Here are some unique alfresco dining experiences for spring 2007 in the city and the burbs.
_ Tavern 17, 220 S. 17th St. (www.tavern17
restaurant.com) Welcome the latest resto-lounge to tony Rittenhouse Square. Tavern 17, situated between Walnut and Locust streets near the Radisson Warwick Hotel, will open May 1 with 170 seats indoors and 16 to 20 outside. Only this outdoor patio will have both a human menu - featuring items like "tavern sliders," orange-glazed salmon, tuna and beer carpaccio - and a separate canine menu, for discerning, barking customers. Happy hour will commence each day at "1700 hours" sharp.
_ Patou, 312 Market St., Old City. (215-928-
2987 or www.patourestaurant.com) The see-and-be-seen patio on the sidewalk outside Patou on Market Street seats a cozy 14. Get there early on a Friday or Saturday for chef and owner Patrice Rames' authentic southern French food, from lobster salad to a pan-sauteed skate fish. After dinner on weekends, head inside to the deep-blue-and-white-swathed, Cote d'Azur-style lounge for live jazz.
_ Meredith's, 10 Leopard Road, Berwyn, (610-251-0265) Get there early for dinner to get seats on the patio outside this cozy cottage-style BYOB cafe. At lunch, the place is a local cult favorite for homemade soups and appetizer plates on gorgeous sunny days, but seating is limited to 16.
_ Avalon, 312 S. High St., West Chester. (610-436-4100) This European-style BYOB screams date night with a spacious, 50-seat brick patio shaded by tropical plants and peppered with white-linen-covered tables topped with fresh flowers. This spring, owners are adding a mosaic wall and fountains to the alfresco decor. The sharing plates are flat-out sexy, from mussels to hummus, exotic-mushroom mixes or cheeses. The pastas are Italian-influenced, while the entrees range from tandoori salmon to Australian free-range lamb or sesame-seared scallops with a blood-orange salad and lemon vinaigrette.
