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Letter from Boston

Dining Outdoors

By MASAKO YAMADA


外で食事を楽しむ

ボストンでは、天気がよいこの時期、外で食事のできるレストランが増えます。おいしい空気ときれいな景色の中で食事が楽しめるのかと思いきや、トラックやバスの排気ガスがひどかったり、見える景色は工事現場だったりして、必ずしも思わしい環境とは言えません。それでも外に席を設けた店が人気を集めています。

The weather has been particularly pleasant lately and I've seen an increase in the number of people enjoying their meals outdoors. Many restaurants in Boston drag out tables during the summer months so that patrons can eat alfresco.

Imagine eating a luscious meal with fresh air, cool breezes, a view of trees and the hubbub of happy passersby lending a lively atmosphere. It sounds just like Paris, doesn't it? Now add unstable plastic and metal tables teetering on cracked sidewalks, buses and trucks rumbling by and spewing fumes, and homeless people occasionally coming toward patrons with their paper cups outstretched.

I would say this is much closer to the actual experience of eating outside near the Boston University campus. Still, people can't seem to resist the temptation of eating outside. To many people, the worst outdoor conditions are preferable to being cooped up inside. At least three restaurants near BU have outdoor seating in spite of the less-than-ideal area.

Today, I went to a popular local seafood restaurant that is located right on the Boston Harbor and I realized again how much the out doors beckons when the weather is good. The main "dining room" is a huge tent with a view of a parking lot, a broken footbridge, a lobster warehouse, lots of construction work and the glittering Boston skyline.

When the people in front of us got assigned the smaller "indoor dining room" instead of the tent, they looked extremely disappointed. It did not matter that it was cooler and quieter inside, and that the view was almost as good, albeit through windows.

My friend and I were satisfied with sitting in the indoor dining room, especially considering that the wait was much shorter, but I could see why people were willing to wait an hour to get a seat in the tent. Ironically, the tent is heated when it gets colder, so outdoors-lovers can enjoy the view without freezing.

The "Champs Elysees of Boston," Newbury Street, is dotted with outdoor tables when the weather is nice. These restaurants have an ambiance that is much more refined than those closer to BU. Newbury Street does not suffer from the same kind of traffic as Commonwealth Ave. (the street BU is on), and the passersby tend to be much more polished.

Indeed, it is well-known that people eat outdoors on Newbury Street not only to enjoy the breeze and the view, but to see-and-be-seen. I agree that it is fun to people-watch while eating, and it's fun to pretend to be a part of a dramatic movie scene.

Charles Street, another one of Boston's fancy streets, has a lot of restaurants. However, the atmosphere is much more sedate and outdoor tables do not clog the sidewalks.

The residents of the community insist that the street maintain a certain amount of class, so they have prevented restaurants from getting the necessary permits to set tables outside. They claim that outdoor diners will create noise and other mischief that will disturb the quality of life of the residents. (They have prevented newspaper and magazine vending machines from being placed on the streets, and have banned neon signs as well.)

Even though it is known that patrons like eating outdoors, and that restaurants want to humor patrons, not all restaurants are free to set tables outside. Since public space is involved, the public is entitled to control how much this phenomenon spreads.

Boston is actually considered to be a city where alfresco dining is not very common. Perhaps this is part of the reason people covet those outdoor tables so much.

Another development that may affect the number of restaurants serving food outside is the recent smoking ban inside restaurants. Restaurants that wish to attract smokers are required to adhere to extremely strict rules with regards to separating smokers and non-smokers. It's simply much easier to set up a few tables outside to cater to the smokers.

Even though this seems like an ideal solution, the question is how many restaurants will be able to get the requisite permits. Eating outdoors is not as simple as it seems.


Shukan ST: July 14, 2000

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