(L to R) Georgia Cawley, Barbara English, and Laurie Borawski attend a recent Historical Society luncheon.

This past weekend, we were blessed with several days of perfect weather—sunny skies, comfortable temperatures, low humidity, and a minimum of mosquitoes. After the long winter we all endured, it was a pleasure to spend time out-of-doors, particularly dining alfresco. As we all know, one of the joys of living in Long Grove is the opportunity to enjoy nature and open spaces from our own backyards. But did you know that many of our local restaurants also offer delightful outdoor dining experiences as well?

My husband and I enjoyed a recent lunch on the outdoor deck of the Long Grove Café. While waiting for our food to arrive we were entertained by watching an unusual bird hunt for minnows in the Mill Pond. I snapped him with my cell phone camera, and identified him later as a Green Heron. We had just been admiring his cousin, the Great Blue Heron, earlier in the week as we sat outside Smokin’ T’s with our Bar-B-Que. Did you know you can view a whole rookery from that spot? Last summer, the Long Grove Artist’s Guild sponsored an outdoor program by local artist Marie Roth, who creates American flags out of reclaimed barn wood. A perfect place to view this wonderful presentation was under the umbrellas of the outdoor dining tables at Enzo & Lucia’s. It is such a lovely location to relax, enjoy a meal, and take in the sights and sounds of Fountain Square. We have also been enjoying Long Grove’s newest restaurant, The Chatterbox, which features a charming outside patio area bordered with flowers and plants. This is truly a local gathering spot, as our meal for two quickly became a meal for four when some friends from the Historical Society stopped by to join us. Dining at the table next to us were Long Grove neighbors, as well. Good food, good friends, and a beautiful springtime night in our own Downtown.

Many other area restaurants offer outside dining, but so often these areas overlook a strip mall, parking lot, or busy road. Long Grove dining offers up a choice of attractive places to enjoy nature and the uniqueness of our Village. This season will be gone in the blink of an eye—enjoy it while you can!