others say they still have weeks of work to do before alfresco makes its first appearance in 2012.
“We can put as many tables out there as we want, but we don’t have anybody to take care of them,” said Dennis Murphy, who with his wife owns Poor Phil’s, 139 S. Marion St. “We don’t have any staff to wait on ’em, that’s the problem. And the thing is, you get the staff, and then it drops to 50 [degrees] for a week, and then what do you do?”
Right now, Poor Phil’s has about 10 tables up and running outside out of the 40 or so it usually has during the warmer months, and they’ve been running a wait list for those few. They’re just starting to hire for seasonal, outdoor staff and don’t plan on rolling out the full patio until April 13.
Over at the Avenue Ale House, 825 S. Oak Park Ave., they haven’t yet opened their more than 100-seat rooftop garden, according to manager Arlene Michaud. The upstairs is like a whole other restaurant and takes lots of prep before it can come out of winter hibernation. They plan to start it up in mid to late April.
“It’s definitely been a surprise on our part,” she said. “I wish we would have been able to predict it, but you never know.”
Maya Del Sol, 144 S. Oak Park Ave., tries to keep its 130-seat backdoor patio up and running all year, and even had a few diners in January, said Todd Gunderson, director of operations. Plus, they’re prepared for any temperature swings, with blankets and a fire pit in back.
They’re still debating whether to open the outside bar, with concerns of it freezing up if there’s a cold snap. Gunderson said he’s never seen a winter like this one in 11 years of living in Illinois.
“I do feel like I’m back in California,” he said.
Other restaurants, such as La Bella (1103 South Blvd.), Kinderhook Tap (800 S. Oak Park Ave.), New Rebozo (1116 Madison St.), and Lake Street Kitchen + Bar (1101 Lake St.) just recently opened their outdoor areas, employees confirmed.
Marion Street Cheese Market has some tables out, but an employee said that’s just for today. They’re planning to install an outdoor trellis, and their patio likely won’t open for the season until a yet-to-be-determined date. Cucina Paradiso, 814 North Blvd., is expecting to roll out its outdoor area in mid to late April.
Editor’s Note: We contacted just a small sample of restaurants and aren’t intending to be comprehensive. If you have more suggestions for alfresco dining in the Oak Park area, feel free to post them in the comment section.